2010 Family Violence Legislative Update (pdf)

Every year, the National Council of Juvenile and Family Court Judges Family Violence Department writes a legislative update. This document provides legislative trends and new domestic violence related legislation for most states. Only those states which did not have legislative sessions in 2010 have no new reports.

2010 State Law Report Cards on Teen Dating Violence

A 2010 State-by-State Teen Dating Violence Report Card from Break The Cycle. Includes recommendations for improving state laws and policies to better protect victims, changes in the laws that affect teens experiencing abuse, and a revised scoring system that better assesses the impact of state laws on teens seeking protection orders.

Balancing Obligations: Serving Teen Victims and Mandated Reporting of Statutory Rape (pdf)

This issue brief addresses the importance of preserving confidentiality while working with teen victims of abuse, at the same time fulfilling the service provider's legal duties.

Barriers and Promising Approaches to Workforce and Youth Development for Young Offenders (pdf)

"This toolkit was created to address three objectives: identify barriers to success in juvenile justice -- both for the system and for the young people in it; survey innovative state and local policy initiatives; and showcase exemplary employment and development programs for court-involved youth."

Children’s and Adolescents’ Participation and Protection from Sexual Abuse and Exploitation (pdf)

"A paper reviewing government commitments to strengthen participation by children and adolescents to protect them from sexual abuse and exploitation. The paper provides recommendations for further research, policy development, and programming to support advocacy and practice with and by children and adolescents. "

Delinquency Cases in Juvenile Court, 2005 (pdf)

"This fact sheet, based on the Juvenile Court Statistics 2005 report, presents statistics on delinquency cases handled in U.S. juvenile courts between 1985 and 2005."

Delinquency Cases Waived to Criminal Court, 2005 (pdf)

"This fact sheet, based on the Juvenile Court Statistics 2005 report, presents statistics on petitioned delinquency cases waived to criminal court between 1985 and 2005."

Detention Reform: An Effective Approach to Reduce Racial and Ethnic Disparities in Juvenile Justice (pdf)

"By prioritizing the reduction of racial and ethnic disparities as a core detention reform strategy, Casey’s Juvenile Detention Alternatives Initiative has reduced the odds of detention typically faced by African-American and Latino teens. This Detention Reform Brief details JDAI’s efforts at reducing the over-representation of minorities in detention."

Disproportionate Minority Contact (pdf)

"This publication provides an overview of OJJDP’s efforts to reduce disproportionate minority contact (DMC). Includes a description of OJJDP’s DMC Reduction Model which helps states determine whether disproportionality exists and, if it does, guides the establishment of multipronged intervention strategies to ensure equal treatment of all youth. The fact sheet also includes a summary of states’ DMC-reduction activities derived from compliance plans submitted in fiscal year 2008."

Electronic Media and Youth Violence: A CDC Issue Brief for Educators and Caregivers (pdf)

"The brief summarizes what is known about young people and electronic aggression, provides strategies for addressing the issue with young people, and discusses the implications for school staff, education policy makers, and parents and caregivers. "

Guiding Principles for Promising Female Programming

This guide describes practical policy, program development processes, and promising program models aimed at preventing and treating female juvenile delinquency. Also includes a profile of female juvenile offenders, the problems they present, their needs, and ways to address them.

Helping Traumatized Children: Tips for Judges (pdf)

"This fact sheet for judges and other court personnel outlines the impact of trauma on children's development, beliefs, and behaviors. It is designed to help professionals in the juvenile justice and family court system become more effective in addressing the unique needs and challenges of the traumatized children and adolescents they work with."

Impact of the Law on Service to Teens (pdf)

This issue brief discusses the challenges that laws at the state and federal level pose, how they can impact the way service providers serve teens and how teens respond to adult interventions. Suggested strategies are given for programs and agencies working to serve teen victims of abuse.

Juvenile Arrests 2007 (pdf)

"The Bulletin describes the extent and nature of juvenile crime that comes to the attention of the justice system. It summarizes 2007 juvenile crime and arrest data reported by local law enforcement agencies across the country and cited in the FBI report, Crime in the United States 2007."

