Corrections and Juvenile Justice Research Proposal

Corrections and Juvenile Justice - Research Proposal Example This is especially true when parents are away from home without ensuring that the child is properly monitored and maintained. Unfortunately, due to neglect, demographic and pathological concerns, the number of adolescents present in juvenile detention institutions is almost equivalent to the number of young adults enrolled in college and technical preparatory schools (Puzzanchera & Sickmund, 2008). According to behavioral scientists (Forth & Mailloux, 2000), few theorists have been able to identify the causation of juvenile recidivism and many have failed to examine the social milieu, parenting styles of their families, and the pathological potential of criminal behavior during adolescence. Behavioral scientists do not understand the pathological or demographic characteristics and how they come together to provide reliable predictors of recidivism (Forth & Mailloux. 2000). Approximately 47% of all youth commit delinquent and criminal acts (Bureau of Justice Statistics, 1996). However , one of the most reliable and important references is self-report data, which according to a 1997 edition of the National Crime Reference Service surveyed over 2500 high school students who reported theft under fifty dollars; Twenty percent of the aforementioned number participated in violent acts, which included gang fights, causing bodily injury to another individual, and usage of weapons. The topic of predicting recidivism in juveniles is paramount to society, however, there has not been a lot of reliable research on the subject, and the information that is currently available is somewhat scarce and rapidly outdating (Griffin, 2005). Due to new trends in society such as the types of music available, younger parents, more career-oriented parents, the availability of illicit substances and prevalence of sexual situations in the media and prime time television, children are encouraged to grow up more rapidly than ever before expected. Unfortunately, these inclinations are destroyin g youth and forcing the courts to punish them as adults for their participation in crimes and maladaptive behaviors (Van Velsen, 2001; Griffin, 2005). The demographics in which the subjects were raised will be explored for adverse influences, which may have led them to criminal activity. The family origin will be examined to determine whether parenting styles might have influenced the subjects to turn to criminal behavior. Pathological conditions of the subjects will be explored to determine the impact of such conditions upon the propensity for criminal behaviors. The gender, race, sexual orientation, sexuality, and deformities of the subjects will be examined to determine whether these characteristics might have influenced the subjects to enter into criminal behavior. Criminal Justice Professionals, social workers, and public administrators must regroup and strategize, so that they can work together and offer more influential rehabilitative options and alternative assessment tools in order to predict the possibility of a juvenile recidivating or committing an act of violence. Purpose of the Study The purpose of this study is to determine how a sample of incarcerated youth would score on a violence predictor assessment instrument, which is designed to predict recidivism and/or maladaptive behavior. This study is an attempt to determine if there are pathological or demographic indicators that can assist in