ABSTRACT
In 2016, the authors approached the Court Social Workers to refer adolescents involved in minor violent crimes such as bullying, disorderly behavior, fighting, gang turf wars, and other destructive behaviors. In this chapter, a pilot study of the court-referred adolescent program is presented. Clients are referred to the program by social workers, probation officers, and guidance counselors in conjunction with the courts. The goal is to intervene in the lives of troubled adolescents to prevent them from entering a life of crime and violence. For most court-ordered adolescents, family life is non-existent or extremely chaotic. Many of the adolescents referred to the program have experienced some type of childhood abuse/trauma from a parent/guardian or other relative. Like many adolescents in the United States and other cultures, those in the court-ordered program were born into difficult circumstances and have estranged or non-existent relationships with the parent/guardian.