Juvenile Delinquency Probation Caseload, 2005 (pdf)

A fact sheet based on the Juvenile Court Statistics 2005 report. Presents statistics on delinquency cases resulting in probation in 2005.

Juvenile Domestic and Family Violence: The Effects of Court-Based Intervention Programs on Recidivism (pdf)

"This study tested the effectiveness of two court-based intervention programs in California that addressed juvenile domestic and family violence. Primary findings from the study indicated recidivism rates for offenders with prior records were remarkably consistent across sites, the specialized intervention programs in both Santa Clara and San Francisco counties had a deterrent effect on first-time offenders, and the greatest determinant of the probability of recidivism was background characteristics of the offender."

Juvenile Transfer Laws: An Effective Deterrent to Delinquency? (pdf)

"Provides an overview of research on the deterrent effects of transferring youth from juvenile to criminal courts, focusing on large-scale comprehensive OJJDP-funded studies on the effect of transfer laws on recidivism. The Bulletin reviews all of the extant research on the general and specific deterrent effects of transferring juveniles to adult criminal court."

Juveniles Facing Criminal Sanctions: Three States That Changed the Rules (pdf)

This Report, posted by the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention (OJJDP), examines the use of adult criminal sanctions by three States: Minnesota, New Mexico, and Wisconsin. The Report provides case studies of each State's approach to reform. The particular reform is detailed, its significance is noted, and its goals are elucidated. The impact of the reform on the juvenile justice and criminal justice systems is also described.

Law Enforcement Referral of At-Risk Youth: The SHIELD Program

This Bulletin describes how the SHIELD program mobilizes these assets to identify youth at risk of involvement in violent behavior, substance abuse, and gang activity and to address their needs through a multidisciplinary team approach involving representatives from the community, schools, and service agencies.

National Youth Court Center

2-page Fact Sheet, May 2000, posted by the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention (OJJDP). To create a central point of contact for youth court programs, OJJDP established NYCC in 1999 at the American Probation and Parole Association in Lexington, KY. The Center provides training, technical assistance, and resource materials to developing and established youth courts. This Fact Sheet describes NYCC and its services.

National Youth Gang Survey Trends From 1996 to 2000 (pdf)

2-page Fact Sheet from the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention. This Fact Sheet highlights findings from the five National Youth Gang Surveys conducted annually since 1996 by the National Youth Gang Center (NYGC), which is funded by OJJDP. The survey polls a nationally representative sample of more than 3,000 law enforcement agencies.

On the Road to Equality: Statewide Findings & Policy Recommendations (pdf)

"A supplement to the Status of Girls in Minnesota report by the Women’s Foundation of Minnesota in partnership with the Institute for Women’s Policy Research. Focus groups were conducted in 18 Minnesota communities that included African American, Latino, Native American, Asian American, LBT (Lesbian, Bisexual, Transgender), and disabilities communities — to share key research findings and gain community input. This report captures the voices and policy recommendations of these communities, nonprofit and public leaders."

Person Offense Cases in Juvenile Court, 2005 (pdf)

This fact sheet, based on the Juvenile Court Statistics 2005 report, provides statistics on person offense cases processed by juvenile courts in that year.

Police diversion of young offenders and Indigenous over-representation (pdf)

"Indigenous over-representation in the justice system is a challenge facing Australian society. This study focused on the extent of Indigenous over-representation, evidence of disparity in how Indigenous and non-Indigenous young people were processed and the impact of diversion on re-contact with the juvenile system."

Preventing and Responding to Teen Dating Violence

This special collection emphasizes collaborative and multilevel approaches to the prevention of, and response to, teen dating violence. It draws on the work of many organizations and organizes the resources on TDV prevention and responses by different populations.

Preventing violence and reducing its impact: How development agencies can help (pdf)

This document makes the case for increased attention on the impact of violence on development by international development agencies. A key aim is to stimulate dialogue on the role of international development agencies in the prevention of violence globally, and ultimately to increase investment in a commonly agreed set of applied violence prevention strategies. The primary audience for this document is policy-makers, high-level planners, and others in the international development field.

