It has often been said the youths represent the future, and yet, they are also the ones that are causing problems to society. Many youths now do not have qualms about trying various kinds of drugs, which they use on a regular basis. Apart from drug use, they also become involved in crimes that put them behind bars. Studies show that when youths experiment with alcohol and addictive substances, they not only hurt themselves, but their families and communities as well. Even the juvenile justice system bears a huge burden when wayward youths encounter problems with drugs and the law. As such, drug use among youths has steadily increased with most of them frequently using marijuana.
Persistent abuse of illegal substances lead to health related problems, academic difficulties, poor relationships with family and peers, mental health problems such as depression, danger of contracting sexually communicable diseases, and high economic and social costs for treatment, among others. Despite efforts to prevent substance abuse, youths still become involved in the juvenile delinquent system. Even if the government attempts to curb such behaviors, substance abuse and crime among youths is already part of their own system.
The problem is in the current set up where juvenile delinquents and their families are not provided with the necessary assistance while the bad habit is still starting up. Youths are incarcerated, which do not help the individual recover. This is because the emphasis is always on punishing the individual and keeping him or her locked up in jail, instead of treating the individual in rehabilitation centers for treatment and therapy (VanderWaal, et al., 2001, p. 8).
Despite the irregularities when it comes to handling such cases, the government attempts to address the situation. However, there is no one-size fits-all strategy that would apply for both juveniles and the adult users, thus, treatment methods also differ. For most youths, non-institutional interventions are necessary to help curb the problem. This includes individual counseling, interpersonal skills training, and behavioral programs such as family counseling. Furthermore, studies reveal that incarceration and punishment increase incidences of aggressive behavior among troubled youths ("Building a More Effective Juvenile Justice System"), thus, they must reinforce positive and desirable behaviors to curtail negative deeds.
Those found to be heavily reliant on illegal substances may have to be monitored in terms of their interactions with fellow juvenile offenders and "increase [their] interactions with and supervision from well-trained, positive adults ("Building a More Effective Juvenile Justice System"). It also benefits offenders if they undergo "mental health and substance abuse treatments" ("Building a More Effective Juvenile Justice System") as well as having a well placed reporting procedure that documents the services an individual receives, including the delivery of service and results.
Other family-based programs help in the prevention and intervention of youth problematic behavior caused by use of illegal drugs and involvement in criminal activities. These include the Multidimensional Treatment Foster Care (MTFC), which places youths in an out-of-home family setting for a period and where youths are closely monitored and their personal strengths are enhanced (MTFC Program Overview). There is also the Functional Family Treatment Therapy (FFT), which requires the involvement of the family members in the successful treatment of the offender's behavior (Sexton and Alexander, 2000, p. 7). These programs focus mainly on the adolescent and the roles their families play in successfully treating the offender's behavior.
References
"Building a more effective juvenile justice system." (n.d.). Center on Early Adolescence. Retrieved from https://www.earlyadolescence.org/juvenile_justice_system
"MTFC program overview." (n.d.). TFC Consultants, Inc. Retrieved from http://www.mtfc.com/overview.html
Sexton, T.L., & Alexander, J.F. (2000). Functional family therapy. OJJDP Juvenile Justice Bulletin. Retrieved from https://www.ncjrs.gov/pdffiles1/ojjdp/184743.pdf
VanderWaal, C.J., McBride, Duane, C., Terry-McElrath, Y.M., & VanBruen, H. (2001). Breaking the juvenile drug-crime cycle: A guide for practitioners and policymakers. Retrieved from https://www.ncjrs.gov/pdffiles1/nij/186156.pdf
