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Youth Exposed to Domestic Violence

NCJ Number
205367
Author(s)
Linda L. Baker; Peter G. Jaffe
Date Published
2003
Length
31 pages
Annotation
This handbook was designed for use by professionals in the juvenile justice system to enhance assessment and intervention strategies for youth from violent homes.
Abstract
Domestic violence is often a risk factor in the lives of youthful offenders regardless of whether it is the charge that brings them before the court. Juvenile justice professionals need to understand the overt and hidden ways domestic and other forms of violence affect juvenile offenders. Perpetration brings young people into the justice system, however, exposure and victimization also need to be identified and addressed to try and break the cycle of violence. While outcome research is lacking at this early state of intervening in domestic violence with adolescents, lessons learned form intervention with adults suggest promising ways to begin. That is, effective responses to domestic violence in the juvenile justice system suggest that well coordinated court and social services, informed by promising practices, and over time, accumulated empirical evidence, will be required. This handbook is broken down into specific topics that contain information that will help juvenile justice professionals: learn about domestic violence and its impact on adolescents; learn about evaluating risk and safety planning for victims of domestic violence; learn about coordinated justice responses to domestic violence and the role of juvenile custody programs and probation; learn about risk assessment and reduction with adolescent perpetrators of intimate partner and family violence; learn about promising practices for adolescent perpetrators of intimate partner and family violence; and learn about resources on domestic violence for adolescent victims and perpetrators. 26 references