Ch 24
Find a topic that you know very well something that you can explain well. Knowing a lot about something can help a presentation move swimmingly. After you find a topic research it in familiar places such as the internet, tv, books. Put all your ideas in a mind map. This will help to organize your ideas. Make sure to reference your findings. Plagerism can get you in serious trouble.

Ch 25
Writing essays in class is hard to some students and not to others. If it hard you you make sure to study before the test. On test day take your time. Essays that are assigned for homework is consider essaier. You can research by internet or books and handouts from the teacher. Make sure to mind map everything its helpful and leads to a better essay.

Ch 26
Writing for the workplace is a important issue and a big responsibility. For example writing a memo to every or individual empoley is important. To get started find out the topic and mind map it. Chosee the right format with title memo in bold on the top of the page. Then intro body and conclusion.

Ch 27
Writing and designing in the web can be fun and enjoyable. But can also be havoc. Knowing how to work with the internet is the most difficult. Knowing the audience is also important. Research is important along with mind maps.

paper 4

When the term ‘at-risk’ juvenile is mentioned, usually ideas of gangs, drugs, or maybe stealing are what come to mind immediately. But there is a lot more to the ‘at-risk’ population of youth than most would expect. Being a gang member or using drugs isn’t the only criteria that can put adolescents at risk to crime or delinquency. One of the most common, but maybe most unconsidered factor that puts youth ‘at-risk’ is familial relationships and lack of them. In this summary of research a discussion is presented on the development of the juvenile criminal mind, the familial correlates associated with escalation of juvenile delinquent behavior, and the rehabilitation potential and challenges. The following research shows that an adolescent’s relationship with his/her parents or caregiver and family life during development is key. The below studies and research discussed will conclude that an adolescents perceived level of parental support in fact does correlate with their level of delinquency. Other research discusses the early development of delinquency within divorced families. Lastly, the variety of rehabilitation programs and which of the programs work and do not work. Although there are many other elements to adolescent development such as social, and psychological factors that are important, in entirety all of those factors as you will read, relate to familial factors in some way. All in all it comes down to the way the adolescent is raised, disciplined, supported, and loved that may decide if in fact they are considered ‘at-risk’.

When discussing how an adolescent develops into a juvenile delinquent many factors such as social, psychological and familial, have been considered to contribute to delinquent behavior. As stated by Bartol & Bartol in 2005, “Social factors such as social class has been said to be a risk factor that can contribute. Accumulating research evidence strongly indicates that poverty is one of the most robust predictors of adolescent violence for both males and females (Hammond & Yung, 1994; H. Hill et al., 1994; Sampson & Wilson, 1993)”. Although low social class does contribute to a large population of the juvenile delinquent population, this factor is not the sole predictor of juvenile delinquent behavior. Every child that is brought up with a low income or family coming from poverty does not end up in the juvenile justice system. Many other factors play a huge role in the development of the adolescent mind and personality, which contribute to an adolescent’s behavior. An adolescents peer experiences also can contribute to their behavior. The relationships and interactions that an adolescent has with his/her peers can put them at a higher risk for juvenile delinquency. Sometimes they seem to simply do what their peers do. So if that involves drug use, stealing, or skipping school then they do it, no matter if the behavior is delinquent or not. Research by Kenneth Dodge and associates (Dodge & Pettit, 2003) shows that the amount of exposure a child has to aggressive peers in day care or preschool is predictive of later child aggressive behavior, most likely because of modeling effects (Bartol & Bartol, 2005). Rejection by peers also can encourage behavioral problems, because the child will then mock any behavior in order to fit in with his/her peers.
Adolescence is a process that involves many changes that include physical size and the reproductive system, but the process also includes the organization of social relations with parents. An adolescent’s relationship and support from parents is a factor that could in part play a huge role in predicting delinquent behavior.
In contrast to historically earlier perspectives that portrayed adolescence as a highly turbulent developmental phase, characterized by heightened conflict in parent-adolescent relations, more recent perspectives have suggested that parent-adolescent relationships remain highly supportive and emotionally significant as parents often facilitate adolescents in coping with often stressful transitional events (e.g., Brook, Brook, Gordon, Whiteman, & Cohen, 1990; Cooper et al., 1983; Greenberg Siegel, & Leitch, 1983; Youniss & Smollare, 1985). Moreover, several research studies have indicated that strong emotional ties by adolescents with the family are associated with higher levels of self-esteem and self-efficacy (e.g., burke & Weir, 1979; Hoelter & Harper, 1987) and lower levels of, or delayed entry into substance abuse (e.g., Brook et al., 1990; Wills & Vaughn, 1989; Windle, M., & Miller-Tutzauer, C, 1992).
If an adolescent does not establish that emotional connection with their parents this could put them at higher risk to then be easily influenced by other social factors such as peer experiences in order to make up for that missing relationship or connection with their parents. Adolescents have an internal need for not only love from their parents, but also a need for discipline and guidance from them. As Gerald Patterson (1982, 1986) concluded years ago, “The parents or caretakers of delinquency-prone children support their use of antisocial behavior by inadvertently reinforcing such behaviors and by failing to reinforce prosocial ones” (Bartol & Bartol, 2005). Overall making this particular at-risk population of youth very large in numbers within the juvenile justice system.

