When a crime or delinquent behavior is committed, juvenile probation can be a critical intervention for adolescent teens. Many times, officers are able to help young people turn their lives around by providing guidance and accountability. The quality of the relationship between the probation officer, the youth, and their families will determine effectiveness. We will explore the benefits of youth and family partnerships dealing with juvenile probation, building authentic relationships, overcoming barriers and how functional families can help.
Benefits of Partnerships
It has been proven that outcomes are more favorable when probation officers work collectively with young people and their families. Some of the positive results are:
- Increased academic engagement
- Positive relationships
- Decreased relapsing
In a study on parents’ perceptions of juvenile probation, researchers discovered the strongest predictor of youth compliance with probation was based on the quality of the relationship between the probation officer and parent. When young people feel that they have ownership over their lives and success, they are more likely to take responsibility for their actions. And are more than likely to achieve the expectations set by their probation officer.
It is noted that when families are involved, they can provide support for their children outside the probation office, reinforcing the instructions and skills learned during probation meetings.
Authentic Relationships
The solution to building an authentic relationship with a probation officer is to prioritize trust and communication. In this article “Do relationships matter? Examining the quality of probation officers’ interactions with parolees in preventing recidivism”, it is concluded that the relationship between probation officers and parolees is essential in preventing recidivism. Probation officers can build positive relationships with their parolees by being empathetic, respectful, and responsive. They can also build trust by being consistent and being respectful. This has the possibility to significantly reduce relapse.
Examples are:
- Establish Supportive Environment: The goal should be for probation officers to implement a safe environment that allows young people, their families and care takers to feel comfortable sharing information, emotions and concerns. Active listening, empathy, and respecting cultural differences are the key to the environment.
- Family Engagement: When the parent and caregivers are involved in probation meetings, probation officers are able to understand family dynamics and can develop strategies customized to the needs of the whole family unit.
- Connect Families to Extended Support: Probation officers are able to offer resources to parents and caregivers, such as the resources Philadelphia Family Voices have to offer. Our resources, such as parenting classes or counseling services, help strengthen the family unit and promote healthy communication. We provide a host of other services that can be rendered through Philadelphia Family Voices
Limited Resources
The lack of resources or support services can also be a huge barrier to building successful partnerships. For instance, families living in poverty could face challenges with transportation or childcare. Thus making it difficult to attend therapy sessions or participate in probation meetings.
In these cases, probation officers can work with community partners to provide resources and support, such as transportation vouchers or family therapy sessions that are scheduled outside of traditional business hours. It has been proven that recidivism reduces substantially when probation officers and community partners collaborate to connect youth with needed services.