Children in foster care often face significant challenges that can impact their development and well-being. Discussions surrounding child development and risk factors for psychological issues frequently touch upon the foster care system. It’s a concerning statistic that approximately 70% of incarcerated individuals have spent time in foster care, raising questions about the potential connection between foster care and delinquency. Before entering foster care, many children experience high-risk situations such as neglect, physical abuse, and sexual abuse, as highlighted in research from the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services and related departments. These pre-placement traumas, compounded by factors like lack of medical care, poverty, homelessness, domestic violence, parental substance abuse, and parental mental illness, contribute to a vulnerable state. Even within the foster care system, children may continue to face trauma and instability.
The inherent risks within foster care environments can lead to difficulties both within and outside the home. Children in foster care are more vulnerable to developing long-term psychiatric disorders, including depressive disorder, conduct disorder, Oppositional Defiant Disorder (ODD), PTSD, antisocial personality disorder, and intermittent explosive disorder. Travis Hirschi’s Social Bonding Theory, introduced in his 1969 book Causes of Delinquency, emphasizes the importance of attachment, commitment, involvement, and belief in preventing juvenile delinquency. These crucial bonds, often disrupted or absent in the lives of children in foster care, are essential for forming healthy relationships and developing a strong moral compass. The lack of these stable bonds can lead to resentment and the manifestation of aggressive or violent behaviors in children from foster care backgrounds.
For Forensic Nurses, CPS workers, and the foster care system as a whole, comprehensive health evaluations and screenings are crucial to determine the most effective treatment strategies for adolescents and young adults within the system. Often, the most successful treatment plans involve active participation from the entire family unit, aiming to address and mitigate the underlying issues within the household and provide the necessary support for children who have experienced the foster care system.
