Discrimination and trauma are prevalent experiences among African Americans. In this study, 173 African American adults completed measures on the prevalence of traumatic experiences, trauma symptoms, the process of forgiveness, and well‐being. Participants endorsed the occurrence of traumatic events in their lives, associated traumatic symptoms, and the intrapersonal forgiveness process. The hypothesized model of trauma forgiveness and well‐being was partially supported. The hypothesized model related to processing forgiveness was evident. However, no relationship was found between trauma symptoms and the initial phase of forgiveness. Furthermore, no relationship was found between the final phase of the forgiveness model and well‐being. For African American clients, working through issues of conflict and forgiveness may be a unique process separate and distinct from processing through issues of trauma and well‐being.

Childhood abuse is a considerable public health issue in the United States. Two-thirds of individuals report a traumatic incident happening in childhood or adolescence, and 1 in 7 children experience abuse every year. Abuse in childhood frequently leads to trauma symptoms in both children and adults that can have a lasting impact. This chapter discusses childhood abuse and trauma at an individual level and a systemic level. The authors examine the different types of abuse including physical, sexual, emotional, and neglect. Additionally, the chapter reviews the signs and symptoms of abuse, legislation regarding the identification of abuse by professionals, and how to report child abuse. Last, the chapter also highlights the importance trauma-informed care when working with children and adolescents.

Counseling Youth: Systemic Issues and Interventions highlights the nature of counseling youth and implementing interventions from a systemic perspective. Included in this text is a brief overview of child-adolescent development and then a focus on issues, policies, and services for counseling youth in schools, communities, and clinical settings. Central to this book are the issues that families, schools, and communities are having difficulty addressing such as trauma, abuse, suicide, teen pregnancy, and antisocial behavior, and the key to addressing these issues is to utilize a variety of resources within the system and advocate for systemic change. The authors utilize a multidimensional focus on development, issues, and strategies, providing an integrative approach so that clinicians (present and future) have an understanding of the theory, concerns, policies, and approaches for working with youth. The authors also utilize a transtheoretical approach, attempting to provide an overview of approaches and interventions regardless of theoretical underpinnings. Unlike books that focus on a singular model, the authors’ approach is to speak to a variety of individuals training to be clinicians from a variety of backgrounds (e.g., social work, marriage and family therapy, counseling, psychology). The systemic perspective focuses on the multitude of issues and systems that impact youth development and mental health, such as academic progress and achievement, emotional and behavioral problems, and overall behaviors that impact physiological and emotional well-being. As the authors address these issues, they highlight the roles of various systems, including schools, mental health facilities, medical facilities, juvenile justice systems, and refugee services, as well as services geared to special populations such as LGBT+ youth and undocumented immigrant minors.

This chapter addresses violent behaviors and their implications for adolescents. Exposure to these behaviors, such as bullying, can certainly hinder academic and social development. Bullying is now documented as the most common form of school violence and, through technology, bullying has evolved into a complex psychological and social cruelty no longer confined to school buildings or playgrounds. While bullying is a much more heavily discussed, debated, and researched topic than in previous decades, and despite increased discussion and education on the negative impact of bullying, children and adolescents still experience bullying at the same or increased rates as those from previous generations. This chapter explores many of the topics that add to the complexity of bullying. Mental health, conflict resolution, coping skills, prevention, and interventions will be discussed.

This chapter examines the system of care that affects youth across various spectrums. Common treatment settings for youth include outpatient counseling, inpatient counseling, residential treatment, and juvenile justice. Within each of these systems, the authors discuss barriers that might affect clinicians working with youth and families. Defining care for youth is crucial for all clinicians if they are to know what the system of care currently looks like. The authors highlight where the system of care may fail youth and the potential efforts for providing effective services. Effective services for youth include delivering evidence-based treatment, taking a culturally responsive approach to treatment, and following an integrative approach to care. Last, the authors discuss advocacy related to systemic mental healthcare.