BREAKING THE CYCLE: EXPLORING THE INTERSECTIONS OF MENTAL HEALTH, JUVENILE DELINQUENCY, AND RECIDIVISM

ABSTRACT

The relationship between mental health and delinquency has recently become a major focus in juvenile justice jurisprudence. Juvenile delinquents have far higher rates of mental illness than the overall population, so it is especially vital to pay attention to their mental health. In addition to legal sanctions, mental health evaluation and interventions will help to improve the psychosocial well-being of delinquent juveniles and serve as recidivism prevention measure. Our ability to provide vital support for juveniles is severely limited by the absence of research about the nature of mental health issues among juveniles in the juvenile justice system and the types of successful interventions in such settings. The mental health problems of attention deficit hyperactivity, substance abuse disorders, mental retardation, learning disability or emotional/behavioral disorder are predictive of delinquent outcomes. To prevent juvenile delinquency and recidivism, the motives and psychological characteristics of juvenile delinquents must be understood. This article reports the prevalence and characteristics of common mental health disorders in this population and describes the most promising mental health treatment options for juvenile delinquents. Further, risk factors that predispose juveniles to delinquent behavior and mental health problems are reviewed. Here we also address the critical issue of meeting the mental health needs of juvenile delinquents within the conflict-affected region of Kashmir. Improved mental health will increase the well-being of individuals and their likelihood of future social integration, hence a set of recommendations for the justice system and community policies are offered in this article.

Keywords- Mental Health, Recidivism, Juvenile Justice, Delinquency etc.