Trauma-informed juvenile justice systems
Trauma-informed juvenile justice systems adopt a trauma-informed approach to recognize and respond to trauma-related symptoms among youth in the juvenile justice system, such as limited ability to self-regulate behavioral and emotional reactions1, 2. Overall, youth in the juvenile justice system are more likely to have been exposed to traumatic events including childhood adversity than other youth2, 3, 4, and have ongoing exposure to violence in correctional and residential facilities4. Full system adoption requires a paradigm shift across juvenile justice processes and settings5. Core elements of full system adoption include trauma screening and assessment, trauma-focused interventions, workforce education and training regarding childhood traumatic stress, and cross-system collaboration and support for strength-based relationships, family engagement, and environmental safety efforts6. Trauma-informed efforts vary by the specific model or intervention selected, and the extent to which core elements of full system adoption are implemented.
What could this strategy improve?
Expected Benefits
Our evidence rating is based on the likelihood of achieving these outcomes:
Reduced post-traumatic stress
Improved well-being
Reduced recidivism
Potential Benefits
Our evidence rating is not based on these outcomes, but these benefits may also be possible:
Increased staff capacity
Improved family functioning
Increased social service efficiency
Reduced delinquent behavior
Improved mental health
What does the research say about effectiveness?
Full system adoption of trauma-informed juvenile justice policies and practices is a suggested strategy to decrease traumatic stress, risk factors for recidivism, safety concerns, and increase well-being for youth involved in the juvenile justice system2, 7, 8. Available evidence suggests that such an approach increases staff capacity in juvenile residential facilities, increases family and community engagement in youth support, and is more likely to provide individualized services to youth in the juvenile justice system than the traditional justice approach9, 10. Additional evidence is needed to confirm the effects of full system adoption of trauma-informed juvenile justice policies and practices.
Organizational trauma-informed practices in the juvenile residential facilities, including trauma-informed supervision and training for staff, appear to decrease staff stress and burnout and increase staff safety and job commitment11, 12. A Pennsylvania-based evaluation of the Sanctuary model, one model that supports trauma-informed organizational culture change, suggests such a model may also reduce problem behaviors and improve feelings of safety among adolescents in a girl’s juvenile justice residential facility13. An evaluation of a gender-specific, trauma-focused, strengths-based system change in a girls’ detention center found that engaging residential youth to provide confidential feedback on their treatment appears to improve treatment and better meet their needs14. When taking a holistic, system-wide approach, skills-based trauma-informed interventions, such as Trauma Affect Regulation: Guide for Education and Therapy (TARGET), Think Trauma, and the Sanctuary model can decrease trauma symptoms, behavioral misconduct, and violence among youth in juvenile residential facilities15, 16.
Specific trauma-focused psychosocial and cognitive behavioral treatment programs for youth such as Trauma and Grief Components Therapy for Adolescents (TGCTA), Cognitive Processing Therapy (CPT), Trauma-Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (T-F CBT), and Trauma-Adapted Multidimensional Treatment Foster Care (TA-MTFC) have been shown to decrease post-traumatic stress and related symptoms, depression, substance use, and delinquent behaviors in youth involved in the juvenile justice system17, 18, 19, 20.
Barriers to implementing trauma-informed practices in the juvenile justice system include limited access to local mental health resources, lack of intellectual and practical support from state and local government, concerns over competency of court personnel, inconsistent and insufficient level of staff training, a lack of shared understanding of trauma between staff, and inconsistent application of policies21, 22, 23. Experts recommend that staff training should aim to create less traumatic, safer correctional environments that minimize stressors, understand the impact of trauma on the youth, and support staff in understanding their own actions within a trauma-informed care framework2, 24. Researchers also stress the importance of regular monitoring of rehabilitative services and treatment progress for youth, comprehensive trauma assessments for accurate historical information of youth, use of validated instruments that measure trauma-informed practices at the organizational level, and organizational efforts that engage more voices in decision making and avoid biases at a system level25, 26, 27, 28, 29.
How could this strategy advance health equity? This strategy is rated potential to decrease disparities: suggested by expert opinion.
