Abstract
Latino youth are disproportionately represented at each point in the juvenile justice system, and receive harsher treatment than non-Latino White youth, even when charged with the same offenses. This chapter explores how mental health and trauma contribute to the overrepresentation of Latino youth in the juvenile justice system, and analyzes the infrastructure in which mental health services are delivered to this population. Recommended solutions point to the need for courts, facilities, and service providers to use culturally and linguistically competent approaches when serving Latino youth and their families.
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Weemhoff, M.M., Villarruel, F.A. (2011). The Plight of Latino Youth in the Juvenile Justice System: Considerations for Mental Health Treatment. In: Buki, L., Piedra, L. (eds) Creating Infrastructures for Latino Mental Health. Springer, New York, NY. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4419-9452-3_9
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