Crossover Youth Series
Written by Wendy Haight, PhD, Gamble-Skogmo Chair
The goal of this blog series is to provide information and encourage discussion of youth who are dually involved in the child welfare and juvenile justice systems. In this first blog post, we will describe “crossover youth” and why we should be especially concerned about their well being.
(Note that unless otherwise indicated the empirical studies on which this blog is based are national studies. The situation in Minnesota overall, or in particular local community, may look different. References are available upon request).
Who Are “Crossover Youth?”
Crossover youth are maltreated children and adolescents who have engaged in delinquency. Sometimes referred to as “dually involved” youth, they are children who are involved in both the child welfare and juvenile justice systems. Most crossover youth (about 92%) are first involved in the child welfare system and then the juvenile justice system. Overall, maltreated children are at a 47% greater risk of becoming involved in the juvenile justice system than youth from the general population. Given the life experiences of many of the youth involved in our child welfare system—exposure to poverty, domestic violence, adult substance misuse and associated criminality, unmet health and mental health needs—these statistics are not particularly surprising. They are, however, cause for concern.
Why Should We Be Concerned About Crossover Youth?
We need to be concerned about the dual involvement of youth in the child welfare and juvenile justice systems because such involvement can compound the developmental risks of already vulnerable children. Children who enter into the child welfare system already have experienced a variety of significant risks to their healthy development such as child abuse or neglect, family stress, and unmet health and mental health needs. Unfortunately, involvement in the child welfare system, even when absolutely necessary, can create additional risks. Children may experience feelings of grief and loss if separated from their parents, instability in out-of-home placements, disruptions in schooling and friendships, etc. Involvement in the juvenile justice system can not only fail to address underlying psychosocial problems, but can further compound their risks. For example, children may experience exposure to delinquent peers, stigmatization, and further disruptions in schooling. In addition, youth involved in the child welfare system generally receive harsher treatment within the juvenile justice system. For example, they are more likely than their counterparts not involved in the child welfare system to be placed in a group home or correctional facility instead of receiving probation.
Given these multiple developmental risks, it is not surprising that a significant number of crossover youth have mental health, educational, and vocational problems. They are also at higher risk for reoffending than their counterparts without maltreatment histories.
Next Blog Post in This Series
The next blog post in this series will describe an innovative program implemented in a number of Minnesota counties to minimize the involvement of maltreated children in the juvenile justice system.