Harris County Juvenile Defense of Teens with Mental Illness and Substance Abuse
If your child needs a juvenile defense lawyer, contact Houston Attorney James Sullivan at (281) 546-6428 for a free confidential consultation.
Behavioral Disorders
Behavioral disorders are characterized
by actions that harm or disturb others and that cause distress or
disability. Typical behavioral disorders are ADHD (attention deficit
hyperactivity disorder) and conduct disorders.
Emotional Disorders
Emotional disorders occur when a child’s
ability to function is impaired by depression or anxiety. The
occurrence of depression is significantly higher among juvenile
offenders than among other young people.
Substance Abuse
Many juvenile offenders have a history
of substance abuse. Studies also have shown that up two-thirds of
juveniles in the justice system with a mental health diagnosis had dual
disorders, most often including substance abuse.
According to the National Mental Health
Association, between 30 and 50 percent of juvenile in the justice system
have disruptive behavior disorders.
Anxiety Disorder, PTSD, Asperger’s Sydrome, Autism Spectrum Disorder
Anxiety disorders and PTSD (post
traumatic stress disorder) are also prevalent among juvenile offenders,
especially girls. Asperger’s syndrome and higher levels of Autism
spectrum disorder are less common in juvenile offenders. Psychotic
disorders such as schizophrenia, however, are rare in juveniles in the
justice system.
According to the CDC (Centers for Disease Control), children aged 3-17 years have:
- ADHD (6.8%)
- Behavioral or conduct problems (3.5%)
- Anxiety (3.0%)
- Depression (2.1%)
- Autism spectrum disorders (1.1%)
- Tourette syndrome (0.2%) (among children aged 6–17 years)
Adolescents aged 12–17 years have:
- Illicit drug use disorder in the past year (4.7%)
- Alcohol use disorder in the past year (4.2%)
Approximately 65 to 70 percent of the 2
million children and adolescents arrested each year in the United States
have a mental health disorder. Approximately one in four suffers from a
mental illness so severe that it impairs his or her ability to function
as a young person and grow into a responsible adult. Without treatment,
the child may continue on a path of delinquency and eventually adult
crime.
Childhood Trauma
There is a stronger link between
childhood trauma and addiction that than there is between obesity and
diabetes. Two thirds of addicts report being abused as children.
For a good understanding of childhood trauma and how it impacts the brain and behavior, read The Boy Who Was Raised as a Dog
by Dr. Bruce D. Perry and Maia Szalavitz. Dr. Perry treated the 21
children who were released from the Branch Davidian compound in Waco,
Texas prior to the horrific conflagration that killed 80 people
(including 23 children) on April 19, 1993.
Contact Attorney James Sullivan
Harris County Juvenile Defense Attorney
James (Jim) Sullivan is a recognized expert in juvenile law and fights
to defend children accused of delinquency offenses. Since 1994, James
Sullivan has fought to defend thousands of children accused of
delinquency. He has defended children in juvenile court on virtually
every kind of delinquency case, ranging from misdemeanor cases such as
possession of marihuana, theft and assault to felony cases such as
aggravated sexual assault of a child, robbery and murder. He provides a
strong legal defense and is appreciative of the many reviews that parents of juvenile clients have written.
Attorney
James Sullivan has been Board Certified in Juvenile Law by the Texas
Board of Legal Specialization since 2004. Sullivan is a recognized
expert in the highly specialized area of juvenile law. In Texas, there
are only 38 lawyers such certified lawyers in private practice.
Sullivan also graduated from the Trial Lawyers College founded by
legendary lawyer Gerry Spence.
Contact Houston Juvenile Attorney James Sullivan at (281) 546-6428 for a free confidential consultation.
