Child Welfare League of America

1. Child Welfare & Juvenile Justice Systems Integration Initiative Child Welfare League of America

2. AN UPDATE ON THE “CYCLE OF VIOLENCE” The Connection Between Child Maltreatment and Juvenile Delinquency General delinquency research shows that childhood abuse (physical and sexual) is often associated with delinquency and that the early onset of maltreatment may increase the variety, seriousness, and duration of problems. It is also widely suggested that violence begets violence - that today’s abused children become tomorrow’s violent offenders. Further, children who suffer from neglect - not only physical abuse - are also at risk. National Institute of Justice, Research in Brief: An Update on the Cycle of Violence (Widom, C.S. and Maxfield, M.G. February 2001)

3. AN UPDATE ON THE “CYCLE OF VIOLENCE” • The Connection Between Child Maltreatment • and Juvenile Delinquency • The study followed 1,575 cases from childhood through • young adulthood comparing the arrest records of two groups: • Study group of 908 substantiated cases of childhood abuse or neglect processed from the courts from 1967 through 1971 and tracked through official juvenile and criminal records. • Comparison group of 667 children not officially recorded as abused or neglected, matched to the study group according to sex, age, race, and approximate family socioeconomic status.

4. AN UPDATE ON THE “CYCLE OF VIOLENCE” • The Connection Between Child Maltreatment • and Juvenile Delinquency • FINDINGS • Being abused or neglected as a child increased the likelihood of arrest as a juvenile by 59 percent, as an adult by 28 percent, and for a violent crime by 30 percent. • Maltreated children were younger at the time of their first arrest, • committed nearly twice as many offenses, and were arrested more • frequently. • Physically abused and neglected (versus sexually abused) children were the most likely to be arrested later for a violent crime.

5. OTHER NEGATIVE OUTCOMES RESULTING • FROM CHILDHOOD MALTREATMENT • Mental health concerns (suicide attempts and post- traumatic stress disorder). • Educational problems (extremely low IQ scores and reading ability). • Occupational difficulties (lack of work, high rates of unemployment, and employment in low-level service jobs). • Public health and safety issues (prostitution in males and females and alcohol problems in females).

6. RESEARCH CONCLUSIONS - IMPLICATIONS Including the Widom & Maxfield study, there have been four regional prospective studies of this relationship. Despite differences in geographic region, time period, age of youth, definition of child maltreatment and assessment technique, all provide evidence of a documented relationship between childhood victimization and some form of delinquent behavior. It is equally critical that we understand that childhood abuse and neglect are associated with a demonstrated increased risk of crime and violence, but this relationship is neither inevitable nor deterministic.

7. JUVENILE JUSTICE & DELINQUENCY PREVENTION ACT • On November 2, 2002 President Bush signed the legislation into law: • comprehensive juvenile justice and delinquency prevention • programs that meet the needs of youth through the collaboration • of the many local systems before which a child/youth may appear; • programs that provide treatment to juvenile offenders who are • the victims of child abuse or neglect, and to their families, in • order to reduce the likelihood that such juvenile offenders will • commit subsequent violations of law; • establish policies and systems to incorporate relevant child • protective services records into juvenile justice records for • purposes of establishing and implementing treatment plans for • juvenile offenders;

8. CHILD ABUSE PREVENTION & TREATMENT ACT AMENDMENTS On June 25, 2003 President Bush signed the legislation into law. Additional Purpose Area for A/N Program Grants: Section 106(a)(13): supporting and enhancing interagency collaboration between the child protection system and the juvenile justice system for improved delivery of services and treatment, including methods for continuity of treatment plan and services as children/youth transition between systems. Additional Data Collection Requirements for States: Section 106(d): state data reports must include the number of children/youth under the care of the State child protection system who are transferred into the custody of the State juvenile justice system

9. RESEARCH CONSOLIDATION & PUBLICATION RESOURCES www.cwla/programs/juvenilejustice.org JJ Policy Network Listserv listserv@lists.cwla.org

10. FRAMEWORK TO PROMOTE A COORDINATED & INTEGRATED YOUTH SERVING SYSTEM CWLA has consistently promoted the need for a more coordinated and integrated approach to service delivery and program development across the multiple youth serving systems. CWLA believes that such system integration and reform is best accomplished through a comprehensive, strategic planning process that embraces and values inclusion of youth, families, and a broad based representation of youth serving agencies and organizations. This approach utilizes the best available information/ data, research, policies, and practices to guide the work.

