This is an archive of the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention’s (OJJDP's) electronic newsletter OJJDP News @ a Glance. The information in this archived resource may be outdated and links may no longer function. Visit our website at https://www.ojjdp.gov for current information.
March | April 2016

Video Message: National Child Abuse Prevention Month

Hello, I’m Bob Listenbee, Administrator of the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention. April is National Child Abuse Prevention Month. It’s a time when families and communities across our nation renew their commitment to ensuring the safety and well-being of children—and helping children who’ve experienced abuse and maltreatment to heal.

Research has shown that children who experience violence, including sexual violence, often carry the scars of these experiences well into their adult lives. These children are more likely to abuse drugs and alcohol, struggle in school, and, without treatment, they are at risk of becoming involved in the juvenile and criminal justice systems.

We know that the majority of children in our juvenile justice system have themselves been victims of violence and abuse. An OJJDP-sponsored study showed that in one detention center in the midwest, more than 90 percent of the youth in detention had experienced at least one traumatic event, and more than half were exposed to trauma six or more times.

The juvenile justice system must hold youth accountable—and provide services, treatment, and rehabilitation to address the violence and victimization that mark too many young lives. All children should be screened for exposure to violence on their first contact with the juvenile justice system and juvenile justice systems should provide trauma-informed services and treatment for all children who need it.

It is also essential that juvenile justice officials reduce reliance on detention and incarceration. These measures should be reserved for only those youth who pose a public safety risk or who need the type of intensive, rehabilitative treatment that cannot be provided at home or in their community. The majority of children who enter the system commit low-level, nonviolent offenses and out-of-home placement needlessly separates these children from their communities and interrupts not only their education, but also healthy adolescent development. In addition, a record of involvement in the juvenile justice system can make it challenging for young people to later find housing and employment.

Finally, children should never be put in solitary confinement or isolation except in the most extreme cases when safety, to themselves or others, is an immediate issue. Our juvenile justice system too often retraumatizes our children, and we must put an end to these practices.

These are the principles that guide our work here at OJJDP. We envision a nation where our children are healthy, educated, and free from violence. If they come into contact with the juvenile justice system, that contact should be rare, fair, and beneficial to them. Working together with our partners, we are bringing the day closer when this is no longer a vision—but a reality for all children.

For more information about OJJDP programs, visit our website at OJJDP.gov and access the current issue of our e-newsletter, OJJDP News @ a Glance.

Thank you for listening.