Juvinile Justice

Javiette Samuel & Woodie Hughes Jr.

www.reclaimingjournal.com

                                                                Summary written by :

                                                                     Brandy Ardon

                                                                     SWK 276

                                                                     Washington

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The journal that was chosen, “Promoting Positive Youth Development with Underserved Audiences,” was written by Javiette Samuel and Woodie Hughes Jr. located on the website, “reclaimingjournal.com’. The journal, “highlights opportunities for moving beyond the traditional focus of youth serving organizations to meet the needs of a changing population in an increasingly diverse society” (34).

The journal takes a look at how different diverse groups of children and youths are changing in the fast demographic shifts. The journal has said that the number of white people are decreasing while the black and Asian populations are rapidly growing. They predict that the population will have one and three U.S. residents will be of Hispanic descents. With the increase in population there is also more increase in poverty. The journal points out that “22% of children living in poverty, and 45% of children in the U.S. live in low income families” (34).

The first focus of this summary will take a look at how programs offered to the children and youth such as the 4-H program. These programs are in school settings and sometimes as school enrichment programs. Ironically they are being used by the majority of white students.  According to, Balfanz,Fox, Bridgeland, & McNaught, 2009, “Dropping out of school is the most serious and pervasive problems facing students and public education programs nationally”(34,35). The drop-out rates are higher among the black and Hispanics with “white drop-out rates at 31 %”( 35). The 4-H program is a means of recognize the potential for drop-outs and emphasizes the motivation to learn with a sense of connection with the students.Today there is a new 4-H program that is offered to underserved youths so they can learn, “Science, Technology, Engineering, and math (STEM) degrees and careers”(35). The programs are in hopes of keeping the children motivated to succeed in the class as well as when they have moved on and become producted adults.

The second focus of this summary is, “Mentoring Programs”. According to the journal more than, “5,000 mentoring programs serve an estimated three million youth in the United States” (35). With the mentoring programs the youths will be able to step away from the negative environment they are in and be able to get a step ahead on life. The programs such as the 4-H will help youths deter from drug abuse and school truancy and to reduce juvenile delinquency as well with any other high-risk behaviors’. These programs are offered to youth from the ages of 8-17 and especially for the Latino, African American and children with parents that are incarcerated. In “2014 the 4-H leadership Meeting Highlighted steps for developing programs” with these populations of youths. (35)

The programs that are designed have a challenge in trying to build a program that will fit the need of the youth. The 4- H program focuses on the best interest to the youths. The program also has to be able to hire, or, have volunteers that are familiar with the culture of the youths that are in the program. The programs are complex and are a great first step into being able to change the lives of many of tomorrow’s youth. The impact would greatly increase if more national partnerships were formed with the other youth agencies such as the “Administration for Children and Families, Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services, National Institute of Health and the National Center for Fathering”(36). These programs could build the 4-H programs and give them more sustainability.

The 4-H program is a great way to build the confidence and deter youths from being in bad situations. The program and other programs help keep youths from dropping out of school and giving up on life. The environment the mentoring groups put in on the urban and rural areas will greatly help the youths grow up and make changes to the cycle of the circumstances they come from. If one child can be saved by offering him/her a program then why not. The best interest is for the youths and how to show them that there is more to school then just sitting in class. The mentoring programs offer hope, ability to set goals and the ability to reach them.