Advocacy Plan
Billy's case has societal issues of family, school, and peers. Family is the biggest societal factor because it is the first place children start their learning processes. Where Billy's family was abusive, "dysfunctional families subject kids to stresses that lead to risky behaviors" (McWhirter, McWhirter, McWhirter, & McWhirter 2013). Billy has learned to handle his problems with anger. Being placed into foster care, he was also subjected to other cultures and beliefs different from his own, which can cause some frustration. Billy is of the Hispanic culture that places high value on family. Being removed from the biological family, even for safety reasons, still violates the cultural values and can cause fear, frustration, and more pain.
Billy's history of school issues can be coming from "physical consequences…that can have psychological implications, such as cognitive delays or emotional difficulties" (Child Welfare Information Gateway, 2008). Abuse can affect the cognitive development of a child's brain that causes learning disabilities and low learning achievements. Schools also play as a societal influence "when academic curriculum and mode of instruction do not match the student's ability level and they become frustrated or bored and less attached to the school altogether" (Christle, Nelson, & Jolivette n.d.). Unmet learning needs cause frustration and predicts the conduct problems. "School failure and educational disabilities increase the risk of involvement in courts and for incarceration" (Christle, et al. n.d.).
Where schools and neighborhoods provide a variety of peers for children, peers become a societal influence because children...
Research has shown that deviant delinquents follow other delinquents. This makes deviant peer associations a high predictor of delinquency (Christle, et al. n.d.). It is obvious that Billy has delinquent peers because of his history and recent trouble. These societal influences impacts how advocacy is done for at risk youth, like Billy, to ensure that individual needs get met properly. Family, schools, and peers do not always meet all the needs of at risk youth and can also lead to more problems.
Billy's key risk factors are delinquency, violence, and impulsivity. His history of delinquency, school issues, and recent trouble with school and courts make delinquency obvious. Membership of ethnic minority groups is associated with greater participation in violence and other problems due to experiences of oppression, economic marginalization, and racism (McWhirter, et al. 2013). Taking a knife to school is a high indicator of anger issues. And, impulsivity is a risk factor because he has not learned to think before he acts.
Under the client center approach (Video #1, n.d.), Billy's most urgent need would be advocating for the problem of delinquency with the courts. Where he was taught with the dysfunction of the biological family to handle problems with anger, anger management would be one resolution. Anger management (McWhirter, et al. 2013) could teach Billy coping mechanisms to control the anger in positive ways. Behavior therapy could help him set short- and long-term behavior goals and build positive aspects for higher self-esteem. Placing higher emphasis on school achievement and encouraging school commitment (McWhirter, et al. 2013)…
