Implications of the consent to treatment section of the Young Offenders Act: A case study.

The Young Offenders Act in contrast to its predecessor, the Juvenile Delinquents Act, pays special attention to the rights of young persons before the court. This shift in philosophy is clearly illustrated by the new requirement that the Youth Court obtain the consent of the young person and the treatment facility before a judge can make an order under Section 22(1) to have a young person attend for treatment. A case example illustrates both the court's and the young person's dilemma with respect to the consent for treatment issue. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Review of Children and the law.

Reviews the book, Children and the law by Jeffrey Wilson and Mary Tomlinson (1986). This book is divided into nine chapters focusing on almost all aspects of law that affect children including: custody and access issues, child protection and adoption, family support, property and civil participation, the child in the courtroom, crime and the child, children in education, and the child as an immigrant. The book Children and the Law is indispensible for both lawyers involved with children before the court as well as mental health professionals working with children. I know of no other accounts that are available that delve into the specifics related to legislation that are as highly readable and thorough as this account provided by Wilson and Tomlinson. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Aggression in adolescent girls: Implications for policy, prevention, and treatment.

This review of literature focuses on aggression and adolescent girls. Official crime statistics from Statistics Canada show an increase in violent offenses by girls. This statistic has created considerable interest in a heretofore largely ignored area of childhood maladjustment. Differences regarding the development and expression of aggression with girls in contrast to boys is provided. The authors argue that, in the context of what is acknowledged to be a limited literature, there are important themes for human service-providers and policy-makers to consider in examining assessment, treatment, and prevention strategies for aggressive adolescent girls. Finally, an orientation towards furthering a research agenda in the area of aggression with adolescent girls is provided. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Factor structure and construct validity of the Basic Personality Inventory with juvenile offenders.

Cross-validated the previously identified factor structure of the Basic Personality Inventory (BPI) with the structure found in the responses of 1,233 young offenders (mean age about 14 yrs) and demonstrated the construct validity of BPI factor scores by discriminating subgroups within the offender sample. (French abstract) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Critical issues in the development of custody and access dispute resolution services.

Outlines the development and working assumptions of the London Custody and Access Project in the context of the needs of separated families involved in the legal process. Clinical issues (psychological parent, bonding, adjustment problems, interrupted development, and sexual abuse) are overviewed, and 3 types of service (assessment, mediation, and arbitration) are described. Data are presented on a sample of 68 cases outlining the nature of the issues involved, factors considered during the assessment, and clinical/legal recommendations. Future issues in research and practice are suggested. (French abstract) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Impact of the Young Offenders Act on recidivism rates of special needs youth: Clinical and policy implications.

Compared recidivism rates of special needs young offenders under the Canadian Juvenile Delinquents Act (JDA) and the Young Offenders Act (YOA). 294 12–15 yr olds assessed under the JDA and 259 age- and sex-matched Ss assessed under the YOA had level of need measured, using the Basic Personality Inventory. Results indicate that at a 3-mo follow-up period, special needs youths appearing in court under the YOA re-offended at a higher rate with both special needs and nonspecial needs youths continuing to have more charges at a 1-yr follow-up period after court. Results are discussed in terms of their clinical and social policy implications in managing young offenders. (French abstract) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)