Youth Justice
Every day, children and teenagers are detained in the United States, with people of color being especially vulnerable. Even though youth arrests and detentions have decreased, severe racial inequities in the juvenile justice system seem to remain at the same level. Minority children, specifically Black children, tend to be overcriminalized and overrepresented at every stage of the criminal justice system, from arrests through post-adjudication placements. As a result, despite the fact that 62% of children detained in the United States were white, minority children were nearly twice as likely to be incarcerated (The state of America’s children, 2020). Therefore, it is not only youth arrests that are being problematic but the prejudices and wrong accusations of minorities.
Social Connections Factor
The issue of youth arrests is concerning since a lot of children do not even comprehend the consequences. A social connections factor can help eliminate this problem with proper advocacy. The social connections factor can be defined as the environment of children. Usually, children can be affected by the people that surround them. In case when children have positive and healthy friends to associate with, they will tend to keep away from the problems. Moreover, engagement in safe and healthy activities will also have a positive influence on children. Thus, if there is a proper advocacy for youth justice and social connections factor, a number of arrests can decrease, and children will be able to lead a happy life.
The NAEYC Code of Ethical Conduct
The NAEYC recognizes that those who work with young children face several moral and ethical challenges regularly. One of the ideals includes valuing the dignity and worth of every child (NAEYC professional preparation standards, n.d.). It is especially important when working with children and resolving the issue of youth justice. Regardless of their origin, every child should be treated with respect and understanding, which aids in the development of mutual understanding and trust. This approach and the implementation of this ideal can help lower the juvenile arrest rate and prevent children from doing something that will have serious consequences.
Family and Community Relationships
Healthy relationships in the family and community promote respectful and thorough communication between the child and their environment (Summary of the NAEYC professional preparation standards, n.d.). According to a recent study, children from troubled backgrounds are seven times more likely to hurt themselves and commit crimes (Zvobgo, 2018). Thus, different backgrounds have various impacts on children and their predispositions. When trying to address youth justice issues, it is vital to comprehend the importance of reciprocal relationships and mutual understanding. It is critical to navigate the child, show the proper way of interacting with others, and set specific objectives.
Urie Bronfenbrenner’s Theory
Bronfenbrenner established the bioecological theory of development, which claims that human development is a natural transitional process in which a person’s growth is influenced by contacts with a variety of parts and areas of their environment (Soyer, 2019). As a result, a child’s development alters based on how long certain conditions in either the home or school setting remain ongoing. Thus, in order to influence the troubled child’s behavior, it is crucial to pay attention to their close circle of people and their activities. For example, enrolling in various courses, school extracurriculars, and opting for a friendly and positive circle of friends can change a child’s perspective.
Successful Approaches
In order to influence troubled children, it is first crucial to involve their parents in their education and personal life. The book, written by Anne T. Henderson, Beyond the Bake Sale, covers the best techniques to help children. According to this book, the parents who actively participate in school events and show interest in their children contribute to children’s desire to earn good grades, engage in various activities, and graduate from high school (Henderson, 2007). Additionally, the resources from Help Me Grow navigate the parents to understand their children’s behaviors and address the concerns (Help me grow, n.d.). With its help, it will be possible to determine the difficulties of troubled children and help them eliminate those problems.
References
Help me grow. (n.d.). Web.
Henderson, A. T. (2007). Beyond the bake sale: The essential guide to family-school partnerships. W.W. Norton.
Soyer, G. F. (2019). Urie Bronfenbrenner: the ecology of human development book review. Journal of Culture and Values in Education, 2(2), 77-80.
Summary of the NAEYC professional preparation standards. (n.d.). NAEYC. Web.
The state of America’s children. (2020). Children’s Defense Fund. Web.
Zvobgo, J. (2018). Study links childhood poverty to violent crime and self-harm. Child in the City. Web.