Costello: Problem-Focused Services

What I most took away from this section of Costello's writing was that there is a huge disservice being implemented on the youth of today.  Youth who are involved with child welfare services are already at huge disadvantages in terms of not growing up in stable, loving environments. These youth are put through multiple difficult transitions.

Many youth who are put through such trying ordeals tend to act out in reaction to these circumstances. As a result of this behavior, these 'at-risk' youth then enter the justice system. The juvenile justice system used to be geared towards helping youth by rehabilitating them. However, more recently the juvenile justice system has moved away from positive youth development and now focuses more on punishment instead. 

I think that it is important to have justice in our society. But I also think that is equally important to support our youth, the future of our communities. It is an incredible disservice to these youth who have already been put through so many trials and tribulations to harshly punish them for not coping in an appropriate way. Instead I think that we as a society should be helping and supporting our youth by intervening in the first place so that they don't have to put through this turmoil if it is avoidable. In situations where it is not avoidable we should be teaching these youth how to cope in a healthy and effective way in the hopes that they do not get themselves into trouble. Preventative measures are usually more effective them reactive measures. Then in the cases in which 'at-risk' youth have not been prevented we should offer them ways to correct their wrong-doing and rehabilitate themselves to become successful members of our society instead of writing them off and dooming them to fail. In doing this we in turn are failing them.