Poster #28 - Bridging the Gaps: Perceptions of Professionals on Legislative Gaps in Supporting Youth and Families

• In Event: ASC Poster Session I

Abstract

Agaskar (2020) identified several areas where youth and their parents/guardians wished there were better and more accessible services. Such services included behavioral health and social services, high quality after-school programs, sex education in schools, safety and violence interventions, and educational and career readiness programs. Griffiths (2020) found that in England and Wales, the reduction in crime rates can largely be credited to lower rates of juvenile delinquency, which can be attributed to policy changes and intervention programs. By surveying individuals and organizations who work or volunteer with youth in some capacity, this research examines if similar challenges and proposed solutions might also work in the United States. Findings suggest that those who work with youth believe improved access to youth services, supported by state legislation, would positively impact outcomes for adolescents and could lower rates of delinquency.

Author

• Shyanna Dawn Fuller, Southern New Hampshire University