Why are so many young people with disabilities involved in juvenile corrections?
Youth with disabilities may account for as much as two-thirds or more of the total number of youth in the juvenile justice system, but they only account for 10-12% of the general population in public schools. There is a range of possible explanations for this over-representation. Youth with disabilities, particularly learning disabilities, emotional or behavioral disturbances, or developmental disabilities, tend to demonstrate less impulse control, greater susceptibility to peer pressure, and more significant challenges with appropriate social skills than their non-disabled peers (Garfinkel, 2001). It has also been suggested that communities bear some responsibility for the overrepresentation of youth with disabilities in juvenile justice. Often, young people with behavioral problems, ADHD, and other mental health concerns are not provided with the emotional and behavioral support they need in school and in the community. This is not to say that having a disability makes a young person
