A broad array of stakeholders interact with detained juveniles on any given day. Social service agencies, community-based substance abuse treatment programs, law makers, Judges, lawyers, preachers, teachers, mental health professionals and youth advocates just to name a few. These stakeholders provide resources and or services that contribute to the juvenile justice system. These relationships shape the environment in which treatment and community-based research takes place. A paradigm is created where all entities can collaborate and address the issue of juvenile sexual abuse. Unfortunately, the handling of adult– and juvenile–perpetrated sex offense cases is not always informed by current research and accurate information, whether about
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These results vary widely from place to place and survey to survey. These results were derived from surveys conducted with those youth in custody and those released. These studies provide disturbing evidence of rampant staff sexual misconduct and other inappropriate conduct toward youth detainees. Overall, 81 percent of youth reporting sexual abuse were victimized by staff. The vast majority of these cases were tied to other unprofessional staff behavior. Among youth who reported being abused by staff, roughly half (49.2 percent) said that the abusive staff member gave them pictures or wrote them letters; almost a third (29.8) said that staff contacted them from outside the facility. More than two-thirds (69.1 percent) said that staff told them about their personal lives. According to Ruddell and Thomas, "The lives of the juveniles and the staff are intertwined during their respective time in the institution. Simply from the juvenile perspective their existence there is punishment however; the staff takes on a number of roles correctional officers, parents, counselors, coaches, friends, and guardians (Ruddell and Thomas, pg.203). Even though the staff wears the aforementioned various hats, it is paramount to keep in mind that the main function of the correctional officer is to provide and maintain the safety of those assigned to the facility. Sadly, in my home state of Georgia four of the 27 facilities are among the U.S facilities with the most sexual assault and victimization. Paulding County (5.2 miles from my home!) leads the nation with the highest percentage of instances, 32.1 of detainees surveyed who were sexually assaulted or victimized. Historically noted the juvenile justice system was created under the parens patriae principle…to take care of the states
These results vary widely from place to place and survey to survey. These results were derived from surveys conducted with those youth in custody and those released. These studies provide disturbing evidence of rampant staff sexual misconduct and other inappropriate conduct toward youth detainees. Overall, 81 percent of youth reporting sexual abuse were victimized by staff. The vast majority of these cases were tied to other unprofessional staff behavior. Among youth who reported being abused by staff, roughly half (49.2 percent) said that the abusive staff member gave them pictures or wrote them letters; almost a third (29.8) said that staff contacted them from outside the facility. More than two-thirds (69.1 percent) said that staff told them about their personal lives. According to Ruddell and Thomas, "The lives of the juveniles and the staff are intertwined during their respective time in the institution. Simply from the juvenile perspective their existence there is punishment however; the staff takes on a number of roles correctional officers, parents, counselors, coaches, friends, and guardians (Ruddell and Thomas, pg.203). Even though the staff wears the aforementioned various hats, it is paramount to keep in mind that the main function of the correctional officer is to provide and maintain the safety of those assigned to the facility. Sadly, in my home state of Georgia four of the 27 facilities are among the U.S facilities with the most sexual assault and victimization. Paulding County (5.2 miles from my home!) leads the nation with the highest percentage of instances, 32.1 of detainees surveyed who were sexually assaulted or victimized. Historically noted the juvenile justice system was created under the parens patriae principle…to take care of the states