Mandatory Therapy for all Juvenile Sentences

When a juvenile is convicted, the judge may include therapy as part of their court-ordered sentence. However, this is not required for all juvenile cases and can be placed at the judge's discretion. Regarding juvenile cases, all juveniles should undergo at least 6 weeks of therapy regardless of their crime. Mental health is an important issue that often gets overlooked regarding delinquent children, especially those in lower-class families. If the main effort of juvenile court is to rehabilitate, then all children need to be made aware of the skills and techniques that can keep them out of trouble. Therapy is a luxury that not everyone can afford and if it is made a mandatory part of all juvenile cases, the courts would help with the costs and provide doctors and leaders of their own to complete the therapy. When everyone is taught how to properly deal with their the likelihood of reoffending drops and the techniques learned will be passed on creating a healthier society. 

Juveniles place more weight on their relationships with other people than adults do. Especially if said juvenile has been unable to form attachments with any positive role models. One study suggests that relationships are, “key factors in the criminogenic profile of juveniles” (Young). How juveniles create and maintain relationships can be an indicator of future issues. If a juvenile struggles to form such attachments or create any community ties they are more likely to act out against the community and anyone they perceive as threatening. However, juveniles who underwent family-based therapy were seen improving in both home and school life with a significant drop in recidivism (Young). Other such therapy tools like Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) are also cited for helping juveniles change problematic behavior and thinking into something positive (National Institute of Justice). When CBT is introduced to children with anger problems or issues controlling their own emotions, those children can improve self-control and social skills (NIJ). Once these children learn how to handle their emotions the outbursts of delinquency that are seen in schools drop and make the environment healthier and friendlier to all who participate. 

When children are taught proper coping mechanisms early on in life they can change and use those skills to adapt to the world around them. But this task entails more than just telling juveniles that they’re wrong for thinking or acting in a certain way. When it comes to the criminal justice system the main hope is that those who go through it will be rehabilitated and no longer commit offences. Juveniles are less likely to reoffend when they are taught about the impact their actions have on other people and being able to see the bigger picture of their crime. According to an article in Psychology Today, changing a child's behavior “is far more than abstaining from crime. It entails learn[ing] to think in a different manner”. If a trained professional can sit down with a juvenile offender and go through that child's actions and behaviors and help the child change their thinking it would be much more lasting than suspension or community service. No matter what charge the child is given, if they have any interaction with the court system they need to meet with a therapist. But starting early and placing a heavy emphasis on that child’s feelings they will be able to comprehend the weight of their actions and what they might choose to do in the future.

The mental state of a juvenile offender is complex and can be attributed to more than just a sense of rebellion or a need to act out. “Multiple studies confirm that a large population of youths in the juvenile justice system have a diagnosable mental disorder” (Office of Juveniles). Most of these children will never receive treatment or a proper medical diagnosis because aside from committing a crime they will not display any obvious signs. Also since most of the juvenile offenders come from lower class backgrounds, likely, they have not interacted with a mental health professional in the course of their life. This exposes them to a broader world and offers explanations for their behavior aside from being a ‘bad kid’. Making therapy a requirement for all juveniles bridges the economic gap and provides every child a chance at medical help that they might not have been offered before. The development of a child's brain is said to be different from a fully grown adult's brain and children have a higher chance of correcting and fixing their behavior. Because of this law enforcement has instituted new ways of dealing with juveniles and has different systems put in place to handle them and their offenses (Youth in the Justice System). With so much emphasis being put on the child’s brain and development the need for a mandatory therapy schedule with all youth offenders is crucial. 

Overall there is a lot more hope for rehabilitating juvenile offenders if they are given the proper treatment. If all youth offenders undergo therapy for a set minimum amount of time then there is a stronger chance they will stay out of the justice system and not re-offend. If offenses are taken too lightly and the courts only impose a fine or some other distant form of punishment then the juveniles will never understand the consequences of their actions and will continue their behavior without acknowledging why. If juvenile offenders learn from the beginning that their actions have consequences and how to correct their behavior then the justice system as a whole will feel less strained from future adult cases. 

 

 

 

 

     Works Cited

National Institute of Justice, "Five Things About Juvenile Delinquency Intervention and Treatment," March 22, 2022, nij.ojp.gov:

https://nij.ojp.gov/topics/articles/five-things-about-juvenile-delinquency-intervention-and-treatment

Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency. (2017, July). Intersection between mental health and juvenile justice ... Literature Review. https://ojjdp.ojp.gov/model-programs-guide/literature-reviews/intsection_between_mental_health_and_the_juvenile_justice_system.pdf 

Samenow, S. E. (2022, June 28). Helping juvenile offenders change Practical considerations. Psychology Today. https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/inside-the-criminal-mind/202206/helping-juvenile-offenders-change-practical-considerations 

Young, S., Greer, B., & Church, R. (2017, February). Juvenile delinquency, welfare, justice, and therapeutic interventions: A global perspective. BJPsych bulletin. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC5288089/#:~:text=Multisystemic%20therapy%20(MST)%20is%20a,beneficial%20intervention%20for%20juvenile%20offenders 

Youth in the justice system: An overview. Juvenile Law Center. (n.d.). https://jlc.org/youth-justice-system-overview