Accelerated Family Intervention in Juvenile Justice

Abstract

Family intervention is shifting from an informal alternative in the treat ment of juvenile offenders to a formal adjudicatory option, a trend il lustrated by legislation recently passed by the state of Florida. The politi cally expedient move of making family participation in treatment man datory in some cases was not based on conclusive empirical data indicat ing the family's crucial role in causing and resolving delinquent behavior. It appears that state intervention in family matters is likely to increase. Without evaluation of family intervention strategies, such strategies are likely to proliferate with little control over possible unfortunate consequences.