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The Plight of Latino Youth in the Juvenile Justice System: Considerations for Mental Health Treatment

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Creating Infrastructures for Latino Mental Health

Abstract

Latino youth are disproportionately represented at each point in the juvenile justice system, and receive harsher treatment than non-Latino White youth, even when charged with the same offenses. This chapter explores how mental health and trauma contribute to the overrepresentation of Latino youth in the juvenile justice system, and analyzes the infrastructure in which mental health services are delivered to this population. Recommended solutions point to the need for courts, facilities, and service providers to use culturally and linguistically competent approaches when serving Latino youth and their families.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Michigan Council on Crime and Delinquency, Lansing MI, USA

    Michelle M. Weemhoff

  2. Michigan State University, M, USA

    Francisco A. Villarruel

Authors
  1. Michelle M. Weemhoff
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  2. Francisco A. Villarruel
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Correspondence to Michelle M. Weemhoff .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Dept. Kinesiology & Community Health, University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign, S. Fourth St. 1206, Champaign, 61820, Illinois, USA

    Lydia P. Buki

  2. School of Social Work, University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign, W. Nevada St. 1010, Urbana, 61801, Illinois, USA

    Lissette M. Piedra

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Weemhoff, M.M., Villarruel, F.A. (2011). The Plight of Latino Youth in the Juvenile Justice System: Considerations for Mental Health Treatment. In: Buki, L., Piedra, L. (eds) Creating Infrastructures for Latino Mental Health. Springer, New York, NY. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4419-9452-3_9

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4419-9452-3_9

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