Traumatic Experiences and Juvenile Amenability: The Role of Trauma in Forensic Evaluations and Judicial Decision Making.

The legal files of 144 juveniles charged as adults in one Pennsylvania county were reviewed to investigate whether trauma-related information was included in evaluations of amenability to treatment and how that information related to legal decisions to keep youth in criminal court or decertify them to the juvenile system. Potentially traumatic experiences (PTEs) were noted in more than 71% of evaluations. Youth with any PTE documented were more likely to remain in criminal court, have more prior arrests, report regular marijuana use, and have mental health diagnoses associated with offending behaviors. Youth with direct (versus witnessed) exposure to PTEs were more likely to have been placed out of home and to be diagnosed with other mental health disorders. However, only 6% of the evaluations specifically recommended treatment for trauma-related issues, and documentation of PTEs was not associated with the ultimate legal decision except in cases involving severe injury. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]