Daryl Fox: Good afternoon, everyone, and welcome to the April 29, 2024, installment of “Today in Juvenile Justice: Administrator Update.” We’re glad you’re able to join us today. All audio lines are muted, as this is a listen-only briefing. For reference, this recording will be posted tomorrow to the OJJDP website. At this time, it’s my pleasure to introduce Liz Ryan, OJJDP Administrator, for today’s update.
Liz Ryan: Hello, welcome to “Today in Juvenile Justice.” I’m Liz Ryan, Administrator of the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention, or OJJDP.
As National Child Abuse Prevention Month comes to an end, I’d like to talk about OJJDP’s priority of treating children as children, helping them mature into productive and healthy adults, particularly those kids with histories of trauma and child abuse.
OJJDP’s vision statement describes our commitment to building a nation where all children are free from crime and violence and where youth contact with the justice system is rare, fair, and beneficial.
We take this commitment very seriously. Youth contact with the juvenile justice system is neither fair or beneficial if the system fails to provide children with safe places and age-appropriate services at home, in school, and in their communities. These environments are fundamental to a child’s well-being and should be a safe haven for all young people—but especially for children who have faced maltreatment. Intervening early to provide them with a sense of safety and belonging is crucial—BEFORE they become involved in the juvenile justice system.
Children who are abused, neglected, or exposed to violence are more likely to have difficulty in school, misuse drugs or alcohol, experience depression or other mental health issues, and engage in delinquent behavior.
Dual system youth—youth involved in the child welfare and juvenile justice systems—are particularly vulnerable to psychological, physical, and developmental harm. Confinement can further exacerbate the trauma many of these kids have experienced.
And, as we all know, community violence can exact an even greater toll on our kids. According to a recent Bureau of Justice Statistics report, homicide victimization rates among youth ages 12 to 17 increased between 2021 and 2022.
At the same time, the rate of “nonfatal” violent victimization for youth in that age group also increased.
We, at OJJDP, are very concerned about this data and it underscores the need to invest in these types of programs.
Through OJJDP’s Victims of Child Abuse Act, or VOCAA, Program, we awarded more than $39 million dollars in fiscal year 2023 for projects and training aimed at improving the lives of abused children.
OJJDP’s support is centered on a multidisciplinary approach that includes trauma-informed teams of professionals from child protective and victim advocacy services, law enforcement and prosecution, and the medical and mental health fields. This multidisciplinary approach is the core work of children’s advocacy centers, which we support through the Children’s Advocacy Centers National Subgrants Program.
For the past year, VOCAA partners and OJJDP have collaborated to create a National Strategic Plan to enhance the multidisciplinary response to child abuse in America and clearly define the priorities of the VOCAA partner agencies that we fund to provide training and technical assistance to the field.
A synopsis of the full plan will be released shortly, but I’ll mention a few highlights today.
First, the plan will address gaps and services available to children throughout the country, while also addressing disparities among young people of color.
The plan acknowledges the need for continuous growth and improvement of children’s advocacy center services across the country, including the knowledge and professional skills of its multidisciplinary team.
OJJDP applauds the VOCAA partners’ work in producing this comprehensive strategic plan. We enthusiastically endorse their commitment to strong collaboration among VOCAA partners across the country.
Every child deserves access to an effective multidisciplinary response. My hope is that this strategic plan will also serve as a model for other OJJDP-funded programs with multiple training and technical assistance providers.
You can find the strategic plan synopsis, as well as additional information and resources on our website at OJJDP.OJP.GOV.
I would be remiss if I didn’t acknowledge the child advocacy center’s front-line workers who directly support our children. They play a crucial role in supporting children affected by abuse and neglect. However, they often do this with limited resources and staff shortages.
We are working to change this by supporting workforce recruitment and providing training and technical assistance.
Thank you all for what you do to keep our children safe.
Now, it’s time for “Ask the Administrator.”
Typically, I would respond to questions about OJJDP funding, programs, and activities. Today, I’d like to discuss submissions of a more serious nature—reports of child abuse and neglect.
OJJDP takes these reports very seriously and we are required to report these cases to the appropriate authorities. However, for immediate assistance, I encourage you to call 911 or contact your local law enforcement agency.
I hope you find this information helpful.
Thank you for joining me to hear about OJJDP’s work to protect children and address child abuse and neglect.
Stay tuned for dates for our call in May. Thank you.
