Juvenile Court Officials

1
Juvenile Court Officials Perceptions of Family
Dysfunction and Community Characteristics in
Juvenile Court Decision-Making Processes

• Nancy Rodriguez
• School of Criminology and Criminal Justice
• Arizona State University
• Youth Violence Prevention Conference
• University of Missouri-St. Louis
• April 8, 2010

2
Overview

• Characteristics of Children in the U.S.
• Family Status, Disadvantage, and Juvenile Court
  Outcomes
• Study Findings
• Implications for Research and Practice

3
Population of Children in U.S.

• 73.9 million Children in the United States
• 25 of the population
• Racial/Ethnic Diversity of Children
• Language Spoken at Home
• Source U.S. Census Bureau

4
Children in Poverty

• Child Poverty Rate on the Rise
• In 2007, 18 percentage of children (13.3 million)
  were living in poverty up from 16.2 percent
  (11.6 million) in 2000.
• Rate higher for younger children
• Rate higher for Black and Hispanic children
• Source U.S. Census Bureau

5
Family Structure in the U.S.

• The Decline of the Two-parent Household
• The percentage of children under age 18 living
  with two married parents fell from 77 percent in
  1980 to 68 percent in 2007.
• Source U.S. Census Bureau, Current Population
  Survey, Annual Social and Economic Supplement

6
Percentage of Children in Poverty, by Family
Structure, Race and Hispanic Origin

Source U.S. Census Bureau
7
One Parent Families

Source U.S. Census Bureau
8
No Parent Families

Source U.S. Census Bureau
9
Family Status, Disadvantage, and Juvenile
Justice

• How do family situational factors and living in
  economically disadvantaged areas affect juvenile
  court outcomes?
• Parents/guardians as sponsors of youth
• Capacity (emotional and financial) to assist
  court with youth intervention

10
Family Status, Disadvantage, and Juvenile
Justice

• Family risk factors
• Low SES, antisocial behavior, broken homes, poor
  parent-child relationship, family conflict, abuse
  and neglect
• Limited resources in community
• Availability of services (community-based
  agencies, treatment providers)
• Role models

11
Economic Disadvantage and Juvenile Justice

• Court officials perceptions of a bad
  neighborhood (Emerson, 1969)
• Focus on cross-jurisdictional differences
• Armstrong Rodriguez, 2005 Sampson Laub,
  1993 Rodriguez, 2007)

12
Economic Disadvantage and Juvenile Justice

• Families who suffer from economic stain are
  perceived as unstable or inadequate (Bortner,
  1982181).
• Economic disadvantage and race
• Black lower-class youth (Bishop Frazier, 1988
  Leonard Sontheimer, 1995 Miller, 1996)

13
Family Structure and Juvenile Court Outcomes

• Impact of family status (e.g., family structure,
  quality of care) (Bridges Steen, 1998 DeJong
  Jackson, 1998)
• Support and the cooperation exhibited by parents
  are heavily guiding factors in juvenile court
  decision-making processes (Bortner, 1982).

14
Family Structure and Juvenile Court Outcomes

• Perceptions of support and cooperation serve to
  disadvantage racial/ethnic youth (Bishop
  Frazier, 1996)
• Language and cultural barriers (Portillos, 2006)
• Single mother families play a more significant
  role in court outcomes for Whites than Black
  youth (DeJong Jackson, 1998 Leiber Mack,
  2003)
• Expectations versus Reality

15
Areas of Inquiry

• Living in economically disadvantaged areas
• micro-neighborhood context
• Limited understanding of family dynamics
• Reliance on single-parent homes versus
  two-parent homes measures
• Role of family stability
• Family transitions
• Residential mobility

16
Study AConcentrated Disadvantage and Juvenile
Court Outcomes

• Objective
• Examine relationship between concentrated
  disadvantage and five juvenile court outcomes
  (informal processing, detention, petition filed,
  judicial dismissal, out-of-home placement)
• Source
• Rodriguez , N. (in press). The cumulative effect
  of race and ethnicity in juvenile court outcomes
  and why preadjudication detention matters.
  Journal of Research in Crime Delinquency.

