Risk and Resiliency Factors
Although the rates of juvenile crime declined from 1993 through 1997, there is still a significant problem with juvenile violence and sex offending (Snyder & Sickmund, 1999). Research in this area has identified five broad categories of risk and protective factors (Howell, 1995; Browning et al., 1999). These broad categories are labeled differently by various researchers. For our purpose of creating CARE-2, items are divided into historical items (happened any time in the youth’s lifetime) and recent descriptors (occurred in the last 6 months). Additionally, there are static (items that are historical and cannot change) and dynamic factors (items, such as skill proficiency and resiliency factors that can change over time). Categorically, there are items related to (1) behavior, such as aggression (2) family characteristics, such as domestic violence (3) neurological and substance abuse items (4) Mental Health, skill and educational factors, such s school failure and (6) resiliency factors, such as a positive, prosocial, supportive adult (Seifert, 2007; Werner, 1996).
The CARE-2 is designed to collect data on specific behaviors or individual characteristics associated with each of the categories. Each specific behavior or individual characteristic is further categorized as either a risk or protective factor. Once the form is completed, the scoring system provides the clinician with an effective and research-based approach to summarizing the collected ratings. Simply put, the greater the number of risk factors and the fewer the protective factors, the more likely it is that a child or adolescent will be violent. It is important not to label children or teens, but to provide them with services as soon as possible. Across from each item are suggested interventions for each problem area. These are general suggestions that need to be adjusted to the specific needs of the youth and his family. The CARE-2 is intended to be used as a prevention and treatment tool.