Trauma Exposure and PTSD in Justice-Involved Youth

Abstract

This special issue of Child and Youth Care Forum includes four original research reports that build on the field's knowledge of trauma stress exposure and PTSD in justice-involved youth. Utilizing diverse methodologies, study authors report unique results investigating important questions related to screening and assessment of justiceinvolved populations, the potential linkage between violence exposure and violence perpetration, and the complex relationships between trauma exposure in childhood and specific problematic offending behaviors. Each article includes specific clinical implications and recommendations for future research to provide useful information to juvenile justice administrators, mental health professionals, and researchers involved in the care and management of trauma exposed youth within the juvenile justice system. This introduction provides an overview of how empirical studies of the nature and sequelae of traumatic stress exposure are currently a focus for research and services in the juvenile justice field, highlighting how the articles in the Special Issue exemplify the progress to date, and promise for the future, of several lines of research involving psychometrics, health and correctional services, and clinical epidemiology.It is well established that exposure to traumatic stressors places children and youth at risk for a range of serious internalizing (e.g., posttraumatic stress, anxiety, depression, somatic complaints) and externalizing (anger, aggression, oppositional-defiant, conduct disorder, substance abuse) problems (Copeland et al. 2007;Fairbank et al. 2007). We also know that exposure to traumatic stressors often is cumulative, involving repeated episodes over

Examining experiences of transition, instability and coping for young offenders in the community: A qualitative analysis

“…Young offenders commonly experience a wide range of traumatic stressors including victimisation (abuse, family and community violence), neglect, drug and alcohol misuse, life threatening accidents, interpersonal losses and socioeconomic disadvantage, with a high percentage of those with community sentences living within unstable family backgrounds and with the absence of parental figures (Bekaert, 2004; Callaghan et al, 2003; Carswell et al, 2004; Cruise & Ford, 2011; Paton et al, 2009; Stallard et al, 2003).…”

Using the Massachusetts Youth Screening Instrument–Version 2 on a Community Sample of African American and Latino/a Juvenile Offenders to Identify Mental Health and Substance Abuse Treatment Needs

“…The expanding body of research on juvenile delinquency suggests a relationship between the development of psychopathology and involvement in the juvenile justice system (Cruise & Ford, 2011;Vincent, Grisso, Terry, & Banks, 2008;Cauffman, Piquero, Kimonis, Steinberg, Chassin & Fagan, 2007;Ford, Chapman, Mack, & Pearson, 2006) with youth involved in the juvenile justice system experiencing significantly higher rates of mental health symptoms than their non-involved counterparts (Vincent et al, 2008). Indeed, the prevalence of mental disorders among juvenile offenders is between 40% -60%, a rate that is quite striking when compared to a prevalence of approximately 17% -22% among non-involved adolescents (Cauffman & Grisso, 2005).…”

Effect of trauma-informed care on hair cortisol concentration in youth welfare staff and client physical aggression towards staff: results of a longitudinal study

“…Furthermore, traumatic experiences of the children and adolescents may increase the risk of escalating interactions and physical violence against youth welfare staff [34,35]. Much of the abundant literature on the association between traumatic experiences and auto-aggression has come to the conclusion that traumatic experiences in childhood are a prominent risk factor for aggressive behaviour and conduct problems throughout the course of a survivors' life [12,[36][37][38][39][40][41][42][43]. The close correlation could be explained, for example, by the misinterpretation of specific social interactions [44][45][46][47][48], model learning, deficits in implicit and explicit emotion regulation [49], especially the selfregulation of aggressive impulses, deficits in the ability to mentalise and be empathic [50] .…”

“…The close correlation could be explained, for example, by the misinterpretation of specific social interactions [44][45][46][47][48], model learning, deficits in implicit and explicit emotion regulation [49], especially the selfregulation of aggressive impulses, deficits in the ability to mentalise and be empathic [50] . Since adverse childhood experiences are associated with an impaired ability to regulate or tolerate negative emotions, as well as externalising types of behaviour, affected youths may find themselves relying on counterproductive and detrimental coping strategies, such as opposition, aggression or delinquency when confronted with challenging emotions and situations (e.g., trauma triggers) [36][37][38][39]. Therefore, it is not surprising that frequent exposure to client aggression is a common reality in the professional life of social workers [34,35,51].…”