Hunter et al. (2004)
Strengthening community-
based programming for
juvenile sexual offenders:
key concepts and
paradigm shifts
245 males,
15 females (and their
families)
African American (67%),
Caucasian (23%), Latino
(9%), NativeAmerican
(1%)
• ExclusionZnon-
attendance at school
(educational problems/
special educational
needs)
• Criminal convictions
• Child abuse∕neglect
• Substance misuse
• Mental health problems
• Family breakdown
(looked after
children, temporary
accommodation)
• Domestic violence
Young people are adjudicated sex offenders deemed at risk of residential treatment.
They have an average age of 13 years 7 months and 54% have been identified as special
education students.
The most common diagnoses are conduct or oppositional-defiant disorder (61%),
attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (45%), depressive disorders (39%), and learning
disorders (25%).
Additional youth risk factors identified at intake include drug and alcohol abuse (26%),
runaway behaviour (24%), and previous psychiatric hospitalisation (23%).
Youth have often endured harsh life conditions. Many reside in impoverished and
high-crime neighbourhoods. 44% of families have an annual gross income of less than
US$15,000, for an additional 31% of families gross income was less than US$25,000.
Additional family risk factors identified at intake include substance-abusing caretaker
(41%), abandonment by parent (38%), parental incarceration (32%), domestic violence
(29%), neglect (17%), and parental severe mental illness (15%). (pl 82)
46 Interventions for HCHHHU: technical report
Jones et al. (2006)
Addressing antisocial
behaviour: an
independent evaluation of
Shelter Inclusion Project
74 households containing
98 adults and 132
children∕dependent
teenagers
One adult was from a
Black or Minority Ethnic
(BME) group; the others
were of White British
origin.
• Unemployment
• Anti-social behaviour
• ExclusionZnon-
attendance at school
• Criminal convictions
• Poor health outcomes
• Substance misuse
• Mental health problems
• Family breakdown
(looked after
children, temporary
accommodation)
• Socio-economic
deprivation
• Domestic violence
"In 70 per cent of cases, the antisocial behaviour in a household was being committed
solely by an adult or adults.” In 12% of cases, children and young people were the sole
perpetrators of antisocial behaviour, with the adult or adults in the household not being
involved. In 18% of households, both adults and children or young people in the same
household were involved in antisocial behaviour.
Around 12% of adults and 8% of children were involved in criminal activity (including
serious crime such as arson, violence, theft and drug dealing).
>50% of households contained an adult with self-reported depression, >25% contained an
adult with a limiting illness or disability, and 25% of households contained an adult who
self-reported drug andZor alcohol dependency. 24% (N=18) of households were recorded
as having high andZor complex support needs...,,ln particular, these households were
likely to have a risk of violence (11 cases)...ln two cases, at least one household member
had a learning disability.”
8% of children were reported by a parent as having either a disability or a long-term
limiting illness.
18% of children were described by a parent as having behavioural problems (including
mental health problems).
Just under 25% of children (for whom data were available at referral) were experiencing
severe problems at school or were absent from school.
Child protection concerns (15 households) "included neglect or failure to protect,
physical abuse, non-accidental injury, emotional abuse and, in a few cases,
inappropriate sexual behaviour or abuse. In some cases, the household was typified by
abusive relationships and included not only parental abuse (mother and father) but also
abuse between siblings (as well as by children against parents).” (p16-20)