CENTER FOR SEX OFFENDER MANAGEMENT
The Effective Management of Juvenile Sex Offenders in the Community
A Training Curriculum

 A Project of the Office of Justice Programs, U.S. Department of Justice

 

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Section 5: Supervision
2 Hours

TOPIC: SUPERVISION

Interacting with Parents and Caregivers in the Office Setting

Recognizing that it’s not appropriate to work with these youth in isolation of their parents or caregivers, it’s typical for juvenile supervision officers to meet fairly regularly with parents and caregivers in the office setting at the beginning of the supervision process—and then consistently thereafter. Near the outset of supervision, officers will likely want to do the following during office visits that include parents and caregivers:

• Establish a positive rapport. As has been mentioned, it’s probably most productive to approach parents or caregivers as partners and collaborators in the management process, and work to garner their support as quickly as possible. Emphasize that with their ongoing support, the likelihood of their child being successful increases significantly.
• Review court orders, supervision conditions, and other documentation. There is a great deal of paperwork provided to juveniles and their parents or caregivers. Take time to explain and describe all of it. Don’t assume that just because something is written on a piece of paper, it will be read and understood.
• Make referrals to treatment providers and other community resources. Remember the importance of a holistic approach to the management of these youth. Be clear that you will be linking the youth and the family members to programs in the community that will be helpful to them, and that you expect them to participate. Stress the specific kinds of positive outcomes and benefits that they can expect to derive from successful participation in the treatment process.
• Allow as much time for questions as is needed. Parents and caregivers are likely to have many concerns. Inquire about these and work to create an environment in which they feel comfortable expressing their fears and anxieties. Throughout the supervision process, open communication with parents and caregivers will be critical, as they will be able to provide supervision officers with extremely valuable insights into the progress that juveniles are making or the problems that they are having. Therefore, it is essential that officers take the time early in the process to establish ongoing, open communication as the norm.

Regular, ongoing office contacts with parents and caregivers throughout the course of supervision are important as well. Officers can use them to:

• Identify other network members outside of the family. Officers can help to figure out friends or other community members who can support supervision and treatment.
• Review and update changes in the supervision case plan. Increases or decreases in supervision intensity, or additions or subtractions of supervision conditions, are issues that might be discussed.
• Discuss the youth’s and the family’s management of risk factors and lapses. The supervision process will not be without some significant challenges, mistakes, and judgment concerns. Office contacts provide an excellent opportunity to discuss how the youth can address his mistakes and more effectively manage risky situations, and the steps that parents or caregivers have taken—or can take—to support him.
• Inquire specifically about successes or breakthroughs, and things that are going well. Officers should provide positive reinforcement and praise, if it’s warranted.
• Discuss the youth’s and the family’s progress in treatment. Officers can then compare and contrast these reflections with the information provided directly by clinicians.
• Verify information provided by other members of the community support network, such as school personnel or employers. Officers can examine whether the perspectives of the juvenile and his parents or caregivers reflect and comport with those provided by others, and follow up on discrepancies and inconsistencies while stressing the importance of honest and open communication, and disclosure.

Conducting Home Visits

As was noted earlier, the homes of these youth are another important setting to work with these youth and their parents or caregivers. Home visits provide an opportunity for officers to see these juveniles and their family members in their natural environment. Ideally, officers conduct both scheduled and unannounced home visits during traditional working hours and at non–traditional times, such as in the evenings and on weekends. During home visits, officers will probably want to:

