Introduction
Generally, a child occupies a very important niche in the community and the society, as it’s the sole hope for the society’s future growth and development. Bearing this in minds of many persons at different authorities and organizations, investigations of the manner of molding children to attain and show behavior character reputable to the community is crucial.
However, it becomes difficult to establish the kind of child by merely having a current physical look of the person, but it requires scrutinizing the individual past and present environments to well know the party’s character and personality (Ortiz, 2008, 23). The investigatory processes to know the individual’s character and personality involve the use of complex and simple approaches, and these serve to provide organizations or institutions dealing with child welfare with important information that would help them develop effective strategies and policies required in the protection of the child, as well as in correction of the child’s criminal deeds.
Analysis
Colleen’s Case: Missouri’s model
Concerning Colleen’s case, it is vivid that she is being brought up by a guardian of close family members. She has led a desolate and unhappy life. This has resulted in the development of a high ill-tempered character in her life. Due to her high temper, she reacts emotionally against pranks, which ultimately shows the loss or lack of self-control. Such kind of reactions is also aggravated by her teenage stage, which is generally sensitive and delicate in one’s life.
Her offensive reactions may thus be emanating from immature thinking, where an individual lacks the skill and mental ability to give a second thought to actions s/he intents to accomplish. Colleen’s tender age and mental immaturity have led to acting abruptly to activities that are beyond her powers, hence falling into traps of committing criminal offenses without her awareness. For instance, though trespassing is a surely wrongful act in the court of law, she commits the crime of involuntary manslaughter when attempting to defend herself from the woman’s attempted arrest.
She emotionally faced the issue with full force without taking a second thought of the dangerous chemical weaponry material that she severely attacked her with, and consequently deprived her life. Following this attack, it is clear that she committed a criminal offense. As shown from the data is that her parents have neglected her, and this might be a major factor contributing towards this ill-tempered kind of life, or rather from the family life point of view, Colleen has not been properly nurtured to have the moral and social values imparted in her life.
The absence of her father to provide the family basic needs and with her mother becoming a drug abuser, she then lacked the laying of proper foundations of her life to instill parental love (maternal and fraternal love), hence, causing her to have no love for others or other things. Though she lives with one of the close family members, she often runs away from home and returns on her own.
The disturbing behavior is likely caused by a combination of factors, with peer association with the opposite sex being a major one, people most of her social class who would, directly and indirectly, lure her to committing criminal acts like getting involved in the consumption of illegal substances. The use of such substances might have perhaps heightened her tempers or affected her mental stability leading her to sometimes act irrationally (U.S. Dept. of Health and Human Services & Children’s Bureau, 2003, 94)
Using the Missouri risk/need assessment model, we establish that her first introductory referral to risk was zero but she has in the recent past gotten into criminal referral. There is no assault referral indicating there is no need for counsel on sexual misconduct. Peer relationships and substance abuse are some of the things pointed out to have blemished her expected good behavior. It is still shown that the case for parent management style is a chronic condition.
Based on the Missouri model, the grant total score is eleven. This is a high-risk level by the set scale, and she would be punished for committing misdemeanors and class C & D felonies. Colleen would be easily corrected by applying sanctions counseling and supervision. The intervention programs seem to disburse most of the services needed for the major part of behavior change. However, integration of another type of program which includes prevention and education programs and division of family service could mitigate the rate of her behavior change (Champion, 2007, 4).
Washington model
From Washington’s model, Colleen has committed her first offense at a risk level 2, which did involve traffic felony and misdemeanor. She had not been involved in activities in which she utilized weapons which is a major problem with most of the young people engaging in robbery and theft cases. Colleen has however has shown a bad temper with her neighbor and this led her to be a victim of an against-person felony at least once. She has not been in parallel with criminal authorities in other areas other than those mentioned above and drug abuse.