Trauma-informed juvenile justice systems have the potential to decrease disparities among youth in the juvenile justice system by ensuring practices and policies do not create disparities among youth regarding race, ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, intellectual level, age, and socioeconomic status6. Experts recommend using a gendered and intersectional lens to understand trauma of female youth in the juvenile justice system38. Adopting a trauma-informed juvenile justice system also requires all organizations and systems involved to take an anti-racist stance, which requires an understanding of structural racism39. Such approaches help improve future outcomes of youth in the juvenile justice system40.
Research shows that more than two-thirds of youth in the juvenile justice system were exposed to multiple traumatic events, such as abuse and neglect, family and community violence, discrimination, and traumatic losses41. Many youth in the juvenile justice system are also from families coping with adversities, including mental health issues, substance abuse, unemployment, and discrimination41. Youth of color and youth from families with low incomes are more likely to be exposed to complex histories of trauma41 and are disproportionally arrested and involved in the juvenile justice system. For example, Black youth are most represented in all stages of the juvenile justice system (i.e., arrests, referrals to court, detention, residential placement, admission to adult prison) and make up 41 percent of the juvenile population in residential placement, even though they make up less than 20 percent of the total youth population42. Judges and juvenile justice program administrators in the trauma-informed juvenile justice system should recognize the impact of trauma on youth and protect youth from re-traumatization throughout all screening, judicial, and treatment processes41.
What is the relevant historical background?
The nation’s first juvenile court was established in Chicago in 1899 and nearly every state established juvenile courts by 1925. The early years of juvenile courts focused on rehabilitation and treatment for youth, not punishment43. However, the physical conditions and treatment in juvenile court facilities were unequal for white youth and youth of color. Large facilities designated for Black youth were not maintained, inappropriately equipped, and provided poor services compared to facilities for white youth44. Starting in the 1960s the number of youth involved in the juvenile justice system grew and juvenile courts changed their procedures to be more like adult criminal courts. States passed stricter laws through the 1990s that focused on punishment and made it easier to move youth younger than 18 into the adult criminal justice system. In the 2000s, state juvenile justice reforms focused on adolescent development and emphasized community-based programs to keep youth out of the adult criminal justice system43.
Throughout the history of the juvenile justice system in the U.S., youth of color have been overrepresented and racially disparate practices and treatment for youth in the system have persisted. This can be attributed to the history of racial segregation and discrimination in the U.S., the false belief that youth of color are culturally inclined to delinquency, and systemic and racial policies and practices in the juvenile justice system. Examples of systemic and racial policies and practices include discriminatory policing in communities of color and differential treatment of youth of color at various decision points in the juvenile court processes, which lack appropriate assessment tools and cultural competence44. Black, Native, and Hispanic youth have been arrested and involved in the juvenile justice system at disproportionate rates compared to white youth42. The Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention Act (JJDPA), which was reauthorized in 2018, provides federal standards for care and custody for youth and families involved in the juvenile justice system. One of its four requirements helps states assess and eliminate racial and ethnic disparities in the juvenile justice system45. Trauma-informed policy and practice approaches have become a focus in the juvenile justice system as understanding of youth experiencing traumatic stress in the system has grown1. Bills introduced in U.S. Congress that were related to trauma-informed approaches increased from zero in 2010 to 28 in 201546. Research shows that some people have higher rates of adverse childhood experience and are more likely to experience collective and historical trauma than others due to their demographics and social determinants of health47, 48.
Equity Considerations
- What resources and partnerships are needed to make a trauma-informed system-level change for youth involved in the juvenile justice system? Are there opportunities for community members to support change through civic participation, volunteering, or more?
- What traumatic events have youth in the juvenile justice system experienced? Who is more at risk of exposure to collective trauma in your community among youth with different race, gender, socioeconomic status, and/or sexual orientation?
- Is there trauma-informed training available for staff in juvenile courts and facilities in your community? Does the training help recognize stereotypes and biases in addition to teaching trauma’s impact on youth and their families?
- Is the treatment and monitoring available for the youth in the juvenile justice system adequate for their needs and equally distributed?
Implementation Examples
In 2015, the National Council of Juvenile and Family Court Judges (NCJFCJ) developed a court trauma consultation protocol for juvenile and family courts and allied systems8. In 2025, NCJFCJ and the Council of State Governments (CSG) Justice Center offer a first-time judicial training institute for juvenile court judges, magistrates, referees, and hearing officers: topics covered in the training include screening and assessment, trauma-informed decision making, mental illnesses and substance use disorder, and the role of the judiciary in system reform30. The National Child Traumatic Stress Network provides trauma-informed resources and guides for individuals working in the juvenile justice system, for example, a trauma-informed juvenile court self-assessment framework31 and resource for prosecution attorneys32.
