Papers by Michele Peterson-Badali
Canadian Journal of Criminology
Canadian Journal of Criminology 8, 10 and 13 students' understanding of their rights to ... more Canadian Journal of Criminology 8, 10 and 13 students' understanding of their rights to silence and counsel and the impact of age and context-specific variables (guilt and evidence) on their decision to assert rights. Study 2 examined the impact of guilt and ...
Journal of Child & Adolescent Trauma
Canadian Journal of Law and Society / Revue Canadienne Droit et Société
Nineteen-year-old Ashley Smith died by her own hand in 2007 in a women’s correctional facility in... more Nineteen-year-old Ashley Smith died by her own hand in 2007 in a women’s correctional facility in Ontario, Canada. The subject of the coroner’s inquest into her death was her carceral experience and the failure of the system (leading to her death) during her time in adult federal corrections. The general focus of the inquest was on the state of federal women’s corrections in Canada and the mental health issues experienced by many incarcerated women. We produced a report and provided expert testimony at the inquest regarding the need for a developmentally informed correctional framework. In this article, which is based on our inquest report and testimony, we argue that a developmental perspective is a vital lens for understanding the incarceration experience of young women.
Criminal Justice and Behavior
Journal of sex & marital therapy, Jan 8, 2017
This study evaluated the presence of clinical range behavior problems and psychiatric diagnoses i... more This study evaluated the presence of clinical range behavior problems and psychiatric diagnoses in 25 girls referred for gender identity disorder (GID) in childhood (mean age: 8.88 years) at the time of follow-up in adolescence or adulthood (mean age: 23.2 years). At follow-up, three (12%) of the girls were judged to have persistent GID based on DSM-IV criteria. With regard to behavior problems at follow-up, 39.1% of the girls had a clinical range score on either the Child Behavior Checklist or Adult Behavior Checklist as rated by their mothers, and 33.3% had a clinical range score on either the Youth Self-Report or the Adult Self-Report. On either the Diagnostic Interview for Children and Adolescents or the Diagnostic Interview Schedule, the girls had, on average, 2.67 diagnoses (range: 0-10); 46% met criteria for three or more diagnoses. From the childhood assessment, five variables were significantly associated with a composite Psychopathology Index (PI) at follow-up: a lower IQ,...
International Journal of Law and Psychiatry, 2016
Mental health courts are a promising new approach to addressing the overrepresentation of mental ... more Mental health courts are a promising new approach to addressing the overrepresentation of mental health needs among offender populations, yet little is known about how they facilitate change, particularly for youth. The current study reports on a process evaluation of a youth mental health court in Toronto, Canada. Drawing upon observations of the court and interviews with key informants, we developed a program model of the court and explored its implementation within the context of empirical evidence for treating justice-involved youth. Findings revealed that the proposed mechanism of change, which focuses on reducing recidivism through the treatment of mental health needs, should also consider factors directly related to offending behavior. Findings further highlight several strengths of the program, including the program's supportive environment and ability to engage and link youth and families with treatment. Areas for continued growth include the need for comprehensive protections of legal rights.
Canadian Journal of Criminology and Criminal Justice/La Revue canadienne de criminologie et de justice pénale, 2015
Youth mental health courts are a relatively new type of specialty court designed to address the m... more Youth mental health courts are a relatively new type of specialty court designed to address the mental health needs of justice-involved youth, usually with the ultimate goal of desistance from future offending. As part of a process evaluation of Toronto's first youth mental health court, court records and files for 127 youth who participated in the program from its inception in 2011 until August 2013 were reviewed to: 1) describe the operation of the court and the clients it serves, 2) explore predictors of successful court completion, and 3) examine how the court addresses the mental health and criminogenic needs of its clients. Most clients successfully completed the court requirements, with case processing time comparable to 'traditional' youth courts; completers were more likely than non-completers to have a mental health diagnosis and higher initial treatment motivation. Half of youth received treatment targeted to their identified mental health needs. Analysis of a subsample of cases indicated that for most youth, mental health issues were indirectly related to their offences, indicating the need to address criminogenic needs in addition to mental health needs in the court. Findings are discussed with regards to best practice for treating justice-involved youth with mental health needs.
