Interdisciplinary approach to mental health and juvenile delinquency

The United States currently incarcerates more than 60,000 children. An estimated 93 percent of incarcerated U.S. children have experienced at least one traumatic event. 

Through an examination of current literature and recent reports this paper highlights ways 1) public health professionals can recognize trauma in School-Based Health Care efforts, and 2) teach lawyers working in special education and within the juvenile justice system to understand the role of trauma within the “Emotional Disturbance” Special Education category. “Emotional Disturbance” is an eligibility category under the federal law, Individuals with Disabilities in Education Act (IDEA). This category can be used to connect youth to necessary support services. Many children receiving Special Education services under the “Emotional Disturbance” category have experienced trauma which is linked to negative behavior.  Inter-disciplinary collaboration can train and/or require educators to respond to negative behavior in a way that views trauma as the likely stimulus. Youth in the juvenile justice system are not “criminals”; instead, they should be viewed as children who have been exposed to trauma. Stigmatizing these youth by labeling them “criminals” has potentially negative impacts on health behaviors and chronic disease outcomes.

By implementing a multidisciplinary approach to mental health in at risk youth, educators, legal professionals, public health professionals and other stakeholders can prevent these students from falling deeper into the School-to-Prison-Pipeline.