• Observe the nature and quality of interactions between the parents or caregivers, the juvenile offender, and other family members. If a conflict arises between family members during a home visit, officers can examine how strife and tension are addressed.
• Evaluate environmental risk factors. Is there access to weapons, alcohol, drugs, or pornography? What are the sleeping and bedroom arrangements in the home? Is it relatively clean and in order? Are restrictions on using the Internet, watching inappropriate television programming, and playing explicit video games being monitored and enforced by the parents or caregivers?
• Evaluate access to the victims (if they are in the home) and potential victims, and review existing safety plans. Officers should be on the lookout for vulnerable individuals in the home or in the neighborhood, and discuss strategies to prevent or minimize the juvenile’s unsupervised contact with them. Time should be taken to revise or develop safety plans, if necessary.
• Conduct a general check in with both the juvenile and his parents or caregivers. Ask the parents or caregivers specifically about their impressions of the juvenile’s behavior and progress in all spheres of his life. Inquire about school, homework, peers, compliance with curfews, and behavioral problems. Officers should ask parents or caregivers if they need or would like any assistance in doing any problem solving, and check to see if it’s necessary to say or do anything to reinforce the parents’ or caregivers’ important role as the authority figures in the home.

So it’s clear that parents and caregivers are essential partners in the work of juvenile probation and parole officers, but it’s probably not realistic to expect their full support and cooperation from the outset of supervision in every case. The time and energy that is invested educating them about the management process, emphasizing the importance of their participation, and providing or referring them to needed programs and services, will likely pay enormous dividends in terms of their ability to collaborate with supervision officers and play an active role in holding their child accountable and supporting his success in the community.³⁵

Working with the Schools

Aside from the home, school is probably the place where these juveniles spend most of their time on a daily basis. Therefore, as we’ve mentioned already, early and ongoing collaboration with the schools is critical. Unfortunately, this can be an area that is neglected in juvenile sex offender management, and it can be very challenging.

There are a number of important considerations when working with the schools.

• A policy–driven approach. Some school districts—and state school boards—have developed written policies and procedures that explicate the process by which schools and education staff will be involved in the day–to–day management of juvenile sex offenders. These policies and procedures can be developed with input from supervision agencies, treatment providers, and others who share responsibility for working with the youth, and define how information about these cases will be shared between schools and stakeholders from other disciplines and agencies.
• Specialized training for school personnel. Jurisdictions where schools are involved in and supportive of the management process report that education staff at all levels have received extensive specialized training regarding youthful sex offenders, and promising supervision and treatment strategies. The school personnel who work on a daily basis with juvenile sex offenders usually receive the most intensive training. In some jurisdictions, training for school personnel is provided by a multidisciplinary team of specialized supervision officers, treatment providers, victim advocates, and others.
• Participation as a community support network member. Ideally, supervision officers are able to identify at least one community support network member from the school setting. This person can participate on the multidisciplinary, collaborative case management team that works with the youth, and can be a school counselor, nurse, social worker, psychologist, teacher, or coach.
• Individualized school management plans. As we’ve discussed several times already, some juveniles need more frequent and intensive monitoring than others do. As is the case with the broader community supervision efforts, supervision strategies in the school setting should be based on the risk level and needs of each student, and should prioritize the safety needs of victims and vulnerable individuals. The following are common considerations of school–based management and safety plans for juvenile sex offenders:
  • Class schedules—Students may be required to schedule classes consecutively so that they do not have any unsupervised periods.
• Lunch and breaks between classes—Juveniles might be supervised by school personnel during the lunch hour and breaks between classes.
• Arrival and departure times—These can be established so school staff know when the youth is on school grounds. Official check ins and outs may be required at arrival and departure.
• Mode of travel—Requirements can be imposed regarding the mode of travel the juvenile uses to get to and from school, so as to limit and manage the risky situations to which he is exposed.
• Physical education and extracurricular activities—Participation in these is encouraged, but with a specific plan that is approved by school staff and other members of the case management team that is designed to minimize risk to others and provide sufficient structure.
• Behavior restrictions—Physical contact with other students is often prohibited; limits can placed on the kinds of materials that the juvenile possesses (for example, explicit writings or drawings are not allowed); and sexually acting out (including telling jokes of a sexual nature) is forbidden.

There are a number of jurisdictions across the country that have done very good work with schools and have successfully integrated them into the juvenile sex offender management process; one noteworthy example is the state of Colorado.³⁶