OJJDP Report Focuses on Violence by Teenage Girls
In May, a new bulletin was released by the Girls’ Study Group, which is convened by the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention (OJJDP). The report, “Violence by Teenage Girls: Trends and Context,” written by Margaret A. Zahn, et. al., provides a detailed analysis of arrest, self-report, and victimization data, and assesses trends in girl delinquency between 1980-2005. To view the full report, visit:
Journal Article Highlights Need for Increased Awareness of Trauma and PTSD among Youth with Severe Emotional Disorders
In their article, “Trauma and PTSD among Adolescents with Severe Emotional Disorders Involved in Multiple Service Systems,” Kim T. Mueser, Ph.D. and Jonas Taub, MA, discuss the prevalence of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) among those adolescents with severe emotional disturbances, who are involved in multiple service systems. The article, published in the June 2008 issue of Psychiatric Services (Vol. 59, No. 6), highlights the under-diagnosis of PTSD in adolescents, and identifies risk factors such as gender, history of abuse, depression, and the use of psychotropic medications. To access an abstract of this article, visit
http://ps.psychiatryonline.org/cgi/content/abstract/59/6/627
Registration for the 2008 for the OJJDP/SRAD National Conference Underway
The Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention’s State Relations and Assistance Division (SRAD) will be holding their 2008 National Conference on August 17th-20th in Nashville, TN. The conference will focus on assisting participating states with the implementation of delinquency prevention and intervention programs, and will include sessions on disproportionate minority contact, the JJDP Act’s three-year comprehensive plan, and strategic planning, among others. To learn more about the conference and to register, visit
http://www.ncjrs.gov/html/ojjdp/news_at_glance/223021/sf_5.html
2008 Annual Juvenile Court Judges Conference
The Juvenile Court Judges Conference will be held on July 27th-30th, 2008, in Norfolk, VA. Juvenile and family law topics such as juvenile delinquency and substance abuse, among others, will be featured. To obtain additional information and register, visit
Journal Article on the Reliability and Validity of the Systematic Screening for Behavior Disorders (SSBD)
This article, by Paul Caldarella, et al., and published in the June 2008 issue of the Journal of Emotional and Behavioral Disorders focuses on the Systematic Screening for Behavior Disorders (SSBD), a screening tool to identify emotional and behavioral disorders in elementary school-aged children, and its use with middle and junior high school students. An abstract of the article is available at:
Annie E. Casey Foundation Releases Road Map for Juvenile Reform
The Annie E. Casey’s annual Data Book essay “A Road Map for Juvenile Justice Reform” highlights lessons learned from current juvenile justice reform efforts, and lays out a road map for reform that includes promising policies, practices, and programs that have the potential to improve outcomes for youth in contact with the juvenile justice system. The report can be downloaded at
http://www.aecf.org/~/media/PublicationFiles/AEC180%20essay_booklet_MECH.pdf
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