Sheboygan County has one of 13 county juvenile detention centers in the state for young people who are in trouble with the law.
Recently completed national research shows that helping teens change their thinking can result in behavior change needed to stay out of the system. In particular, increasing self-control and self-efficacy are key to reducing recidivism.
Self-control is a skill that develops as we grow.
Self-efficacy is a sense that we can make a change in our lives. Teens who feel like victims of circumstance are more likely to break laws. Though many teens are victims of poor choices adults have made around them, increasing their sense of choice in their own actions is a key way of changing their trajectory.
With the permission of Superintendent Richter, Diana is periodically going to Sheboygan County Juvenile Detention to do self-efficacy strengthening activities. She is offering teens a choice to join the group and a choice of what to do while there. This is a trauma-informed strategy that reinforces teens’ ability to make good decisions for themselves.
Activities have included:
- Who Am I collages, using magazine photos and words to represent who I am or what I like,
- Origami stress-busters and paper airplanes, teaching patience through the folding,
- Making slime to use for a fiddle toy to help with attention,
- Simple snack recipes that they make and eat. They could repeat these at home as after-school snacks or when caring for younger kids.
The legal system focuses on the worst actions teens have taken. In contrast, these self-efficacy building activities bring the youths’ attention to their leadership, purpose, and self-care abilities. Through Positive Youth Development, Extension is fostering justice-involved teens’ potential for future constructive contributions to our community.