Unrecognized Posttraumatic Stress Disorder as a Treatment Barrier for a Gang-Involved Juvenile Offender |
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| Authors: | Caroline E. Bailey Caitlin Smith Stanley J. Huey JR. Dawn D. McDaniel Kalina Babeva |
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| Affiliation: | 1. Department of Social Work , California State University, Fullerton , Fullerton , California , USA cbailey@exchange.fullerton.edu;3. Department of Psychology , University of Southern California , Los Angeles , California , USA;4. Department of Psychology and Department of American Studies &5. Ethnicity , University of Southern California , Los Angeles , California , USA |
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| Abstract: | This study examines the case of GH, an 18-year-old Latino male participating in an employment-based delinquency intervention for gang-affiliated youth. Although postintervention measures revealed that GH showed gains on key outcomes (i.e., delinquency, employment), he experienced sporadic treatment setbacks (e.g., work absenteeism, fighting) that disrupted his progress. A comprehensive psychological assessment suggested that his aggressive, illegal behavior and difficulty maintaining employment could have been influenced by previously undiagnosed posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Excerpts from counseling sessions illustrated how reactive aggression, hypervigilance, sleep disruptions, and emotional numbing could have interfered with treatment gains and ultimately contributed to GH's re-arrest. Implications for early, accurate identification of PTSD in delinquency interventions for gang youth are discussed. |
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| Keywords: | abuse assessment delinquency PTSD violence exposure |
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