CPS Sucks, but… I’m better off in the System: On Overlooked Systems of State Control

• In Event: Trauma: Its Role in Juvenile Delinquency, Treatment, and the Juvenile Court

Abstract

For two decades, criminologists have examined the consequences of incarceration and other forms of state control for individuals, families, and communities. Recent research highlights a more nuanced view of these consequences, demonstrating how parental incarceration can improve the lives of some youth. Using this research as a starting point, we examine how at-risk adolescents involved in state foster care understand their pasts, contextualize their involvement with child protective services, and consider their futures when they leave the system. We explore these topics using semi-structured interviews with 38 adolescents in the foster care system in the American southwest. The use of trauma-informed research methods and participant observation with this understudied population has important implications for future research at the intersection of criminology and social work. Our broader goal is to elaborate on the nuances and consequences of state control.

Authors

• Richard K. Moule, Jr., University of South Florida

• Gabriel T. Cesar, Arizona State University