Family-based Programs for Preventing and Reducing Juvenile Crime
ISBN: 978-0-662-48402-8
Table of contents
This fact sheet presents family-based programs for preventing and reducing juvenile crime whose effectiveness has been well established by reliable and rigorous evaluation studies.
The criteria used to determine the effectiveness of programs include the followingFootnote 1:
- a rigorous evaluation methodology;
- a conceptual framework based on scientific knowledge;
- measurable and concrete results on the reduction of the negative effects of risk factors or the increase of the positive effects of protective factors;
- effects that are maintained over time;
- the replication of the program in different environments, obtaining similar results each time.
Programs and Intervention Strategies for Families
For programs involving the family, three intervention strategies are considered adequate:
- parental training programs;
- family therapy programs;
- integrated approach programs.
The choice of programs presented here is based on the following criteria: the programs must be based on the family and must target the risk factors associated with families; youth targeted by the programs must be identified as youth who are at risk of developing delinquent behaviour or who are already involved in delinquent activities; and the program results must be supported by evaluations that confirm a reduction in the risk of juvenile delinquency, the mitigation of risk factors or the reinforcement of protective factors.
Parental training programs
This type of program essentially aims to teach parents how to use adequate discipline techniques, balanced supervision and control, and how to set clear and consistent limits for children and youth who tend to disobey rules.Footnote 2
Parental training uses a structured approach, mainly designed to improve family relations and to help parents use appropriate child-rearing techniques.
Title | Target Group | Targeted Problems and Risk Factors | Results and ratingFootnote 3 |
---|---|---|---|
Preventive Treatment Program | Age group: 7-9 years (boys only) Boys from disadvantaged families who present behavioural problems. |
Problems:
Risk factors:
|
Results:
RatingFootnote 3a: I: exemplary |
Parenting with Love and Limits (PLL) Also accompanies family therapy |
Age group: 10-18 years (girls and boys) Youth who have committed a first offence/youth at risk of adopting delinquent behaviour/dropouts. |
Problems:
Risk factors:
|
Results:
Rating: I: exemplary |
Focus on Families | Age group: 3-14 years (girls and boys) Targets families in which one parent is on methadone treatment. |
Problem:
Risk factors:
|
Results: After 12 months of counselling, the
Rating: I: exemplary |
Family therapy programs
Family therapy adopts a multidimensional approach that combines parental training, youth training and family dynamic improvement. Family therapy programs essentially aim to improve communication and interaction between parents and children and enrich parental practices to better resolve problems that arise.Footnote 8
Title | Target Group | Targeted Problems and Risk Factors | Results and ratingFootnote 3c |
---|---|---|---|
Functional Family Therapy (FFT) | Age group: 11-18 years (girls and boys) Youth who present delinquent behaviour/youth currently involved in criminal activities. |
Problems:
Risk factors:
|
Results:
Rating: I: exemplary |
Multidimensional Treatment Foster Care (MTFC) Also considered to be a program that uses an integrated approach |
Age group: 11-18 years (girls and boys) Youth with chronic delinquent behaviour who are at risk of incarceration. |
Problems:
Risk factors:
|
Results:
Rating: I: exemplary |
Brief Strategic Family Therapy (BSFT) | Age group: 8-18 years (girls and boys) Youth who present or who are at risk of adopting delinquent behaviour. The therapy also addresses dropouts and youth with substance abuse problems. |
Problems:
Risk factors:
|
Results: BSFT is considered an effective treatment to improve behaviour problems, reduce recidivism among young offenders and improve family relations.Footnote 7a Rating: I: effective |
Multidimensional Family Therapy (MDFT) | Age group: 11-18 years (girls and boys) Youth with substance abuse problems and youth who present behaviour problems. |
Problems:
Risk factors:
|
Results:
Rating: I: effective |
Positive- Parenting- Program (Triple P) Also accompanies parental training |
Age group: Youth under 16 years (girls and boys) Youth with behaviour (or emotional) problems. |
Problem:
Risk factors:
|
Results: Compared to families on a waiting list to receive treatment, those who participated in Triple P11:
Rating: I: ns |
Integrated approach programs
The integrated approach involves the participation of several partners (health and social services, education, justice, police, mental health professionals, substance abuse treatment, etc.). Integrated approach programs primarily aim to break family isolation by combining, in a personalized way, a wide range of services and support networks for the family and youth. This approach also takes into consideration the fact that the risk factors come from several areas (neighbourhood, school, friends, family and the youth's individual characteristics).
