Discuss the juvenile justice system's response to violent juvenile offenders. Include the Public Health Model in your response

Question

What will be an ideal response?

Answer 1

In response to the mounting evidence documenting how a large number of crimes are committed by a small number of repeat offenders, many of whom are also violent, the OJJDP, in the 1990s, instituted a Serious Habitual Offender Comprehensive Action Program (SHOCAP) aimed at youth violence. Although no longer a federally applied OJJDP program, many states have implemented their own versions of SHOCAP using recommendations of the original program because many of the guidelines are still applicable for today's violent juvenile offenders.

One approach to youth violence is to view it not just as a problem to be dealt with by the juvenile justice system but as a threat to our national health. When violence is viewed in this way, it makes sense to adopt the approach used in our public health system. A basic principle of the public health response to problems is to focus resources on the areas of greatest need. Another contribution from the public health model is the metaphor of contagion as a way to explain the spread of violence. Acts of violence tend to spread rapidly within high-risk areas or hot spots and within groups.