Practice Goals
Juvenile antisocial behavior, such as externalizing behaviors, criminal activity, and delinquency, is one of the most common adolescent mental health problems. Youth who exhibit antisocial behavior can experience a variety of future psychosocial problems (e.g., depression, family problems, violence, and substance abuse) and reduced educational and occupational opportunities (Odgers et al. 2008; Welsh et al. 2008). Additionally, antisocial behavior has a detrimental emotional and economic effect on youths’ families, victims, and communities.
Psychosocial interventions are programs designed to target and reduce juvenile antisocial behaviors through therapy or treatment, as opposed to psychotropic means of intervention (Sawyer, Borduin and Dopp 2015). Though the type and delivery can vary widely across interventions, the overall goal is to reduce antisocial behavior of juveniles.
Practice Components
There are two primary categories of psychosocial interventions: preventive and therapeutic. Preventive and therapeutic interventions have somewhat different backgrounds and occupy different places in the youth services continuum, but they share the common goal of improving psychosocial functioning. Further these interventions include a broad array of approaches ranging from those in which the participants interact directly with intervention providers (e.g., individual therapy) to interpersonal interactions that are structured by intervention providers (e.g., group or family therapy). Preventive interventions for juvenile antisocial behavior are usually broad efforts to address large groups (such as schools or neighborhoods) and generally target specific, high-risk groups (such as children exposed to violence). Preventive interventions typically aim to reduce risk of antisocial behavior in the future and manage subclinical symptoms (Sawyer, Borduin, and Dopp 2015). One example of a prevention intervention is the Early Risers “Skills for Success” program. Early Risers is a 6-week summer camp program for kindergarten-age children who are considered at high risk for development of conduct problems. The program uses peer support and community-building activities, social skills training, strategic peer involvement, and parental education to reduce disruptive behavior and encourage positive development (August et al. 2002; Bernat et al. 2007).
In contrast, therapeutic interventions typically target individuals or smaller social systems (such as families and peers) and are based in clinic-based approaches. These interventions generally target diagnosable mental health problems. One example of a therapeutic intervention for juvenile antisocial behavior is multisystemic therapy (MST), which is an intensive family- and home-based treatment to address multiple facets of antisocial behavior in juveniles. Therapists and facilitators work with the youth and their family on a large scale to address factors that drive the youth to exhibit antisocial behaviors, and work to address them. MST relies on conjoint work with family members, peers, and other members of the youth’s immediate circle to develop an individualized plan for risk reduction (Borduin, Schaeffer, and Heiblum, 2009).
