In an article for TIME Magazine ("Why Juvenile Detention Makes Teens Worse" August 7), Maia Szalavitz reports on recent research from Montreal that indicates juvenile detention, which lumps troubled kids in with other troubled kids, appears to worsen behavior problems. Compared to other youth with a similar history of behavior, those who entered the juvenile justice system were almost seven times more likely to be arrested for crimes as adults. The new study suggests that family therapy and one-on-one counseling are more likely to be effective than group activities. However, if groups must be used, the researchers recommend high supervision and low child-to-staff ratios. The full research study entitled "Iatrogenic Effect of Juvenile Justice," was published in the Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry (Volume 50, Number 8, August 2009). Click "Read more" to read the full TIME article.

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