Title | Target Group | Targeted Problems and Risk Factors | Results and ratingFootnote 3c |
---|---|---|---|
Multisystemic Therapy (MST) Sometimes classified under family therapy |
Age group: 12-17 years (girls and boys) Youth with chronic violence problems, substance abuse problems and those who are at risk of placement. |
Problems:
Risk factors:
|
Results:
Rating: I: exemplary |
CASASTART Also known as Children at Risk Also considered to be family therapy |
Age group: 8-13 years (girls and boys) Youth at risk of being involved in criminal activities or youth who present substance abuse problems. |
Problems:
Risk factors:
|
Results: After one year, youth who participated in CASASTART, compared to youth from a comparison group:Footnote 14
Rating: I: effective |
Wraparound Milwaukee Also accompanies family therapy |
Age group: 13-17 years (girls and boys) Youth who present emotional and behaviour problems/ youth who present mental health needs. |
Problems:
Risk factors:
|
Results:
Rating: I: promising |
All Children Excel (ACE) | Age group: 6-15 years (girls and boys) Youth who present a high risk of chronic delinquency and violence. |
Problems:
Risk factors:
|
Results:
Rating: I: promising |
SNA P ™ Under 12 Outreach Project (ORP) Also accompanies family therapy and parental training |
Age group: 6-12 years (boys only) Boys who have committed offences or who present serious behaviour problems. Note: a program for girls, |
Problems:
Risk factors:
|
Results: Compared to a control group, SNAP participantsFootnote 5g:
Rating: I: exemplary |
Conclusion
Whether they are based on parental training, family therapy or an integrated approach, the programs presented in this fact sheet prove that effective intervention with families can effectively reduce the risk of juvenile delinquency. The following are a few key elements to the success of these programs:
- Target the main risk factors. Several researchers have demonstrated that the most effective prevention programs target population presenting several risk factors at once.Footnote 17
- Strengthen the protective factors associated with families, particularly parent-child relations, communication, parental supervision, discipline and family ties.
- Implement programs that combine diversified intervention strategies and use an integrated approach. The more complete a program is and the more it involves several services, the better the chances of success.Footnote 18
References
- Chamberlain, P. and J. Reid. 1998. "Comparison of Two Community Alternatives to Incarceration for Chronic Juvenile Offenders". Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 66(4): 624-633.
- Child Trends. 2007. Guide to Effective Programs for Children and Youth. Available from: www.childtrends.org/Lifecourse/programs/TripleP-PositiveParentingProgram.htm.
- Commission on Behavioral and Social Sciences Education. 2001. "Preventing Juvenile Crime". In J. McCord, C. Widom, & N. Crowell (eds), Juvenile Crime, Juvenile Justice, (pp. 107-153). Washington: National Academy Press.
- Farrington, D. and B. Welsh. 1999. "Delinquency Prevention Using Family-based Interventions". Children & Society, (13): 287-303.
- Greenwood, P. 2004. "Cost-effective Violence Prevention through Targeted Family Interventions, in Youth Violence- Scientific Approaches to Prevention". Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences, (1036): 201-214.
- Helping America's Youth. (n.d.). Community Guide to Helping America's Youth. Available from: www.helpingamericasyouth.gov/.
- Henggeler, Scott W. 1997. "Treating Serious Antisocial Behavior in Youth: the MST Approach". Juvenile Justice Bulletin. Washington, DC: Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention. Available from: http://www.ncjrs.gov/pdffiles/165151.pdf
- Krug, E., L. Dahlberg, et al. 2002. World Report on Violence and Health. Geneva: World Health Organization (WHO).
- Kumpfer, K. and R. Alvarado. 1998. "Effective Family Strengthening Interventions". Justice Juvenile Bulletin. Family Strengthening Series. Washington, DC: U.S Department of Justice, Office of Justice Programs, Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention. Available from: http://www.ncjrs.gov/pdffiles/171121.pdf
- Lawrence, A., N. Lurie et al. 2001. Youth Violence: a Report of the Surgeon General. United States: Department of Health and Human Services.
- Mihalic, S., K. Irwin et al. 2001. "Blueprint for Violence Prevention". Juvenile Justice Bulletin. Washington, DC: U.S Department of Justice, Office of Justice Programs, Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention. Available from: http://www.ncjrs.gov/pdffiles1/ojjdp/204274.pdf
- OJJDP. (n.d.). Model Programs Guide. Available from: www.dsgonline.com.
- Promising Practices Network. 2008. Promising Practices Network on Children, Families and Communities. Available from: www.promisingpractices.net/default.asp.
