Children’s education is crucial to their development, but many kids don’t have the same access as others. Sometimes, this is because a child gets removed from the traditional education system altogether due to an arrest. A recent study showed some interesting findings on this subject that parents may want to know. It found that children with a learning or behavioral disability are significantly more likely to be arrested than other kids. This is just one reason why it is so important to consider a strategy for juvenile defense, as getting kids back to school is vital for the rest of their lives.
The study was conducted by the National Council on Disabilities. It found that while students in public schools who have a learning or behavior disability make up 13% of the student body, these kids are three times as likely to be arrested. These kids also make up the overwhelming majority of the population of juvenile detention centers. An arrest record makes it all the more likely that a student will be suspended at some point and get behind in school. This may make him or her even more susceptible to winding up with further arrests and entering the justice system.
Researchers and advocates say that students with these kinds of disabilities have to be treated differently. Many of the caregivers of these students have a plan for responding to behavior issues based on their disability, but the plan isn’t always followed. If the student has other risk factors, such as poverty or exposure to domestic violence, he or she may be even more likely to face arrest in the future.
Young people who get arrested deserve fair treatment from the judicial system, whether they have a disability or not. Even when all adults involved have good intentions, an arrest record can negatively impact a child’s future. An attorney here in North Carolina who specializes in handing juvenile defense cases may offer a young person the best chance at reducing the effect of an arrest on his or her life.