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August 2003

UNF research may help at-risk youths

By AMY PARMELEE
Staff Writer

Michael Hallett

Criminal justice professor Michael Hallett didn't find anything surprising in his analysis of more than 10,000 Jacksonville cases in which juveniles were witnesses to violence, but his work could be instrumental in bringing in needed dollars to help these at-risk youths.

Hallett's study proved what many already knew, but it provided hard data that community service groups can take to Tallahassee and Washington in an effort to gain funding for programs.

"(The study) unequivocally documents the problem and unequivocally documents where the problem is," Hallett said.

Children who are witnesses to violence can be affected as much as children who are physically affected by violence. The average age of child witnesses in the study was about 10.

One of the most important findings of the study, Hallett said, is that youths who witnessed three or more incidences of violence were more likely to be arrested later. Of the juvenile witnesses in the study, 43 percent were later arrested.

More than 10,000 juveniles witnessed acts of violence in the studied cases reported between 1995 and 2003. The true number of affected juveniles in Jacksonville, however, is likely much higher.

"Measuring violence in the lives of children is hard to do," Hallett said in a presentation to about 40 people at City Hall in June. About half of those attending were Hallett's students, who had a first-row seat during their Summer A class.

Juvenile records also are sealed, which adds to the difficulty in addressing the issue. Hallett, however, has formed working relationships with government officials and worked with the State Attorney's Office to gain access to the needed cases.

With funding for prevention programs becoming scarce, governmental and nonprofit community service groups have joined to maximize the money they can get. Hallett's study goes one step further by identifying those at risk to allow these organizations to direct funding to where it can do the most good.

In Jacksonville, juveniles who witness violence are concentrated in five of the 30 ZIP codes studied.

"That's actually good news," Hallett said, because it allows agencies to better focus their efforts.

While the juvenile witnesses are predominately black, Hallett emphasized that it is not a matter of white vs. black as it is one of have vs. have-not. The problem areas, he said, are socially disorganized and have a majority of residents trapped in a cycle of poverty.

The study showed that incidences of juvenile witnesses declined as income increased and as education levels increased.

While it is too early to tell how successful the study will be in bringing in dollars, the study has been successful in showing Hallett's American Justice System students another side of criminal justice. The Summer A students went from an introduction to criminal justice to seeing how criminal justice can be applied through policy to help people in a short time frame.

The ultimate goal of the study is to prevent these child witnesses from entering the legal system. Hallett noted that the juveniles in the study are the ones the students will be dealing with later.

"This showed how knowledge is being applied to make things better," one student said.

Another told how she is sharing the project's results with others and has been swayed to consider graduate school.

The students in the class agreed that the legal system needs help. They also saw how Hallett and local agencies are trying to make a difference in the community by addressing issues that may keep at-risk youths out of the legal system.

Hallett's report made two recommendations. The first was to focus early intervention resources on youths affected by multiple incidences of violence. He encouraged interviews with community leaders and residents from the most affected areas to be a part of the effort.

The report also urged that resources go toward the ZIP codes most affected.

"... it is probable that a relatively modest investment targeted at these five areas would disproportionately lower the rate at which juveniles witness violence in Jacksonville - and also the rate at which these children are subsequently arrested," the report said.