17
Findings from HGLM of Juvenile Court Outcomes

• Concentrated disadvantage index ()
• Detention
• Correctional confinement
• Black and Latino/a minority youth ()
• Concentrated disadvantage did not mediate the
  race and ethnicity effects

18
Case File Narratives

• He lives in a very poor, high-risk neighborhood
  and most of his associates use alcohol and other
  drugs. He understands that he must work an active
  program recovery and avoid places that would
  cause him to relapse. (Latino Youth)
• The juvenile resides in the town homes complex
  right off location and these complexes are in a
  poor area, filled with drugs, and gangs, and with
  the juvenile just roaming around there, he is
  more apt to get into some type of trouble.
  (Black Youth)

19
Narrative from Case File

• (youths mother) reports she will be moving out
  of her current neighborhood soon, and she hopes
  this will improve the juveniles behavior. The
  mother appears to work several hours leaving the
  juvenile unattended with the opportunity to
  commit more crime. I believe that placing the
  juvenile on JIPS intensive probation would
  allow (youth) to obtain more victims in the
  community since he is unsupervised by the
  mother. (Latino Youth)

20
Case File Narratives

• When I met with (youth) on 06-09-02, he stated
  that his mother had not been able to visit him in
  detention, due to not having transportation.
  Mother reportedly has transportation problems and
  doesnt always come to see him when expected.
  This officer is concerned about the mothers
  inconsistency . (Latino Youth)
• Mother will not be at court. She does not have
  transportation. There are seven other children
  in the home, six which are female. The mother
  works outside the home and has very little time
  or energy to deal with her sons behavior. At his
  scheduled disposition hearing, commitment will be
  recommended. (Black Youth)

21
Study BFamily Status and Juvenile Court Outcomes

• Objectives
• Examine relationship between family status and
  juvenile court outcomes (out-of-home placement)
• Identify the extent of family and residential
  instability among juvenile justice involved youth
  

22
Family Structure ofDelinquent Youth (N 2,300)

23
Case Files Narratives

• The mother seems to be struggling raising
  several kids in the home. This officer has had
  limited contact with the family. The home phone
  has been disconnected. (youth) states that he
  wants to go back home so that he can get a job
  and help his mother pay the bills. (Black Youth)
• The fact that the father is no longer residing
  in the home has caused a lot of stress on the
  family. The parents used to argue a lot and that
  hurt the family but not as much as the father
  leaving. (Latino Youth)

24
Estimated Probabilities of Out-of-home Placement

25
Narrative from Case File

• The actual parental figure in this case is the
  grandmother. Grandmother has her hands full
  caring for the younger of this daughters
  children, especially a child with significant
  emotional health problems. Grandmother has
  significant physical health problems of her own
  Of those dispositional options available to the
  Court, recommended will be secure treatment with
  the Arizona Department of Juvenile Corrections
  for a period of six months. (Black Youth)

26
Narrative from Case File

• Youth is living with foster parents, where she
  has been for the last two years. She has not
  lived with her real family since 2000, because
  her mother was arrested and the court found her
  mother to be using drugs and an unfit environment
  for youth. She is currently in a foster home
  that appears to be somewhat dysfunctional.
  (White Youth)

27
Number of Family Transitions (N 2,300)

28
Number of Residential Moves(N2,300)

29
Intersection Family Transitions and Residential
Mobility

Zero Family Transitions and Zero Residential Moves 19.3 One or More Family Transitions and Zero Residential Moves 6.4
Zero Family Transitions and One or More Residential Moves 21.5 One or More Family Transitions and One or More Residential Moves 52.8
30
Narrative from Case File

• The family shuffled from friend's house to
  friend's house until they moved into their
  current apartment at the beginning of August.
  Because of the constant shuffling, the juvenile
  didn't complete his work hours or the NCTI class.
  Because the circumstances were out of the
  juvenile's control, I would request he be granted
  an extension.
• Subsequent court record VIOLATION The
  juvenile failed to notify the probation officer
  that the family moved. This officer went to the
  apartment on 10-18-02 and it is unoccupied.
  (Latino Youth)

31
Narrative from Case File

• After the juveniles parents were divorced, the
  children lived with their father. Later, the
  children moved back with their mother. The family
  has been homeless in the past. They lived on the
  streets and in various shelters. They have also
  lived in motels. The juvenile was placed into
  state custody in the past. It is noted that the
  juvenile states she would prefer to live with
  another relative or even go back to CPS custody
  as her and her mother do not get along. (Black
  Youth)

32
Family Instability and Parental Incarceration

• The juvenile has been residing with his aunt
  since before his mothers murder by his father.
  Isaac was placed with his aunt, because of the
  domestic violence issues occurring at the time.
  Currently, there is also a dependency petition in
  progress. He was pushing the limits at his aunts
  home, leaving and not coming home for days at a
  time. He typically would go to a friends house
  and not return. (Latino Youth)

