U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government, Department of Justice.

NCJRS Virtual Library

The Virtual Library houses over 235,000 criminal justice resources, including all known OJP works.
Click here to search the NCJRS Virtual Library

Family Based Services for Juvenile Offenders

NCJ Number
140504
Journal
Children and Youth Services Volume: 12 Issue: 3 Dated: (1990) Pages: 193-212
Author(s)
K E Nelson
Date Published
1990
Length
20 pages
Annotation
Data from 159 families referred for juvenile status offenses or juvenile delinquency in 8 family-based prevention programs in 6 states were analyzed to determine family characteristics, service characteristics, and case outcomes.
Abstract
Most of the cases were opened between 1982 and 1985. Data was collected by means of a survey of social workers and a review of family case records. Results revealed a high incidence of parent-child, marital, and family relationship problems. In addition, family-based services were more successful in preventing out-of-home placements if the highest-risk child attended most or all of the treatment sessions and was enrolled in a regular class in school. Drug abuse was the most important predictor of placement in delinquency cases, and prior placement was the most important predictor in status offense cases. Three-quarters of the families were intact at the time their case was closed, with office-based programs in public agencies having the lowest placement rates. Findings support the use of family-based services for juvenile justice problems. Tables and 38 references