- Reinhardt, V.A. 2007. An Ounce of Prevention: Taxpayer Costs Avoided through Preventing Crime. Submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Public Administration in Hamline University, Saint Paul, Minnesota. Available from: http://www.co.ramsey.mn.us/cb/district7/newsletters/victoria.pdf
- Savignac, J. (2008) Families, Youth and Delinquency: The State of Knowledge, and Family-Based Juvenile Delinquency Prevention Programs, National Crime Prevention Centre, Public Safety, Ottawa.
- Sherman, F. 2005. 13 Pathways to Juvenile Detention Reform - Detention Reform and Girls Challenges and Solutions. Baltimore, Maryland: Annie E. Casey Foundation. Available from: http://www.aecf.org/upload/publicationfiles/jdai_pathways_girls.pdf
- Sherman, L. 1997. "Family-Based Crime Prevention". In L. Sherman, D. Gottfredson, D. MacKenzie, J. Eck, P. Reuter, & S. Bushway. Preventing Crime: What Works, What Doesn't, What's Promising (pp. 510-538). Washington, DC: US Department of Justice. Available from: http://www.chs.ubc.ca/archives/?q=node/787
- Sprott, J., J. Jenkins and A. Doob. 2005. "The Importance of School: Protecting At-Risk Youth from Early Offending". Youth Violence and Juvenile Justice, (3): 59-76.
- Strengthening America's Families, Effective Family Programs for Prevention of Delinquency. (n.d.). Program List. Available from: www.strengtheningfamilies.org/.
- Welsh, B. 2007. Evidence-Based Crime Prevention: Scientific Basis, Trends, Results and Implications for Canada. Ottawa: Public Safety Canada, National Crime Prevention Centre. Available from: http://www.publicsafety.gc.ca/cnt/rsrcs/pblctns/vdnc-prvntn/index-eng.aspx
Footnotes
- 1Increasingly, the cost benefits analysis is also taken into consideration as a criterion for program effectiveness. This analysis shows that the money invested in prevention programs is profitable when compared with the resulting benefits (Welsh, 2007).
- 2Kumpfer et al., 1998.
- 3 3a 3b 3cExplanation of program rating levels:
- Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention (OJJDP) - Model Programs Guide (MPG)
- Exemplary: program with a high degree of fidelity that demonstrates robust empirical findings, a reputable conceptual framework and an evaluation design of the highest quality (experimental).
- Effective: a program with sufficient fidelity that demonstrates adequate empirical findings, uses a sound conceptual framework and an evaluation design of high quality (quasi-experimental).
- Promising: program that demonstrates promising empirical findings, uses a reasonable conceptual framework but requires more thorough evaluation; the evaluation is based only on pre- and post-test measurements.
- Strengthening America's Families Project
- Exemplary: program that has an evaluation of the highest quality, presents positive results and has been replicated several times.
- Model: program that has been thoroughly evaluated but seldom replicated.
- Promising: program that requires other research or uses non-experimental evaluation methods; results seem promising but need to be confirmed with more rigorous evaluation methods.
- Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention (OJJDP) - Model Programs Guide (MPG)
- 4Farrington D. and B. Welsh. 1999. Delinquency Prevention Using Family-Based Interventions.
- 5 5a 5b 5c 5d 5e 5f 5g 5hOJJDP - Model Programs Guide. Available from: www.dsgonline.com
- 6 6aCommunity Guide to Helping America's Youth. Available from: www.helpingamericasyouth.gov/
- 7 7a 7bStrengthening America's Families, Effective Family Programs for Prevention of Delinquency. Available from: www.strengtheningfamilies.org/
- 8Krug et al., 2002.
- 9 9a 9b 9cMihalic, S. et al. 2001. Blueprints for Violence Prevention. US Department of Justice, Office of Justice Programs, Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention.
- 10Center for the Study and Prevention of Violence, Blueprints for Violence Prevention, Available from: www.colorado.edu/cspv/blueprints/
- 11Guide to Effective Programs for Children and Youth. Available from: www.childtrends.org/Lifecourse/programs/TripleP-PositiveParentingProgram.htm
- 12Elliott et al., 1998.
- 13Henggeler et al., 1997.
- 14 14aPromising Practices Network on Children, Families and Communities. Available from: www.promisingpractices.net/default.asp
- 15Ed Frickson, Ramsey County, All Children Excel
- 16Reinhardt, 2007.
- 17Sherman, 1997; see also Coie and Jacobs, 1993; Yoshikawa, 1994; Tremblay and Craig, 1995; Wasserman and Miller, 2000.
- 18Kumpfer et al., 1998.
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