Childhood head injury as it relates to violent criminal behavior: knowledge and treatment

Thesis (M.S., Criminal Justice) -- California State University, Sacramento, 2013.Statement of Problem\ud Children suffer from head injury and traumatic brain injury due to the many sports and activities in which they participate, which in many cases causes severe impairment or death. The problem is that when juveniles are arrested, the criminal justice system is unaware of whether the juveniles have suffered such injury or the significance of the inquiry. Juveniles are being adjudicated for offenses they may not be able to prevent due to changes in impulse control, such as vehicle theft or robbery, and they are being referred to treatment programs that may not be able to address the juveniles??? actual problems. These juveniles subsequently do not successfully complete said treatment and are passed through the criminal justice system as persistent offenders.\ud The purpose of this project is to provide information about the symptoms and consequences of head and brain injury, to review and examine current assessment tools for questions about head injury, and to provide an assessment tool and protocol that can be used by probation departments to gather the appropriate information regarding the juvenile, the alleged offense, and the possible dispositional alternatives. This information will aid probation officers in developing the most accurate case plan for injured juveniles and referring them to the appropriate evidenced-based treatment program. \ud Sources of Data\ud This project reviewed literature in the medical, psychological, and criminal justice fields that analyzed and discussed head injury. This project also encompasses information based on this researcher???s experience, expertise, and training as a Deputy Probation Officer to further the understanding of the need to provide accurate and thorough information in the criminal justice field. Information was also reviewed regarding adult patients suffering from TBI, as research on TBI amongst youth is quite limited. However, the information serves to show the detrimental effects of head and brain injury on an individual, which would be worse for a juvenile, as their brains are still growing and developing. This project provided information on three different assessment tools, and examined them for any assessment of head injury. The assessment tool and protocol developed in this project were based on the information reviewed in the literature. \ud Conclusions Reached\ud Three of the current assessment tools used by probation departments around the United States do not assess for head injury or traumatic brain injury. Therefore, a great many juveniles are being adjudicated and held liable for actions they may not be able to control, are being exposed to potential harm in general population housing units, are being perceived as persistent, and are not receiving the proper rehabilitative services. If probation departments were aware of the seriousness and impact of head or brain injury, they might be able to make the proper dispositional recommendations in the juveniles??? cases, refer the juveniles and their families to the proper rehabilitative and treatment agencies, and better serve the clientele they supervise. These tasks will be that much easier with the implementation of the Assessment of Head Injury Tool (AHIT) and protocol. This instrument will aid probation officers in more thoroughly assessing the juveniles that enter their detention facilities, and help them determine who may be suffering from a TBI, how to refer them for treatment, and how to report the information.Criminal Justic