This Critical Thinking Exercise is a brief (1-2) page written assignment that will give you the opportunity to demonstrate your critical engagement with course readings, discussions and your own beliefs, experiences, and knowledge. This critical thinking exercise is based on a scenario that describes a youth and his/her involvement in the juvenile justice system. You will use this scenario to show that you are critically thinking about, reflecting on the material, making connections, and understanding the impact of policies, laws, reforms and significant events on justice-involved youth.

Evaluate how Kids First should begin to develop a framework aimed at reducing school-based arrests. Identify what is needed to initiate the reform, who/what entities would be your target, and finally how you would evaluate if your reform achieved the desired results.

Scenario:

Cheri is a 15-year-old sophomore in high school. She arrived at school today looking dishevelled and did not bring a project that was due to her first-period English class. When her teacher asked her for her project, Cheri jumped out of her seat, turned over her desk, and stormed out of the classroom. The teacher followed her into the hallway where Cheri began screaming at the teacher to get away from her, disrupting all the classrooms in that hall. The School Resource Officer (SRO) quickly responded and brought Cheri to the main office. After getting a statement from the teacher, the SRO determined that Cheri should be charged with the misdemeanour offence of disorderly conduct by disrupting students. Cheri continued to be upset and was threatening the SRO and school staff. Due to her continued behaviour, the SRO requested law enforcement to respond to the school and arrest Cheri.

Other youth at Cheri's school experienced very similar, punitive, responses for low-risk school-based behaviors. A local advocacy organization (Kids First) is interested in supporting efforts to reform the system. Specifically, Kids First wants to evaluate how best to encourage the school system to develop a process of developmentally appropriate interventions to behavior issues, rather than utilizing arrest and the formal justice system.