Preventative Measures That Could Have Been Implemented

¶ … preventative measures that could have been implemented to keep your selected juvenile from turning to delinquent behaviors. Cite your additional journal article. Then explain one social factor that might interfere with treatment for this juvenile.

Preventative measures that could have been implemented to keep your selected juvenile from turning to delinquent behaviors: Duane

The story of Duane is every parent's nightmare. Duane is a ten-year-old boy who received treatment for being a juvenile sex offender. Even after treatment, Duane was convicted of molesting a five-year-old girl. Duane was removed from his mother's custody as a result and charged with a class B felony. After his arrest, Duane was confined to a cell, without any education or additional support. Duane's IQ of 60 made his case even more complex: his social worker admitted that this was the most difficult case she had ever faced.

Although it is difficult to gain a full picture of Duane's home situation, the image that emerges in the film strip is one of a 'victim turned perpetrator.' Sexually abused and vulnerable because of his low IQ, Duane became an abuser. Sexually precocious behavior is not abnormal in children who are victims, and Duane seemed to have little supervision at home. His mother appeared overwhelmed by the task of raising a child, particularly a child with Duane's difficulties.

Early intervention on several levels might have prevented the abuse. Support for women in Mary's situation, giving them resources to identify abuse and the profile of a childhood abuser, might have prevented Duane from being abused in the first place. Resources for single mothers, such as halfway houses and job training, can convince women that they do not need to stay with a potentially abusive boyfriend or spouse (who may be abusing the mother as well as the children). Daycare and assistance in finding supervision for children can also prevent children in vulnerable positions from being abused.

As a victim in a high-risk situation, Duane clearly needed more counseling and support to help him deal with the crimes that had been perpetuated upon him. This highlights how social inequities can affect a child's trajectory in life. A young boy from a socioeconomically advantaged home would likely not have been in the vulnerable position of Duane, given that there would have been more resources to provide him with supervision. Had he still suffered abuse, a wealthier family would be able to provide assistance through private means of the best quality (such as a private child psychologist). They would also have been able to have afforded academic support and specialized attention for their child.