Mental Health, Neurodevelopmental Conditions, Risk Behaviors and Strengths-Based Approaches Among Justice-Involved Youth
A Special Issue of Behavioral Sciences (ISSN 2076-328X) belonging to the section "Psychiatric, Emotional and Behavioral Disorders".
Deadline for manuscript submissions: 15 April 2027 | Viewed by 141
Editor
Special Issue Information
Dear Colleagues,
I am inviting paper submissions for a Special Issue of Behavioral Sciences focusing on mental health and neurodevelopmental conditions among justice-involved children and young people, with particular attention to risk-related behaviors and strengths-based approaches. This Special Issue seeks to advance understanding of the complex mental health, developmental, social, and contextual factors shaping outcomes for children and young people who encounter the justice system.
Justice-involved children and young people experience disproportionately high rates of mental health difficulties and neurodevelopmental conditions, including but not limited to anxiety, depression, trauma-related difficulties, ADHD, autism spectrum conditions, learning disabilities, traumatic brain injury and speech, language, and communication needs. While existing research has often emphasised risk, there is a growing recognition of the importance of strengths-based, developmentally informed, and trauma-responsive approaches. However, these perspectives remain underrepresented and insufficiently integrated across research, policy, and practice.
The focus of this Special Issue is on the prevalence, identification, and impact of mental health and neurodevelopmental conditions in justice-involved children and young people, as well as how risk-related behaviours and strengths-based factors interact. I welcome empirical, theoretical, and applied contributions that inform prevention, early intervention, assessment, and effective responses within youth justice systems. Submissions may draw on community, forensic, custodial, or diversionary settings, and interdisciplinary perspectives are strongly encouraged.
Submissions focused on the following areas are particularly encouraged:
- The prevalence, presentation, and pathways of mental health difficulties and neurodevelopmental conditions.
- Risk-related behaviours (e.g., aggression, substance use, offending trajectories, self-harm) and their developmental, psychological, neurodevelopmental, and social determinants.
- Strengths-based behaviours and protective factors, including resilience, prosocial skills, identity development, relationships, and community or cultural resources.
- Developmentally informed, trauma-responsive, and neurodiversity-affirming assessment, intervention, and service models.
- Lived-experience perspectives of children and young people, families, and practitioners within justice and health systems.
- Inequalities, systemic barriers, and overrepresentation of specific groups within youth justice, including but not limited to racially and ethnically minoritised groups, care-experienced children, and those from socioeconomically disadvantaged backgrounds.
Dr. Charlotte Lennox
Guest Editor
Manuscript Submission Information
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Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-anonymized peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Behavioral Sciences is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.
Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2400 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.
Keywords
- mental health
- neurodevelopmental conditions
- ADHD
- autism spectrum disorder
- traumatic brain injury
- risk
- strengths-based
- youth justice
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