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ATTENTION DEFICIT HYPERACTIVITY DISORDER AND THE FAMILY COURT
Author(s) -
Eme Robert
Publication year - 2009
Publication title -
family court review
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.171
H-Index - 4
eISSN - 1744-1617
pISSN - 1531-2445
DOI - 10.1111/j.1744-1617.2009.01279.x
Subject(s) - attention deficit hyperactivity disorder , family court , psychology , psychiatry , mental health , criminal behavior , criminology , clinical psychology , political science , law
A major focus of the Youth at Risk Initiative is the provision of appropriate community based mental health services to help prevent unnecessary residential placement of troubled youth and thereby reduce the risk of troubled youth becoming criminal offenders. Yet, inexplicably, one of the major factors contributing to the risk of criminal offending has received scant attention. That factor is Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). This article established the widespread prevalence of ADHD among troubled youth and hence, the critical importance of identifying and treating ADHD as an essential component for any best practices model for the Family Court. It also examined the major mechanisms whereby ADHD increases the risk for criminal offending.