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“Public fear of juvenile crime has led to an increasing use of harsher sanctions, including punishing youth in the adult criminal justice system. This remarkable book provides a well-reasoned, empirically supported framework for refocusing practice and policy. The editors and contributors articulate specific prevention and treatment approaches and cogently demonstrate that a less punitive, more rehabilitation-oriented approach would be far more effective in reducing youth crime.”

—Ronald Roesch, PhD, Department of Psychology and Director, Mental Health, Law, and Policy Institute, Simon Fraser University, British Columbia, Canada


“Hoge et al. have provided a thorough yet concise review of the epidemiology and causes of juvenile offending, as well as effective interventions. Importantly, the book is extremely readable and current in its synthesis of theory and research, which enhances its utility as a graduate text. An excellent volume.”

—Scott W. Henggeler, PhD, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences (retired), Medical University of South Carolina


“Built on a solid foundation of developmental research, this extraordinary book provides a platform for the next generation of evidence-based practice and policy in juvenile justice. The editors have set aside ideological polemics to focus on a central question: How can we best reduce recidivism in young offenders? Without question, this is the deepest, most thoroughly researched, and most up-to-date resource of its kind. It is an invaluable work that should be a 'go-to' book for anyone interested in shaping and improving the future of our juvenile justice system.”

—Randy Borum, PsyD, Department of Mental Health Law and Policy, Louis de la Parte Florida Mental Health Institute, University of South Florida


“This volume is a primer for both neophytes and experts on current theory, research, and practice in juvenile justice. The editors have crafted a cohesive set of chapters that move from recent trends in juvenile crime to developmental theories, from treatment principles to policies and best practices in particular circumstances.”

—Kenneth A. Dodge, PhD, Pritzker Professor of Public Policy and Professor of Psychology and Neuroscience, Duke University

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Table of Contents

Introduction, Nancy G. Guerra, Robert D. Hoge, and Paul Boxer

1. A Portrait of Juvenile Offending in the United States, Kirk R. Williams, Louis Tuthill, and Shoon Lio

2. Theoretical and Research Advances in Understanding the Causes of Juvenile Offending, Nancy G. Guerra, Kirk R. Williams, Patrick H. Tolan, and Kathryn L. Modecki

3. Assessment in Juvenile Justice Systems, Robert D. Hoge

4. What Works: Best Practices with Juvenile Offenders, Nancy G. Guerra, Tia E. Kim, and Paul Boxer

5. Implementing Treatment Programs in Community and Institutional Settings, Nancy G. Guerra and Caren Leaf

6. How Policy Affects Practice in the Treatment of Juvenile Offenders: The California Experience, Elizabeth Siggins and Amy Seidlitz

7. Treatment of Violent Offenders, Paul Boxer and Paul J. Frick

8. Treating Gang-Involved Offenders, Robert Nash Parker, Todd D. Negola, Rudy Haapanen, Larry Miranda, and Emily K. Asencio

9. Juvenile Sexual Offending: An Evidence-Based Approach to Assessment and Intervention, Gary O'Reilly and Clodagh Ann Dowling

10. Mental Health and Substance Abuse, Bonita M. Veysey

11. Juvenile Offenders with Special Education Needs, Carolyn R. Eggleston

12. The Female Juvenile Offender, Robert D. Hoge and Lynda Robertson

13. Epilogue, Robert D. Hoge, Nancy G. Guerra, and Paul Boxer

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About the Editors

Robert D. Hoge, PhD, is Professor Emeritus of Psychology and Distinguished Research Professor at Carleton University in Ottawa, where he is involved in teaching and research in child and adolescent psychology, forensic psychology, and psychological assessment. He has served as a consultant to numerous government and private agencies in Canada, the United States, and other countries. Dr. Hoge has published numerous articles and books, and he is coauthor of the Youth Level of Service/Case Management Inventory, a widely used risk-need assessment tool.

Nancy G. Guerra, EdD, is Professor of Psychology at the University of California, Riverside. Her work focuses on the causes of childhood aggression and violence and on the development and evaluation of youth violence prevention and treatment programs. She has been involved in several national and international evaluation projects, and has served for the past 7 years as the principal investigator for the Southern California Academic Center of Excellence on Youth Violence Prevention. Dr. Guerra has published numerous articles, chapters, special issues, policy papers, and books.

Paul Boxer, PhD, is Assistant Professor in the Department of Psychology at Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, and Adjunct Research Scientist in the Research Center for Group Dynamics at the University of Michigan. His research focuses on developmental psychopathology, particularly on the development of aggressive behavior in high-risk youth populations such as juvenile delinquents, psychiatric inpatients, and youth exposed to violence in communities and families. His studies emphasize the effects of ecological risk factors on social development. Dr. Boxer’s expertise also includes the design, implementation, and evaluation of violence prevention programming along with the assessment of risk for violent behavior.

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Contributors

Emily K. Asencio, PhD, Department of Psychology, University of California, Riverside, Riverside, California

Paul Boxer, PhD, Department of Psychology, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, Newark, New Jersey

Clodagh Ann Dowling, DPsychSc, School of Psychology, University College, Dublin, Ireland

Carolyn R. Eggleston, PhD, Center for the Study of Correctional Education, California State University, San Bernardino, San Bernardino, California

Paul J. Frick, PhD, Department of Psychology, University of New Orleans, New Orleans, Louisiana

Nancy G. Guerra, EdD, Department of Psychology, University of California, Riverside, Riverside, California

Rudy Haapanen, PhD, Office of Research, Juvenile Research Branch, California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation, Sacramento, California

Robert D. Hoge, PhD, Department of Psychology, Carleton University, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada

Tia E. Kim, PhD, Department of Psychology, University of California, Riverside, Riverside, California

Caren Leaf, MSW, Colorado Division of Youth Corrections, Denver, Colorado

Shoon Lio, MA, Robert Presley Center for Crime and Justice Studies, University of California, Riverside, Riverside, California

Larry Miranda, MA, Office of Correctional Safety, California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation, Sacramento, California

Kathryn L. Modecki, PhD, Department of Psychology, University of New Hampshire, Durham, New Hampshire

Gary O'Reilly, PhD, School of Psychology, University College, Dublin, Ireland

Robert Nash Parker, PhD, Department of Sociology and Robert Presley Center for Crime and Justice Studies, University of California, Riverside, Riverside, California

Todd D. Negola, PsyD, Federal Correctional Institution-Loretto, Loretto, Pennsylvania

Lynda Robertson, PhD, Department of Psychology, Ottawa-Carleton Board of Education, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada

Amy Seidlitz, BA, Division of Juvenile Justice, California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation, Sacramento, California

Elizabeth Siggins, MA, Senate Rules Committee, California State Senate, Sacramento, California

Patrick H. Tolan, PhD, Institute for Juvenile Research, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, Illinois

Louis Tuthill, MA, Robert Presley Center for Crime and Justice Studies, University of California, Riverside, Riverside, California

Bonita M. Veysey, PhD, School of Criminal Justice, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, Newark, New Jersey

Kirk R. Williams, PhD, Department of Sociology and Robert Presley Center for Crime and Justice Studies, University of California, Riverside, Riverside, California

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Audience

Clinical and forensic psychologists, psychiatrists, social workers, and counselors who work with justice-involved youth; researchers and graduate students in these fields.

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Course Use

Will serve as a text in graduate-level courses such as Treatment of Juvenile Delinquents and Psychosocial Interventions for Children and Adolescents.