UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — Penn State’s Child Maltreatment Solutions Network Conference on supporting crossover youth involved with child welfare and juvenile court systems was recently held at Penn State’s University Park campus in the Hintz Alumni Family Center.
The day-long conference showcased national experts in the fields of child welfare and juvenile justice, alongside researchers from Penn State and leaders shaping practice and policy within state systems.
The morning session delved into the realm of "crossover youth," with a focus on both national and state-level research findings. The agenda shifted its focus towards ongoing initiatives aimed at enhancing best practices to address the unique needs of young individuals within these systems. The final session broadened the conversation to encompass policy matters, aiming to provide a framework for a more effective response.
Christian Connell, director of the Child Maltreatment Solutions Network and associate professor of human development and family studies, stated the conference “was an opportunity for us to give an overview of the current state of the research field with respect to the needs of the crossover youth, the crossover youth population and their experiences in the child welfare system and juvenile justice system.”
This year’s conference featured research by Joseph Ryan, professor of social work at the University of Michigan and founding director of the child and adolescent data lab and Denise Herz, professor of criminal justice and criminalistics at California State University – Los Angeles.
Ryan spoke about how crossover youth represent a unique population in the juvenile justice systems and the existing gaps in research that still need to be addressed, while Herz discussed the value in understanding the relationship between child maltreatment and delinquent or violent behavior and finding approaches to target the prevention of maltreatment and thus disrupting the cycle leading to juvenile justice involvement.
Macon Stewart, senior deputy director for the center for juvenile justice reform at Georgetown University spoke about the Georgetown crossover youth practice model, designed to address youth are at risk of involvement in both the child welfare and juvenile justice systems.
In addition, Macon presented upon the importance of understanding what each child and family coming into the system needs because this can vary from family to family. “Their needs cannot always easily fit the ‘model’ or restricted process of the system in place,” he said.
Jacki Hoover, former deputy director for Allegheny Country Children, Youth and Families, explained how to build a collaborative multi-system team to support youth and families: “Why should we continue to serve people with a system that was produced by legislation from 50 years ago. We don't live in the same world and why is it that our government systems can't keep up,” Hoover said.
A noteworthy aspect of the conference was the inclusion of a youth panel, featuring young adults who had personal experience with both child welfare and justice systems. These individuals shared their personal stories and voiced concerns that they believed researchers, practitioners, and policymakers should prioritize when addressing the needs of youth involved in these systems.
“There still needs to be more research to develop stronger data systems for youth in child welfare and juvenile justice systems, we’ve only just scratched the surface,” Connell said.
The Child Maltreatment Solutions Network (CMSN), part of the Social Science Research Institute at Penn State, strives to utilize research to improve outcomes for maltreated children by gathering evidence that informs prevention and intervention programs and influences policy reform at the local, state, and federal levels. The CMSN engages with a wide array of agencies and organizations to learn more about local needs and to contribute expertise that will lead to safe and healthy lives for all children.