A School-Based Approach: Youth Courts
Our staff has worked as Assistant Directors of local youth courts. We believe that one way that our youth, community, courts and law enforcement can help to deter crime/delinquency in our schools is by creating more peer/youth courts in Missouri. Youth court is a program in which other youth sentence their peers for minor offenses in lieu of entering the juvenile justice system.
A few of the goals of the Peer/Youth Courts are to prevent crime, build problem solving, listening, communication and conflict resolution skills, develop leadership skills, teach students about the legal system, and hold students accountable for their actions while allowing their peers to be the final decision-makers.
School-based Youth Courts will also help to deter youth from entering the criminal system and possibly some of the harsher consequences of the school’s disciplinary procedures, like suspension.
With youth courts, we can take a more proactive approach in shaping our youth’s future. Lower attendance rates due to suspension and expulsion also impact school and district funding because they are tied to state assistance dollars based on Average Daily Attendance (ADA).
We are available to consult with you to develop Youth/Peer Courts in your school.
Comments