Can the development of protective factors help disrupt the foster care-to-prison pipeline? An examination of the association between justice system involvement and the development of youth protective factors

ABSTRACT

This study explored whether youth protective factors become more or less developed overtime for 4811 youth involved in child welfare using the Child and Adolescent Need and Strengths (CANS) Assessment. Using child welfare administrative data, analyses investigated if the improvement of youth protective factors while in the child welfare system was associated with reducing the risk of justice system involvement. Study findings demonstrated that youth with improved community life strengths, talents/interests, educational strengths, and spiritual/religious strengths were at a significantly lower risk of becoming justice involved while in child welfare. This speaks to the protective effect that positive self-concept in the form of individual talents or creativity, community resources, educational supports, and spiritual/religious encouragement have on youth development and functioning while in the child welfare system, in addition to the potential role of the child welfare system in helping to develop these specific protective factors.

KEYWORDS:

• Juvenile justice
• dual-involvement
• youth
• protective factors

Acknowledgments

This work was supported by the Division of Clinical Services and Professional Development of the [name deleted to maintain integrity of the review process] Department of Children and Family Services (DCFS).

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by the This work was supported by the Division of Clinical Services and Professional Development of the Illinois Department of Children and Family Services (IDCFS).

Notes on contributors

Faith Summersett Williams

Faith Summersett Williams, PhD, is a Post-Doctoral Fellow at Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children’s Hospital of Chicago in the Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry. Dr. Summersett’s professional goal is to develop an independent research career focused on identifying mechanisms to prevent the onset of pervasive and detrimental risk behaviors, including substance use and sexual risk behaviors, among adolescents and young adults who have histories of trauma and violence exposure. Dr. Summersett hopes that her research can inform policies in intuitions that serve children such as schools, hospitals, community mental health centers, child welfare agencies, and juvenile justice departments.

Zoran Martinovich

Zoran Martinovich, PhD, is a Research Assistant Professor in Northwestern University’s Feinberg School of Medicine. Dr. Martinovich has provided teaching and statistical support services within Northwestern’s Mental Health Services and Policy Program since 1998. His research has primarily concerned statistical methods and products with real-world applications for outcomes management in mental health care. Dr Martinovich has conducted workshops on methods of organizing research results in the United States, Canada, South America, and Europe.

Cassandra Kisiel

Cassandra Kisiel, Ph.D.  is an Associate Professor and Associate Director of the Mental Health Services and Policy Program and the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine.  She is also the Principal Investigator and Project Director for the Center for Child Trauma Assessment, Services and Interventions, a center of the National Child Traumatic Stress Network (NCTSN) that specializes in helping child-serving systems respond to the developmental effects of childhood trauma.  Her research interests focus on the complex, developmental effects of trauma, dissociation, risk and protective factors for child trauma, and child trauma assessment.

Gene Griffin

Gene Griffin, J.D., Ph.D., retired in 2013 from Northwestern University’s Feinberg School of Medicine. He is the Senior Fellow for Policy and Practice for the ChildTrauma Academy. He has no additional funding disclosures. Any opinions expressed are his own.

Hayley Goldenthal

Hayley Goldenthal, M.S., is a doctoral student in the Northwestern Feinberg School of Medicine Clinical Psychology program. Ms. Goldenthal’s research interests focus on the development of interventions for children and adolescents who have experienced significant life stressors and/or trauma. Additionally, Ms. Goldenthal is interested in the translation of these evidence-based interventions to school and community settings to increase access to care, particularly for underserved populations.

Neil Jordan

Neil Jordan, PhD, is Director of the Mental Health Services & Policy Program and Associate Professor of Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences in the Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine. His research interests focus on identifying high value services and systems of care for persons with complex chronic illness.