Eliminating Truancy: A New Perspective

Eliminating Truancy: A New Perspective

Disrupting the Relationship between Truancy to Delinquency

"Truancy has been identified as one of the earliest warning signs that youths potentially are headed for delinquent activity, social isolation, or educational failure… "(Chang and Romero 2008; Henry and Huizinga 2005).

"Chronic truancy has been shown to be a risk factor for drug use, delinquency, adult criminality, suicide attempts and employment problems." (Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention, Model Programs Guide. Truancy Prevention).

The relationship between truancy and negative outcomes, includes the greater risk for delinquency in adolescence, provide an overview of the data relative to youth encounters with law enforcement during school hours and it impact on arrests.

Currently, juvenile arrests between the hours of 8:00am and 3:30pm represent 15-18% or all arrests each year. This means that up to one fifth of all arrest occur during school hours.

CONFERENCE PURPOSE/GOAL:

To inform and educate stakeholders on the laws, procedures and programs available to address truancy as a community safety issue. The conference will explore opportunities and interventions that, if properly implemented will collectively help students, parents, social workers and staff understand that utilization of school attendance laws and policies can be effectively used to facilitate greater school attendance. Participants will gain;

-An expanded understanding of Truancy laws and Truancy’s role in public safety and the juvenile justice systems.

- Strategies for optimum care outcomes for court involved children and families.

-New approaches to building relationships between child welfare systems and community institutions.

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