11. STRATEGIC PLANNING FRAMEWORK • FOUR PHASE PROCESS: • MOBILIZATION / ADVOCACY • STUDY & ANALYSIS • - Data Collection, Management, & Performance Measurement - Inventory & Assessment - Legal and Policy Analysis • ACTION STRATEGY • IMPLEMENTATION

12. COORDINATED & INTEGRATED CHILD WELFARE & JUVENILE JUSTICE SYSTEM • CWLA ROLE • Facilitate (on-site meetings, conference calls, electronic communication, etc.) • Coordinate (in partnership with participating and relevant child welfare, juvenile justice personnel, Executive Committee, and Subcommittee members) • Provide national examples of best practice and effective strategies (MOU, Inter-agency agreements, protocols, policies, legislative/statutory remedies) to guide the Initiative • Provide/Author a Strategic Plan for review and acceptance

13. STRUCTURE & GOVERNANCE Legal & Policy Analysis Subcommittee EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE [Governance & Decision-Making / Oversight & Mgmt. of Subcommittees] Legal & Policy Analysis Subcommittee Resource & Inventory Subcommittee Data Collection, Management, & Performance Measurement Subcommittee

14. STRUCTURE & GOVERNANCE • STAKEHOLDER COMMITTEE • Advisory • Participatory • Expertise • Leadership • Analysis • Access EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE

15. PRIMARY ISSUES for EXAMINATION & RESOLUTION • Data – collection & availability • Information - management, exchange/sharing & utility • Resources – inventory, duplication & blending • Assessment – duplication, instruments, & sharing • Legal Analysis – federal & state statutes, policies, procedures & qualitative analysis Executive Committee

16. IMPROVING PRACTICES & PROGRAMS DUAL JURISDICTION • Screening and Assessment • Case Assignment • Case Flow Management • Case Planning and Supervision • Interagency Collaboration • Source: NCJJ/OJJDP, When Systems Collide: Improving Court Practices and Programs • in Dual Jurisdiction Cases, Special Projects Bulletin, June 2004

17. CONSULTATION INITIATIVES South Dakota King County (Seattle), Washington Connecticut (DCF & CSSD) Colorado Baltimore, Maryland Los Angeles County, California Arizona Florida

18. DELIVERABLE PRODUCTS / OUTCOMES (King County, Washington) • Strategic Plan • MOU & Resource Guide re: Information Sharing • This critical document provides a resource for legal, policy and practice • matters for all Initiative partner agencies regarding the exchange of • case-related information necessary for joint case assessment, • planning and integrated service delivery. • Protocol for Handling Dual Jurisdiction Cases • A working agreement is completed which details joint policy and • procedures regarding how juvenile court probation and the state Children’s • Administration work together in support of dual status youth and their families. • King County Information Data Systems (KIDS) • Design work is completed for a web-based method of accessing sharable • case-related information between the public systems involved with children • and youth; funding is required for implementation.

19. DELIVERABLE PRODUCTS / OUTCOMES (King County, Washington) • MacArthur Foundation • The Initiative was instrumental in securing the selection of Washington as the 4th state to participate in the MacArthur Foundation’s Models for Change: Systems Reform in Juvenile Justice Initiative, a 5 year commitment to the state of up to $1.5 million per year in grant funds, consultation and technical assistance • Cross System Training Curriculum • Design work completed for training among personnel of the Initiative partner • agencies, to increase familiarity and develop relationships which support • shared responsibility and services; piloted in June 2006. • Task Force to Develop Set of Joint Screening/Assessment Instruments • Education Integration Task Force • A cross-system group has been established to address the needs of dual status children/youth that have dropped out, are at risk of dropping out or are under-performing. This work will include the design of more appropriate services through re-claimed and re-programmed education funds.

20. Child Welfare & Juvenile Justice Systems Integration Initiative Child Welfare League of America