International Journal of Offender Therapy and Comparative Criminology, 2001
In North America, the approach to youth crime and juvenile offenders has become increasingly puni... more In North America, the approach to youth crime and juvenile offenders has become increasingly punitive, and deterrence is seen as a significant goal of sentencing. Young people’s views about their sentences can provide insight into the meaning of these experiences and their perceived connection to offending behavior. The authors interviewed 53 young male offenders about their perceptions of youth court dispositions and explored what offender, offense, and disposition characteristics predicted their beliefs about the specific and general deterrent value of their sentences. Juveniles varied in their perceptions about their sentences as deterrents, but the characteristics examined did not adequately account for this variation. Their perceptions reflected multiple approaches to achieving deterrence, including not only the get-tough focus on dispositions as punishments but the role that sentences play in helping young offenders achieve personal change. Implications of the findings for the...
Criminal Justice and Behavior, 2014
Research on implementation of a case management plan informed by valid risk assessment in justice... more Research on implementation of a case management plan informed by valid risk assessment in justice services is important in contributing to evidence-based practice but has been neglected in youth justice. We examined the connections between risk assessment, treatment, and recidivism by focusing on the individual criminogenic needs domain level. Controlling for static risk, dynamic criminogenic needs significantly predicted reoffense. Meeting individual needs in treatment was associated with decreased offending. However, there is “slippage” in the system that reduces practitioners’ ability to effectively address needs. Even in domains where interventions are available, many youth are not receiving services matched to their needs. Implications and limitations of findings are discussed.
International Journal of Eating Disorders, 2010
Objective: This study examined the ability of adolescents with anorexia nervosa (AN) to make trea... more Objective: This study examined the ability of adolescents with anorexia nervosa (AN) to make treatment decisions. Method: The MacArthur Competence Assessment Tool-Treatment (MacCAT-T) was used to compare the decision making abilities of 35 adolescents with AN who were receiving inpatient treatment with that of 40 healthy, communitybased adolescents. Vignettes of both a medical and psychiatric illness were provided, requiring participants to work through the process of making a hypothetical treatment decision. The MacCAT-T was also administered to participants with AN to examine decision-making about their own illness, which allowed for comparison of competencies across contexts. Results: Group differences were found, with the community group showing superior reasoning skills to the adolescents with AN. Discussion: The results provide evidence to suggest that adolescents with AN tend toward a thinking disposition that is concrete and lacking in abstract reasoning and reflection, which may negatively affect their ability to reason about treatment options. V V
Journal of Substance Abuse Treatment, 2014
Despite the peak prevalence of substance use and comorbid mental health problems during emerging ... more Despite the peak prevalence of substance use and comorbid mental health problems during emerging adulthood little research has focused on understanding behavior change processes during this transitional period. This study extended Arnett&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;#39;s (2004) theory of the psychosocial features of emerging adulthood to explore how they may relate to treatment motivation (e.g., readiness to comply with treatment) and motivation to change (e.g., problem recognition and taking steps towards change). One hundred sixty-four youth presenting to outpatient substance abuse treatment completed questionnaires investigating problematic substance use, mental health, psychosocial features of emerging adulthood and motivation. Results of hierarchical regression analyses indicated that youth who perceived themselves as having greater responsibility towards others were more intrinsically motivated, recognized their substance use as problematic and were taking steps towards change. None of the other dimensions of emerging adulthood accounted for significant variance beyond relevant controls. Limitations, directions for future research and treatment implications are discussed.
Journal of Offender Rehabilitation, 2014
This study qualitatively explored front-line perspectives on the challenges of addressing youths'... more This study qualitatively explored front-line perspectives on the challenges of addressing youths' criminogenic needs within a Risk-Need-Responsivity (RNR)-based case management framework. Twenty-nine probation officers from Toronto, Canada participated in semistructured interviews. Emergent themes included the importance of targeting 'high impact' criminogenic needs (needs thatwhen effectively addressedalso have an impact on other need domains in addition to a direct impact on criminogenic risk), the salience of specific responsivity factors in case management, the lack of evidence-based programming available to youth, and respondents' uncertainty regarding their role in addressing criminogenic needs. Results highlight the need for research examining the interrelationship of criminogenic needs, specific responsivity factors and educational outcomes of youth on probation. Findings also support recent initiatives that provide concrete training to probation officers around implementation of the Need and Responsivity principles in effective case management of justice-involved youth.
Encyclopedia of Adolescence, 2011
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Papers by Michele Peterson-Badali