The contribution of familial structure and support to the population of at-risk youth is the basis of the development of a juvenile’s criminal mind. The above research concludes that in every part of an adolescent’s development, (the social, psychological, and environmental aspects) the parental or caregiver support/structure has an effect. Whether the effect is primary or secondary, familial support and structure is the main basis for adolescent development. The research by Van Dorn & Williams showed how prior familial problems can correlate with the escalation from nonviolent acts to violent acts. Showing how family relations in early development plays an important role in estimating delinquency and violence for juveniles later in adolescence. Whereas the research by Windle & Miller-Tutzauer showed that a disruptive family environments may contribute to lower levels of perceived family support, which contributes to more problem behaviors in adolescents. Showing that something that can seem so minuet, such as support can greatly contribute to problem behaviors, which eventually can turn into delinquency. The social interaction-learning model of parenting and delinquency that was discussed by DeGarmo & Forgatch, stated that “Training for early arrests, prior to age 14, begins in the home as early as the preschool years” (DeGarmo, D., & Forgatch, M., 2005). Overall, the at-risk youth population that is at the highest of risk is the youth lacking familial support and structure.

Bartol, C., & Bartol,A. (2005). Criminal Behavior, A Psychological Approach. New Jersey. Pearson Prentice Hall.
Bullis, M., Yovanoff, P., Mueller, G., & Havel, E. (2002). Life on the ‘outs’—Examination of the facility-to-community transition of incarcerated youth. Exceptional Children, 69(1), 7-22.
DeGarmo, D., & Forgatch, M. (2005). Early development of delinquency within divorced families: Evaluating a randomized preventive intervention trial. Developmental Science, 8(3), 229-239.
Windle, M., & Miller-Tutzauer, C. (1992). Confirmatory factor analysis and concurrent validity of the Perceived Social Support-Family measure among adolescents. Journal of Marriage & the Family, 54(4), 777-787.

paper 3

Youth suicide is a silent epidemic that is crying out for attention. Suicidality in adolescence has become an emerging problem within the United States. As discussed by Judge & Billick (2004) the suicide mortality rate for 15 to 19 year-olds is six times the rate for 10 to 14 year-olds, and during 2001 4,382 youths between the ages of 15 and 24 committed suicide. Among adolescents between the age of 10 to 19 years-old, suicide remains the leading cause of death in the United States. The transition from adolescence to adulthood includes complex biological and psychological development. “Young persons must negotiate shifting degrees of independence, responsibility, sense of identity, sexual feelings, and sexual behavior…the frequent discrepancies in this process renders some adolescents particularly vulnerable to periods of marked psychological pain and distress” (Judge & Billick, 2004). In order for Forensic Psychologists’ and Clinicians able to accurately evaluate, assess and intervene in suicidal behaviors it is important to not only be familiar with the common risk factors which include mostly demographic information, but to also understand comprehensively what is needed and important for teenage suicide prevention. This review of research and literature will emphasize and discuss the concept of assessing and intervention adolescent suicide prevention using a practical approach, and also emphasizing the suicide prevention programs at the national, state, and community levels.

