As youth service providers, we’re always on the lookout for best practices, programs and initiatives that will improve how we serve our communities. As advocates for early intervention, we see the value of investing time and money in a social issue now because we know that in the long run it will save both money and lives. For a moment, I challenge you to think of a few high-risk youth you’ve served. If you’ve got some in mind, I want you to now think of their environments as young children. Did they experience physical or sexual abuse, war, community violence, loss of a caregiver, or a life threatening illness? All of the examples constitute traumatic events that can affect emotional control, brain development, memory and aggression.
Did you know that over 93,000 American children are locked up in juvenile correctional facilities, and of those children, between 75 and 93 percent are estimated to have experienced some degree of trauma?
Those statistics are astounding, which is why the Justice Policy Institute recently released a study that illustrates the relationship between childhood trauma and criminal activity, as well as cost-benefit analysis for programs that target the most as-risk populations. According to the article, “the direct and indirect costs associated with child maltreatment make it among the most costly public health problems in the United States. Beyond the social benefit, by preventing or addressing child maltreatment early, both direct (medical and psychiatric care, government services, criminal justice, child protection services) and indirect (lost earnings and productivity) costs could be lowered substantially by investing in programs that work.”
Take some time to read the article in full. We challenge you and your organization to seek resources and information to allow you to better serve children who have experienced trauma so they don’t become another statistic.
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