Examples of trauma-informed juvenile justice systems initiatives include the Texas Model and STEP UP Texas in Texas33, 34, the Juvenile Justice Trauma Informed Systems Project (Project JUSTIS) in Colorado35, and the Trauma-informed Communities (TIC) Project in North Carolina36. The Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention funds states and counties’ initiatives for juvenile justice systems reform and reinvestment to ensure the systems are aligned with trauma-informed practices37.
Implementation Resources
‡ Resources with a focus on equity.
NCJFCJ-Stoffel 2019 - Stoffel E, Korthase A, Gueller M. Assessing trauma for juvenile and family court judges: From development to implementation, 2013-2017. Reno, NV: National Council of Juvenile and Family Court Judges (NCJFCJ); 2019.
NCTSN-TI elements - National Center for Child Traumatic Stress (NCTSN). Essential elements of a trauma-informed juvenile justice system. Los Angeles, CA & Durham, NC: National Center for Child Traumatic Stress; 2016.
Brennen 2019 - Brennen J, Guarino K, Axelrod J, Gonsoulin S. Building a multi-system trauma-informed collaborative: A guide for adopting a cross-system, trauma-informed approach among child-serving agencies and their partners. Chapin Hall at the University of Chicago; American Institutes for Research; 2019.
SAMHSA-Practical guide 2023‡ - Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA). Practical guide for implementing a trauma-informed approach. SAMHSA Publication No. PEP23-06-05-005. Rockville, MD: National Mental Health and Substance Use Policy Laboratory, Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration; 2023.
NCTSN-Baetz 2021‡ - Baetz C, Glennon MV, Jones LF, et al. Trauma-informed resource for prosecution involving juveniles. Los Angeles, CA: National Center for Child Traumatic Stress (NCTSN); 2021.
Juvenile Justice GPS‡ - Juvenile Justice Geography, Policy Practice & Statistics (GPS). The Juvenile Justice GPS tracks reform.
OJJDP-Pilnik 2012 - Pilnik L, Kendall JR. Identifying polyvictimization and trauma among court involved children and youth: A checklist and resource guide for attorneys and other court-appointed advocates. North Bethesda, MD: Safe Start Center, Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention (OJJDP), Office of Justice Programs, U.S. Department of Justice; 2012.
TARGET - University of Connecticut Health Center. TARGET - Trauma affected regulation: Guide for education and therapy.
Footnotes
* Journal subscription may be required for access.
1 NCTSN-Dierkhising 2013 - Dierkhising CB, Ko S, Goldman JH. Trauma-informed juvenile justice roundtable: Current issues and new directions in creating trauma-informed juvenile justice systems. Los Angeles, CA & Durham, NC: National Center for Child Traumatic Stress (NCTSN); 2013.
2 Skinner-Osei 2019 - Skinner-Osei P, Mangan L, Liggett M, Levenson JS. Justice-involved youth and interventions. Justice Policy Journal. 2019;16(2):1-25.
3 Newman 2018 - Newman JLE, Falligant JM, Thompson KR, Gomez MD, Burkhart BR. Trauma-focused cognitive behavioral therapy with adolescents with illegal sexual behavior in a secure residential treatment facility. Children and Youth Services Review. 2018;91:431-438.
4 Wyrick 2021 - Wyrick P, Atkinson K. Examining the relationship between childhood trauma and involvement in the justice system. NIJ Journal. 2021;283:1-9.
5 Dierkhising 2016 - Dierkhising CB, Branson CE. Looking forward: A research and policy agenda for creating trauma-informed juvenile justice systems. Journal of Juvenile Justice. 2016;5(1):14–30.
6 NCTSN-TI elements - National Center for Child Traumatic Stress (NCTSN). Essential elements of a trauma-informed juvenile justice system. Los Angeles, CA & Durham, NC: National Center for Child Traumatic Stress; 2016.
7 NCJFCJ-Trauma - National Council of Juvenile and Family Court Judges (NCJFCJ). Trauma-informed courts.
8 NCJFCJ-Marsh 2015 - Marsh SC, Dierkhising CB, Decker KB, Rosiak J. Preparing for a trauma consultation in your juvenile and family court. Reno, NV: National Council of Juvenile and Family Court Judges (NCJFCJ), Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention (OJJDP); 2015.
