Part I:
1. Read the first two pages of the online article "Attitudes Toward Psychiatric Medication Among Incarcerated Female Adolescents" by R. Alan Williams in the December 1998 Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry. This article is printed in full in a folder labeled "Attitudes Toward Psychiatric Medication Among Incarcerated Female Adolescents", located in Instructor's Notes.
2. When finished, answer the following questions:
Why are female delinquents a bigger concern now than before?
What are the rates of psychiatric disorders among them? Which disorders were listed in this article? How do these rates compare with those of male delinquents?
How do adolescents generally respond to drug treatment? Do you agree with them? Why or why not?
Are psychiatric drugs the best solution for these juveniles? Why or why not?
Should incarcerated juveniles be forced to take psychiatric drugs? Why or why not?
3. Read the postings of your classmates. Respond to at least 2 of your classmates' postings. Do you agree? Disagree? Why?
Part II
1. Locate and read a non-fiction story about a juvenile's addiction to drug use. One classic is the 1960s book Go Ask Alice, which is the diary of a teenage girl who fights addiction. There are also numerous celebrities who were addicted to drugs when they were juveniles. There are a large number of these non-fiction stories that are equally interesting. You may also use a long magazine article. However, it MUST focus on a particular person with an addiction problem, not on drug use in general.
2. When you have completed your reading, answer the following questions:
Why did this juvenile become addicted to drugs? Did he or she ever seem to be in control of the drug use?
What personality traits may have contributed to the addiction? What social factors? What other factors? How does this story end, and why?
What could have prevented this drug addiction from ever occurring?
Include the URL or other resource that you used, and be sure to identify the individual.
3. Read the postings of your classmates. Respond to at least 2 of your classmates' postings. Do you agree? Disagree? Why?