33
Family Instability and Parental Incarceration

• Mom has been in and out of prison the majority
  of the juveniles life. Juvenile has spent time
  in state custody as a result. He has been placed
  in numerous shelters. He did reside for a short
  time in New Mexico with grandparents. Mother gave
  guardianship of the juvenile to a boyfriend while
  she was in prison, so the juvenile resided with
  his mothers boyfriend for some time. The
  juvenile has since moved back into state
  custody. (American Indian Youth)

34
Estimated Probabilities of Out-of-home Placement
by Paternal Incarceration - Latinos
35
Estimated Probabilities of Out-of-home Placement
by Paternal Incarceration - Blacks
36
Economic Strain Associated with Parental
Incarceration

• The father who had a restraining order issued
  against him for being violent with the family,
  came back to the homes and is now in jail. The
  mother and children, at the present time have no
  money. Mom stated to this officer that she may
  have to sell her car to provide money to pay her
  electricity bill. (White Youth)
• Father provides no support to the family, and
  recently was released from prison. (Latino
  Youth)

37
Parental Incarceration and Potential for
Rehabilitation

• Her prognosis is guarded due to the severity of
  family dysfunction and the very limited
  availability of services. (Black Youth)

38
Study C. The Dysfunctional Family

• Objectives
• Identify context of family dysfunction among
  delinquent youth
• Examine relationship between dysfunction and
  juvenile court outcomes (out-of-home placement)
• Source
• Rodriguez, N., Smith, H. Zatz, M.S. (2009).
  Youth is enmeshed in a highly dysfunctional
  family system Exploring the relationship among
  dysfunctional families, parental incarceration,
  and juvenile court decision making.
  Criminology,47(1),177-208.

39
The Dysfunctional Family

• Family dysfunction as a risk factor in juvenile
  court processes and outcomes (Emerson, 1969)
• Financial strain, instability within the family,
  poor parenting skills, abuse, or criminal
  involvement by family members

40
The Dysfunctional Family

• Family dysfunction scales
• FAD-GF (McMaster Family Assessment Device General
  Functioning Subscale) (Epstein, Baldwin, and
  Bishop, 1983)
• Family Functioning Scale (FES) (Moos and Moos,
  2002)
• Variation in definition

41
Interview Excerpts

• What I see is you have boys and girls from very
  dysfunctional families. Eighty-five percent of
  them are no-parent families or one-parent
  families. (Probation Officer)
• The families are just so dysfunctional. The
  parents are using themselves. Low class, no
  money. Twenty kids living in the home. On
  welfare. Just very dysfunctional. (Detention
  Officer)

42
Estimated Probabilities of Out of Home Placement
by Dysfunction - Latinos

43
Estimated Probabilities of Out of Home Placement
by Dysfunction - Blacks

44
Case File Narratives

• Youth comes from a very dysfunctional home.
  There are several children in the family. Several
  of these children are living in CPS shelters.
  (White Youth).
• Youth comes from a dysfunctional family. Her
  mother has been a drug user, her father is
  currently deported to Mexico (and there are
  allegations that he has sexually molested his
  daughters). (Latina Youth)

45
Narrative from Case File

• It certainly does appear that the home
  situation, especially as it relates to the
  extended family, is quite unstable and
  dysfunctional and has contributed to youths
  serious emotional disturbance. At this time,
  placement of the juvenile at Black Canyon would
  protect this juvenile, as well as consequence for
  her actions. (Latina Youth).

46
Implications for Theory and Practice

• Disadvantage as an Important External Attribute
• Community Awareness
• Community-based strategies (e.g., Weed and Seed)

47
Implications for Theory and Practice

• Family Structure and Family Processes
• Complex Family Systems and Treatment by the
  Juvenile Justice System
• Juvenile Justice and Child Welfare Systems (e.g.,
  wraparound services)
• Blueprint Programs (e.g., FFT, MST)

48
Implications for Theory and Practice

• Residential Instability
• Children's Well-being
• School
• Health
• Circulation of Information
• Challenges Associated with Monitoring and
  Supervision of Youth

49
Implications for Theory and Practice

• Reentry Programs
• Maintaining Family Ties
• Team Approach
• Community and Family Involvement
• Strong Family Support System

50
Thank You

• Nancy Rodriguez, Ph.D.
• nancy.rodriguez_at_asu.edu