Relationship of Child Maltreatment to Juvenile Delinquency Topic of Symposium Hosted by Colorado State Aug. 7

Existing research has increasingly established the connection between abuse and neglect and juvenile delinquency. Colorado State University will host hundreds of individuals and experts interested in working toward a substantial and sustained reduction in juvenile delinquency.

The Child Maltreatment and Juvenile Delinquency Symposium will be held from 8:30 a.m.-5 p.m. Aug. 7 at the Holiday Inn University Park in Fort Collins.

Recent data reflects a disturbing number of children who are the victims of abuse and neglect – those numbers rose dramatically in the 1980s and 1990s. The Child Welfare League of America, one of the symposium’s sponsors, will be focusing on more effectively integrating and coordinating the juvenile justice and child welfare systems.

"It is exciting to be able to bring policy makers, practitioners, and researchers together to benefit the needs of children in the child welfare and juvenile justice systems," said Deborah Valentine, director of the School of Social Work at Colorado State and co-coordinator of the symposium. "This conference will continue an important conversation that has as its goal to effectively meet the needs of children and families in our country."

Gordon Bazemor, principle investigator of a national action research project to pilot restorative justice reform in several jurisdictions, will discuss what’s working in the areas of integration of juvenile justice and child welfare systems. Bazemor’s primary research interests include juvenile justice, youth community policing and victim’s issues.

Other keynote speakers include John Tuell, director of the juvenile justice division for the Child Welfare League of America. He is the former deputy director of the State and Tribal Assistance Division of the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention. Dennis Maloney, community justice-fellow with the Community Justice Institute and the Balanced and Restorative Justice Project, also will be a keynote speaker. Valentine will wrap up the symposium with the discussion, "Where does Colorado go from here?"

Sponsors of the symposium include Larimer County Department of Human Services, Mesa County Department of Human Services, Child Welfare League of America, El Paso County Department of Human Services, Boulder County and Colorado State University.

For more information about the symposium, contact Sharon Nauss at (970) 498-6912. Registration will be available at the door.