9 Ford 2013 - Ford JD, Blaustein ME. Systemic self-regulation: A framework for trauma-informed services in residential juvenile justice programs. Journal of Family Violence. 2013;28(7):665–677.
10 Randall 2013 - Randall M, Haskell L. Trauma-informed approaches to law: Why restorative justice must understand trauma and psychological coping. Dalhousie Law Journal. 2013;36(2):501–533.
11 Hashweh 2023 - Hashweh N, Johnson F, Chrusciel T, Barnes A. Effect of trauma-informed supervision in youth detention center: A retrospective study. Journal of Family Trauma, Child Custody and Child Development. 2023.
12 Sheppard 2022a - Sheppard KG, Wilson MM, Reddick LH, Tucker GO, Schwab AH. Reducing staff burnout and turnover intentions in juvenile justice residential commitment programs: The promise of trauma-informed care. Journal of Criminal Justice. 2022;82:101979.
13 Elwyn 2015 - Elwyn LJ, Esaki N, Smith CA. Safety at a girls' secure juvenile justice facility. Therapeutic Communities: The International Journal of Therapeutic Communities. 2015;36(4):209–218.
14 Reed 2021 - Reed LA, Sharkey JD, Wroblewski A. Elevating the voices of girls in custody for improved treatment and systemic change in the juvenile justice system. American Journal of Community Psychology. 2021;67:50-63.
15 Zettler 2021 - Zettler HR. Much to do about trauma: A systematic review of existing trauma-informed treatments on youth violence and recidivism. Youth Violence and Juvenile Justice. 2021;19(1):113-134.
16 Baetz 2021 - Baetz CL, Surko M, Moaveni M, et al. Impact of a trauma-informed intervention for youth and staff on rates of violence in juvenile detention settings. Journal of Interpersonal Violence. 2021;36(17-18):NP9463-NP9482.
17 Ford 2016 - Ford JD, Kerig PK, Desai N, Feierman J. Psychosocial interventions for traumatized youth in the juvenile justice system: Research, evidence base, and clinical/legal challenges. OJJDP Journal of Juvenile Justice. 2016;5(1):31-49.
18 Rhoden 2019 - Rhoden MA, Macgowan MJ, Huang H. A systematic review of psychological trauma interventions for juvenile offenders. Research on Social Work Practice. 2019;29(8):892-909.
19 Calleja 2020 - Calleja NG. Assessing and treating trauma in detained adolescents: A pre–post within subjects evaluation. Journal of Child and Family Studies. 2020;29:934-941.
20 Dumornay 2022 - Dumornay NM, Finegold KE, Chablani A, et al. Improved emotion regulation following a trauma-informed CBT-based intervention associates with reduced risk for recidivism in justice-involved emerging adults. Frontiers in Psychiatry. 2022;13:951429.
21 Ezell 2018 - Ezell JM, Richardson M, Salari S, Henry JA. Implementing trauma-informed practice in juvenile justice systems: What can courts learn from child welfare interventions? Journal of Child and Adolescent Trauma. 2018;11:507-519.
22 RAND-Holiday 2020 - Holiday SB, Taylor J, Hunt J, Edochie I, Hunter SB. Evaluation of a trauma-informed program for juvenile justice-involved youth: The pilot program at Lookout Mountain Youth Services Center. Santa Monica: RAND Corporation; 2020.
23 Moreland 2021 - Moreland A, Ressler KJ. A perspective for understanding trauma and the criminal juvenile justice system: Using a trauma-informed lens for meaningful and sustained change. Harvard Review of Psychiatry. 2021;29(3):216-224.
24 DeVault 2018 - DeVault A, Helfrick VA, Marsh SC, Snider KM. Environmental considerations for trauma-responsive juvenile and family courts: A review of the literature with recommendations for practice. Juvenile & Family Court. 2018;69(2):5-20.
25 Hill 2023 - Hill L, Barnett JE, Ward J, Morton A, Schmidt AT. Trauma-informed care for justice-involved youth: A narrative review and synthesis. Juvenile & Family Court. 2023;74(2):21-33.
