Using Developmental Evidence and Youth Assets to Design Juvenile Justice Systems: Can it be Done Jef

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Using Developmental Evidence and Youth Assets to
Design Juvenile Justice Systems Can it be
Done?Jeffrey A. Butts, Ph.D.University of
ChicagoPresentation to theAnnual Meeting of
the Coalition for Juvenile JusticeBethesda,
MDMay 6, 2006
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Before 2000, most research on the developmental
effects of youth assets focused on middle-class,
non-delinquent youthMore recent research
suggests that the effective development of youth
asset has broader applications
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Assets Make a Difference for all Youth

• Survey of Youth Assets, funded by Centers for
  Disease Control
• Study based at the Oklahoma Institute for Child
  Advocacy and the University of Oklahoma
• N gt 1,000 youth and parents from 2 midwestern,
  urban areas
• 69 in high school 31 in middle school
• 48 cacuasian 23 african-american
• 51 single-parent households
• 65 families with households 35,000 or less

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Effect of Assets on Drug/Alcohol Use CDCs Youth
Asset Survey examined association between 9
youth assets and adolescent drug/alcohol use in
urban populations (N1,350 youth) Finding Youth
with more assets were more likely to report no
use of drugs/alcohol
Oman, Roy F., Sara Vesely, Cheryl B. Aspy,
Kenneth R. McLeroy, Sharon Rodine, and Ladonna
Marshall (2004). The potential protective effect
of youth assets on adolescent alcohol and drug
use. American Journal of Public Health, 94(8)
1425-1430.
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Effect of Assets on Fighting/ Weapon
Carrying CDCs Youth Asset Survey examined
association between youth assets and fighting or
weapon carrying in urban populations (N1,098
teen-parent respondent pairs) Finding Youth with
more assets were more likely to report no
previous carrying of weapons
14 of sample reported some weapon carrying
Aspy, Cheryl B., Roy F. Oman, Sara Vesely,
Cheryl B. Aspy, Kenneth R. McLeroy, Sharon
Rodine, and Ladonna Marshall (2004). Adolescent
violence The protective effects of youth
assets. Journal of Counseling and Development,
82 268-276.
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Effect of Assets on Fighting/ Weapon
Carrying CDCs Youth Asset Survey examined
association between youth assets and fighting or
weapon carrying in urban populations (N1,098
teen-parent respondent pairs) Finding Youth with
more assets were more likely to report no
physical fights
37 of sample reported some physical fighting
Note Youth involvement in religious activities
was not statistically significant for either
fighting or weapon carrying
Aspy, Cheryl B., Roy F. Oman, Sara Vesely,
Cheryl B. Aspy, Kenneth R. McLeroy, Sharon
Rodine, and Ladonna Marshall (2004). Adolescent
violence The protective effects of youth
assets. Journal of Counseling and Development,
82 268-276.
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Other analyses from the Survey of Youth Assets
suggest that the effects of assets are stronger
for youth in one-parent households than for youth
in two-parent homes this has obvious
implications for juvenile justice
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How Do We Ensure Youth Have Assets?
by focusing on POSITIVE YOUTH DEVELOPMENT
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• Positive Youth Development
• Youth policy that looks beyond risk reduction
• Policies that help young people to establish
  sense of competence, usefulness, belonging,
  and empowerment
• Prevention intervention services that are part
  of a broader system of supports and
  developmental opportunities
• Intervention approaches that focus on youth
  attachment and engagement
• Allow more adolescents to experience
  developmental opportunities that youth from
  wealthy communities take for granted
• Allow youth to gain confidence and skills, and
  begin to shift their decision making from
  short-term to long-term perspective
• Risk reduction and problem avoidance can result
  naturally from developmentally focused programs
• Source Administration for Children and Families,
  HHS (2005).

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Different Perspectives on Youth Services
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Different Perspectives on Juvenile Justice
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Exactly Which Assets Should be the Focus of
Juvenile Justice?
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Which of these make sense for youth in the
juvenile justice system? If you had to pick just
10, which would be the most applicable?
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How Can We Design Juvenile Justice Programs That
Help Youth Become Engaged and Attached to
Appropriate Developmental Assets?