Reducing Disproportionate Minority Contact: Preparation at the Local Level (pdf)

"Describes strategies that States and communities can use to reduce disproportionate minority contact with the juvenile justice system. This bulletin is a companion to the latest edition of OJJDP's Disproportionate Minority Contact Technical Assistance Manual. It includes useful 'how to' information drawn from the manual and presents important background on the context in which local preparation takes place—media coverage and public attitudes about crime, race, and youth."

Resilient Girls—Factors That Protect Against Delinquency (pdf)

The Girls Study Group Series examines issues such as patterns of offending among adolescents and how they differ for girls and boys; risk and protective factors associated with delinquency, including gender differences; and the causes and correlates of girls’ delinquency.

Second Chances: Giving Kids a Chance To Make a Better Choice (pdf)

28-page Bulletin posted by the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention (OJJDP). Drawing on a recently published book, "Second Chances 100 Years of the Children's Court: Giving Kids a Chance To Make a Better Choice," the Bulletin profiles successful "graduates" of the juvenile justice system.

Special Education and the Juvenile Justice System

16-page Bulletin posted by the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention (OJJDP). This bulletin is intended to inform judges, attorneys, advocates, probation officers, institutional staff, and other youth-serving professionals about the impact of special education issues on juvenile justice matters. The Bulletin summarizes the provisions of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act and analyzes their relevance to the juvenile justice process from intake and initial interview to institutional placement and secure confinement.

The 8% Solution (pdf)

November 2001 Factsheet. The Orange County (CA) Probation Department found that a small percentage (8 percent) of juveniles arrested repeatedly accounted for most (55 percent) of the repeat cases. This 2-page Fact Sheet describes the California 8% Solution study, which assesses the needs of such youth, and the 8% Early Intervention Program, which provides them with treatment services.

The Dangers of Detention: The Impact of Incarcerating Youth in Detention and Other Secure Facilities (pdf)

"This policy brief reviews the existing literature on the efficacy of detention and looks at the consequences of detention on young people, their families, and communities."

THE EXPOSURE OF YOUTH TO UNWANTED SEXUAL MATERIAL ON THE INTERNET A National Survey of Risk, Impact, and Prevention (pdf)

"This national survey of youth, ages 10 to 17, and their caretakers has several implications for the current debate about young people and Internet pornography. Twenty five percent of youth had unwanted exposure to sexual pictures on the Internet in the past year, challenging the prevalent assumption that the problem is primarily about young people motivated to actively seek out pornography. Most youth had no negative reactions to their unwanted exposure, but one quarter said they were very or extremely upset, suggesting a priority need for more research on and interventions directed toward such negative effects. The authors urge that social scientific research be undertaken to inform this highly contentious public policy controversy."

The Facts about Teen Dating Violence

This fact sheet provides current information and statistics on teen dating violence. Information includes a working definition, exploration of different forms of teen dating violence and legal protections for victims of teen dating violence.

The Girls Study Group - Charting the Way to Delinquency Prevention for Girls (pdf)

"The Girls Study Group, convened by the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention (OJJDP), conducted a study to determine the cause of delinquency and increased arrests among female adolescents, factors that influence delinquency, and effective programs in preventing girls’ delinquency."

Tool Kit for Creating Your Own Truancy Reduction Program (pdf)

"Provides an overview of truancy issues, its causes, and solutions to the problem. This tool kit outlines critical components of truancy programs such as family involvement, use of incentives and sanctions, developing a support network, and program evaluation. The tool kit examines the legal and economic implications of truancy and provides recommendations to courts, schools, State lawmakers, and researchers for addressing this issue."

Youth Violence Myths and Realities: A Tale of Three Cities - The Different Story of Delinquent Youth as Told by the Media and by Juvenile Justice System Professionals and the Youth Themselves (pdf)

"This report examines the youth perspective on violence, life circumstance, and the response of the justice system to a supposed growth of violence among troubled youth. The report was also part of testimony before the House Subcommittee on Crime, Terrorism, and Homeland Security on February 11, 2009."