26 Jackson 2023 - Jackson RD, Kethineni S, Cao Y. Hopes for healing: An exploratory study of trauma-informed care training and the juvenile justice system. Children and Youth Services Review. 2023;148:106877.
27 Zelechoski 2021 - Zelechoski AD, Cross HL, Luehrs R, et al. Trauma assessment in juvenile justice: Are we asking the right questions in the right ways? Journal of Aggression, Maltreatment and Trauma. 2021;30(3):324-346.
28 Sheppard 2023 - Sheppard KG. Florida trauma responsive and caring environment: Exploratory factor analysis of a staff and youth trauma-informed self-assessment tools in juvenile residential programs. Youth Violence and Juvenile Justice. 2023;21(1):44-71.
29 Rapp 2016 - Rapp L. Delinquent-victim youth—Adapting a trauma-informed approach for the juvenile justice system. Journal of Evidence-Informed Social Work. 2016;13(5):492-497.
30 NCJFCJ-Training - The National Council of Juvenile and Family Court Judges (NCJFCJ). Courting judicial excellence: A juvenile justice judicial training institute.
31 NCTSN-Cruise 2019 - Cruise KR, Howard ML, Pickens IB, Halladay-Goldman J. Trauma-informed juvenile court self-assessment. Los Angeles, CA: National Center for Child Traumatic Stress (NCTSN); 2019.
32 NCTSN-Baetz 2021 - Baetz C, Glennon MV, Jones LF, et al. Trauma-informed resource for prosecution involving juveniles. Los Angeles, CA: National Center for Child Traumatic Stress (NCTSN); 2021.
33 Texas Model - Texas Juvenile Justice Department. What is the Texas Model?
34 STEP UP Texas - STARRY. STEP UP Texas.
35 Project JUSTIS - Colorado State University Trauma and Resilience Assessment Center. Project JUSTIS: The juvenile justice trauma informed systems program.
36 CCFH-TIC - Center for Child & Family Health (CCFH). Trauma-informed communities (TIC) project.
37 OJJDP-2023 Report - Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention (OJJDP). (2024). 2023 Annual Report (NCJ no.309075).
38 Epstein 2017 - Epstein R, González T. Gender & trauma - Somatic interventions for girls in juvenile justice: Implications for policy and practice. The Center on Poverty and Inequality, The Art of Yoga Project. 2017.
39 NCTSN-Powell 2022 - Powell W, Agosti J, Bethel TH, et al. Being anti-racist is central to trauma-informed care: Principles of an anti-racist, trauma-informed organization. Los Angeles, CA & Durham, NC: National Center for Child Traumatic Stress (NCTSN); 2022.
40 Crosby 2016 - Crosby SD. Trauma-informed approaches to juvenile justice: A critical race perspective. Juvenile & Family Court Journal. 2016;67(1):5-18.
41 NCTSN-Complex trauma 2017 - Complex Trauma Treatment Network of the National Child Traumatic Stress Network. Complex trauma: In juvenile justice-system involved youth. Los Angeles, CA & Durham, NC: National Center for Child Traumatic Stress (NCTSN); 2017.
42 OJJDP-R/ED 2022 - Development Services Group, Inc. (2022). Racial and ethnic disparity (R/ED) in juvenile justice processing. Washington, D.C.: Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention (OJJDP).
43 NCJJ-Puzzanchera 2022 - Puzzanchera C, Hockenberry S, Sickmund M. Youth and the juvenile justice system: 2022 National report. Pittsburgh, PA: National Center for Juvenile Justice (NCJJ); 2022.
44 NCTSN-Lacey 2013 - Lacey C. Racial disparities and the juvenile justice system: A legacy of trauma. Los Angeles, CA & Durham, NC: National Center for Child Traumatic Stress (NCTSN); 2013.
45 CJJ-JJDPA - Coalition for Juvenile Justice (CJJ). Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention Act (JJDPA).
46 Purtle 2017 - Purtle J, Lewis M. Mapping “trauma-informed” legislative proposals in U.S. Congress. Administration and Policy in Mental Health and Mental Health Services Research. 2017;44:867-876.
47 CDC-ACE Fast facts - Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). About Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs).
48 WI DHS-ACE - Wisconsin Department of Health Services (WI DHS). Childhood experiences and health.
Related What Works for Health Strategies
To see all strategies:
countyhealthrankings.org/whatworks