Though she often runs away from home, none of such actions have been reported to the authorities and neither has it been reported to have attempted to escape from criminal convictions. There is little more to add as part of the investigatory information on social life history, hence from the integrated grid scales, shows that Colleen’s overall risk level is moderate.
Xander: Missouri’s model
On Missouri’s model, it appeared that Xander was not at great risk due to his tender age and this shows that with continued behavior of criminal offenses, he can soon enter into adult convictions. According to the revealed information, he has been involved in several criminal offenses in the past. So to him, though he has not been in close contact with his father, there is no evidence of augmented neglect in the provision of instructions and guidance to the child. Her mother whom she is well close to knowing him well and has been strict and puts every effort to ensure that he provides for his physical needs as well monitors his behavior to grow in a good manner.
Despite all the efforts that his mother in dissipating to ensure he matured in the right ways, peer pressure is a major challenge towards her efforts to realization of substantial results. His engagements as a gangster member may be contributing to the perils that have fallen on before and consequently changed his character. However, the parent’s commitments at work and unclose relationship cannot be neglected as a major factor leading him to behave in a crooked manner. As revealed from the computed score, with a total of six, the individual is not putting the community in the worst condition of criminal offenses in the future; however, his contribution would be considered moderate if his behavior trend goes on unaffected.
Washington model
Washington’s model indicates that Xander’s age of introduction to criminal offensive action put him at a high risk of a fallen victim of crime offender in his future life. This is well indicated by the repetitive behave that he has shown in the past, still confirming the trends of recidivism. This is an individual who has fallen into the hands of the juvenile justice system several, a fact which emphasizes the dangers that he may even pose to society in the future.
Accordingly, the total score points are fifteen in the portion of criminal scoring which is higher than that of his peer counterpart. On the social part of life, he has gained some knowledge and experience from the education systems and this might have reduced his cruel behavior conduct in a way, however, his dropout from school put derailed him from the mainstream institutions set to impart knowledge and behavior change to young people.
Consequently, such kind of behave increases the chances of him being a threat to the community or society due to anti-social conduct. This model shows that his parents have instilled a bit of moral value and love for others as it’s indicated in his anticipated need to accomplish his educational goal, which will be an achievement to him and a sign of honor to his parent.
On the Washington grid-scale, Xander is shown as an individual who would pose the greatest threat to the community. The kind of his misconduct would overly highly affect from the social life point of view as well as criminal activity perspective (Kirk, 2008, 177)
Recommendations
Ongoing through the criminal investigatory tools, there are several things that we found as critical in the probing juvenile misconduct and selection of the appropriate corrective method. We would therefore recommend the following in the endeavor to increase effective corrective measurement within the juvenile justice system:
- There is a need to develop a standard corrective measurement technique and selective tools so both at the state level and nationwide. This would ensure that there is increased validity of the results obtained using the different methods in the United State.
- The instrument for investigation and corrective measurements should also be developed to meet both criminal and social factors being measured both in nature and form. Thus, Colleen should be put in a supervised rehabilitation center.
- The measuring instrument should provide a clue of the anticipated solution to the researcher to avoid putting the adjudicated juvenile on the wrong corrective program that would aggravate the situation rather reduce the situation.
- The corrective programs indicated within the tools of measurement to meet a standard that is best for a combination of behavior conducts and individual goals. I would recommend Xander to be established in an adjudicated educational center.
References
Champion, D. (2007). The Juvenile Justice System: Delinquency, Processing, and the Law, Prentice, Pearson publishers.
Kirk, S. (2008). Development and field testing of a family assessment scale for use in child welfare practice settings utilizing differential response. NY, Academy press.
Ortiz, J. (2008). Using quantitative methods to guide qualitative research in differential response: Columbus, OH.
Siegel, L. (2004). Differential response in Missouri after five years. MO: Institute of Applied Research.
U.S. Dept. of Health and Human Services & Children’s Bureau (2003). National Study of Child Protective Services Systems and Reform Efforts: Washington.