Juvenile Delinquents are especially disadvantaged in times of Disaster

Bridgette SmithDr. Susan EveHonor’s CollegeMentor : Dr. Sudha Arlikatti,Department of Public Administration College of Public Affairs and Community Service

CONTENTS

I. Source GuideII. Research QuestionsIII. Literature Review IV. Proposed Methodology V. Future PlansVI. ConclusionsVII.ReferenceVIII.Acknowledgments

Source Guide: Juvenile Delinquency:

◦ conduct by a juvenile characterized by antisocial behavior that is beyond parental control and therefore subject to legal action

◦ Or , a violation of the law committed by a juvenile and not punishable by death or life imprisonment

Merriam-Webster Dictionary

Special needs population◦ those whose members may have additional

needs before, during, and after an incident in functional areas.

U.S. Department of Homeland Security, & Federal Agency of Emergency Management (FEMA)

Research QuestionsHow prone to special risks are children ( 18

years and younger) in times of disaster?How is this further exacerbated with

children who are classified as juvenile delinquents?

How prepared is the juvenile justice system for disasters?

What are the implications for being underprepared?

What are the resources available for juvenile delinquents in times of disaster?

Literature Review More than 70 million Americans—about 1 in 4—are

younger than 18, the age group commonly referred to as juveniles. This age group has increased consistently since the mid-1980s and is projected to continue increasing until at least 2015. Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention, 2009

Federal law does not require juvenile justice systems to develop and implement disaster plans. National Commission on Children and Disasters, 2010

Court systems failed when important documents and record were lost and there was a major discontinuity of normal court operations. Outdated communications systems and poor technology use of records heavily plays into this.Andrews & Yeres, 2006

Factors which contribute to Juvenile DelinquencyEconomic,Social, andCommunity Factors

Family RelatedFactors

Peer Related Factors

School Related Factors

Additional Factors

Socio- economic Instability

Low Levels of Parental Involvement

Gang Involvement/Membership

AcademicFailure

Urbanization

Poverty Dysfunctional Family Settings

Delinquent Siblings

Low Bonding to School

Broken System of Cultural Norms

Exposure to Violence

Parent-child Separation

DelinquentPeers

Truancy and dropping out of school

The Media

Community Disorganization

Influence of Adult Offenders

Negative Advancement of Hierarchy

Frequent School Transitions

Migration

Vulnerabilities of Children in Disasters Psychological Vulnerability

Physical Vulnerability

Educational Vulnerability

• PTSD

• Depression

• Anxiety

• Emotional distress

• Sleep disorders

• Somatic complaints

• Behavioral problems

• Death

• Injury

• Illness and disease

• Malnutrition

• Heat stress

• Physical and sexual abuse

• Missed school

• Poor academic

performance

• Delayed progress

• Failure to complete

education

Implications of Juvenile Delinquents in Disasters No federal law mandating that juvenile

facilities have disaster plans implemented (poor legislation and policies)

Failed court systems Lack of adequate evacuation and

sheltering plans Lack of resourcesHigher rates of mental health issues

which can lead to worsening behavioral problems

Proposed Methodology Assessment/ Survey of staff in

juvenile delinquent facilities.Questionnaire for emergency

manager.Questionnaire for person with a

background in emergency management .

Sample Selection.Survey Design

Future PlansSurvey staff of juvenile facilities

and emergency managers.Continue research in policies and

legislation in other states in comparison to Texas for juvenile delinquents and their facilities.

Continue research in other gaps in resources that exist for juvenile delinquents in times of disaster.

Conclusions Lack of policies/ procedures regarding what

should be done with/for juvenile delinquents in times of disaster

Lack of resources for juvenile delinquents in times of disaster

Loose, if any, enforcement of laws regarding juvenile delinquents in times of disaster.

Even with recommendations to the President and Congress as well as the slight amount of research done on juvenile delinquents in times of disasters, little has been done to alleviate the special risks they incur. As disasters continue to take place and this population continues to grow, more research is needed to address these issues.

References Hawkins, J. D., Herrenkohl, T. I., Farrington, D. P., Brewer, D., Catalano, R. F., Catalano,

T. W., & Cothern,L. (2000). Predictors of Youth Violence. Juvenile Justice Bulletin, 1-9. Retrieved from https://www.ncjrs.gov/html/ojjdp/jjbul2000_04_5/contents.html 

United Nations (2003). Juvenile Delinquency. World Youth Report, 189-211. Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention (USDOJ). (2009). Statistical

briefing book: Juvenile population characteristics. Retrieved June 29, 2009 from:http://ojjdp.ncjrs.gov/ojstatbb/population/index.html 

Merriam-Webster (2012). Juvenile Delinquency. Merriam-Webster. Retrieved March 27, 2012, from http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/juvenile%20delinquency 

Peek, L. (2008). Children and Disasters: Understanding Vulnerability, Developing Capacities, and Resilience -- An Introduction. Children, Youth & Environments, 18(1), 1-30.

U.S. Department of Homeland Security, & Federal Agency of Emergency Management (FEMA) (n.d.).

Glossary/Acronyms. FEMA. Retrieved March 12, 2012, from http://www.fema.gov/emergency/disasterhousing/glossary.shtm

National Commission on Children and Disasters. 2010 Report to the President and Congress. AHRQ Publication No. 10-M037, October 2010. Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, Rockville, MD. http://www.ahrq.gov/prep/nccdreport/

Andrews, Susan James., Yeres, Susan., (2006) An Assessment of the Impact of Hurricanes Katrina and Rita on the Juvenile Justice System. Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention.

Acknowledgments A special thanks to:

◦Dr. Susan Eve, Honors College◦Dr. Sudha Arlikatti, College of Public

Affairs and Community Service