The increasing trend of teenage suicide since the 1950’s has only been relented in the past ten years; and in the 1990’s the suicide rate for youth more than tripled, and the rate for the overall population remained unchanged. Researchers estimate that for each completed suicide, there are approximately 100 to 200 suicide attempts, resulting in more than 80,000 attempts a year (King, 2006). It is extremely evident that more of an effort needs to be made in youth suicide prevention. The 105th U.S. Congress declared suicide prevention a national priority, and the U.S. Surgeon General issued a Call to Action to Prevent Suicide reiterating the urgency to treat suicide as a serious public health problem (U.S. Public Health Service, 1999). And in 2004, President Bush signed into law the Garrett Lee Smith Memorial Act (PL 108-355) which enables states, Indian tribes, colleges and universities to develop prevention and intervention suicide programs. Although these efforts have helped to increase the awareness of suicide as a problem, there are still far too many youth attempting and completing suicide, and we understand little about the actual causes of suicide.
When assessing suicide as a spectrum, certain factors need to be included in order to comprehensively understand and develop the appropriate and effective intervention strategies. Patient stigma, negative family and societal attitudes, can make depression and other emotional issues hard to discuss (The Journal of Family Practice, 2006). This makes identifying suicide ideation and symptoms very difficult, which emphasizes the need for the clinician or evaluator to have a deeper comprehensive understanding of the youths’ suicide ideations. The deaths of these youth tear through the hearts of their fellow students, parents, teachers, and the communities, and leave them wondering what had spiraled out of control in their minds and what could have been done to save them. Even as mental health professionals, we wonder what exact despair would throw these teens to their violent deaths. As Schwartz & Rogers (2004) explain, current emotional dysphoria such as depression, especially when combined with hopelessness, helplessness, guilt, anhedonia, and anxiety, are markers of potential suicidality that should not be ignored. All the recent data speak to the necessity to assess for mental disorders and symptoms along with indicators of cognitive distortions and an inability to think oneself out of catastrophic assumptions, which may be the main factor at the core of this vicious cycle (Schwartz, Rogers, 2004). Although we know that the human brain undergoes extensive shaping during the first years of life, recently we’ve discovered that another remolding spurt occurs in the adolescent years. Healy (2003) discussed how for teens, the “gut response” part of the lower brain, the amygdale, is in charge. This tiny bundle of nerves mediates emotions like fear, anger, and anxiety. As teens begin to mature, their frontal lobes, the domain of reason and judgment, increasingly rein in the amygdale, and the emotional swings of teen life level out. The cognitive and emotional thought processes of youth are complex, and understanding the desperation suicidal adolescents experience in assessing for suicide risk, the use of practical strategies along with demographics and clinical techniques should assist in the prevention of suicide in adolescents.

The overall goal is to enable more youth to become positively connected to positive situations and positive individuals and using practical strategies to save lives in the process by preventing future suicides in adolescence. Instead of solely focusing on the assessment tools specifically and suicidal risk-factors, by incorporating more practical and comprehensive strategies to develop a better understanding of the suicide process of an adolescent and a more effective prevention program. King (2006) discussed the three levels of suicide prevention that are commonly overlooked, while the focus is most often on suicide intervention primarily. SPAN USA, Inc. (2001) has begun to expand the awareness of suicide prevention by developing tools to assist agencies in effectively creating and maintaining suicide prevention programs. It is sure that these youth are dying of some lethal form of despair, and no amount of knowledge into the minds of these youth is ever enough to completely understand the suicide process undergone. But, by mental health professionals, parents, community, etc. gaining a better understanding of how prevention can become more effective, the more lives of youth can be saved and the less survivors of suicide will feel the stigma and pain

AFSP, Inc. (2007). AFSP: Teen Suicide Prevention Campaign. Retrieved April 10, 2007, from http://www.afsp.org/index.cfm?fuseaction=home.viewPage&page_id=056954D8-0D84-0DD0-4984862095B0D073

Healy, B. (2003). Dying of depression. U.S. News & World Report, 135(16), 67-67. Retrieved Tuesday, April 10, 2007 from the Academic Search Premier database.

Judge, B., & Billick, S. (2004). Suicidality in adolescence: review and legal considerations. Behavioral Sciences & the Law, 22(5), 681-695. Retrieved Tuesday, April 10, 2007 from the Psychology and Behavioral Sciences Collection database.


King, K. (2006). Practical Strategies for Preventing Adolescent Suicide. The Prevention Researcher, 13(3), 8-11. Retrieved Tuesday, April 10, 2007 from the PsycEXTRA database.