Assessing Trauma in Kids Just Got A Little Better; News Roundup

Every week Reclaiming Futures rounds up the latest news on juvenile justice reform, adolescent substance abuse treatment, and teen mental health. 

Assessing Trauma in Kids Just Got A Little Better (Psych Central)
A research team at Case Western Reserve University  proposed and tested a new method to assess trauma in youth. It would be especially relevant for assessment within the juvenile justice system.

Juvenile Justice and the War on Teens (Huffington Post)
Chicago reporter Robert Koehler writes that what we refer to as "juvenile justice" is actually "bureaucratic war on young people -- in particular, young people of color." Koehler lists off a number of reasons why putting teens in the penal system is detrimental to the individual as well as the community as a whole, and how an alternative is restorative justice and mentoring programs which give youth the opportunity to express themselves, build peaceful relationships, and strengthen ties with their communities - instead of breaking them.

OP-ED: Trying Youth As Adults Defeats Purpose of Juvenile Justice System (Juvenile Justice Information Exchange)
Lauren Barretto, from Center on Juvenile and Criminal Justice,  explains the difference between the "parens partriae" and "direct file" processes, and the meaning and effects of laws that allow prosecutors to try young teens as adults in a direct file process.

Juvenile justice reforms 'make sense,' N.J. freeholder says (NJ.com)
The Essex County Freeholder Board recently approved a resolution 8-0 that supports S-2003. The bill calls for major reforms to the state's juvenile justice system, and may create procedures that focus more on the rehabilitation of juveniles.

Marijuana Withdrawal Is Real (NIDA For Teens)
NIDA emphasizes that marijuana addiction and withdrawal is, in fact, real - despite widespread misconception. They report that, just like with alcohol and nicotine, marijuana is especially addictive if you begin using it as a teenager.

Alcohol Use Disorder is Widespread, Often Untreated in the United States (The JAMA Network)
On June 3rd, JAMA Psychiatry released this new report on alcohol use disorders.

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