Youth & amp; Consequences: a time to learn
The goal is to prevent juveniles from getting into trouble with the law.
By SEAN BARRON
VINDICATOR CORRESPONDENT
YOUNGSTOWN -- Freeman Davis says he's learned several conflict-resolution skills and none include fighting or retribution.
"This has been a good experience to see what other kids go through," the 14-year-old Hayes Middle School pupil said, referring to his participation in Saturday's Youth & amp; Consequences workshop.
The seminar at the Martin P. Joyce Juvenile Justice Center on East Scott Street didn't provide Justin Mandanhalle with a lot of new information, but it did reinforce his resolve to never end up in the facility, the 16-year-old student at The Rayen School said.
Justin and Freeman were among dozens of youths and adults who attended the workshop, sponsored by the Youngstown Police Department and the JJC. A main goal of the four-hour program was helping to reduce violent crimes in the city that are committed by youngsters; it was also designed to show young people that there are alternatives to violence and consequences for making poor choices, organizers said.
Detective Sgt. Delphine Baldwin-Casey of the Youngstown Police Department, who also was a moderator, told the audience that assaults are the No. 1 crime young people commit in the city. An assault can include threatening gestures toward another person such as simulating shooting or cutting a throat, and can lead to being arrested, Baldwin-Casey noted.
"Little things [like such gestures] can lead to big things," she warned.
Baldwin-Casey also sought youngsters' responses to a questionnaire, asking, for example, what they would do if informed their best friend brought a gun to school. One girl said she would confront the friend, but many kids would be too afraid to tell someone for fear of being labeled a snitch, the detective pointed out.
Alternatives to lockup
Speaking at the workshop about alternatives to incarceration was Atty. Anthony M. D'Apolito, juvenile court administrator. D'Apolito pointed out that relying too heavily on detention and other forms of punishment for a youngster -- especially early on -- can have unintended effects such as labeling a juvenile as a delinquent. Such a label can cause the juvenile to fulfill the label, he noted.
Trying to address underlying causes for violent and criminal behavior is generally more effective than simply locking up the offender, he continued.
"We try to figure out why they commit the offense, get to the root of it and fix it," D'Apolito added.
D'Apolito said that he often uses mediation as a tool for solving conflict between youngsters. The method allows the parties in a conflict to sit down face to face and talk through the situation; often, both people realize there was little substance to the problem and are able to solve it themselves, he said, adding that the facility also has counseling and family intervention programs as well as those to address bullying.
It's imperative to teach youngsters good anger management skills such as getting it out constructively. In general, counting to 10, taking a walk or participating in a physical activity are effective for defusing charged emotions, D'Apolito noted.
Rollen Smith, JJC's director of programs, conducted a tour in which he explained to the youngsters and adults the process for those who are sentenced, which includes being strip-searched and having to follow strict rules. For example, those in detention have eight minutes to take showers and are not allowed physical contact with visitors, he explained.
Smith also gave a presentation on anger management and mediation.