November 24, 2003

Contact:
Jennifer Meriam, Director
(954) 262-5355
Mike Laderman, Associate Director
(954) 262-5354
Mara Kiffin, Coordinator
(954) 262-5350

Criminal Justice Institute At NSU Offers Child Protection And
Juvenile Justice Specialty Track

FORT LAUDERDALE, FL- Nova Southeastern University’s Criminal Justice Institute in conjunction with the Fischler Graduate School of Education and Human Services is now offering a new specialty track: Child Protection and Juvenile Justice. The new track begins January 5, 2004. Completion of this specialty track in the Criminal Justice Institute will earn the student a master’s degree in Criminal Justice with a specialty in Child Protection and Juvenile Justice.

The track is designed to address the escalating incidence of violence against children in our society, and seeks to provide attendees with the methods and skills necessary to serve children in need of protection and intervention by helping them to identify the factors that contribute to violence victimization and other related child maltreatment.

The Child Protection and Juvenile Justice track will provide specialization training to child advocates and certified juvenile justice practitioners in order to ensure that the juvenile justice system is a community collaborative committed to a continuum of prevention, intervention, and accountability in support of well-adjusted children. This track will help professionals who work with children develop the skills and/or identify appropriate resources and treatment plans available in the community to mitigate against further harm to the child.

Additionally, this track will provide knowledge and skills to those who work in law enforcement and criminal justice agencies, and related organizations.

Courses that will be completed in this track include:

• Theory of Child Protection, Investigation, and Advocacy: This course will focus on the interpretation of social and systemic policies and procedures of child welfare agencies and nongovernmental agencies with emphasis on child advocacy, due process, and institutional standards. Emphasis will also be included regarding the remediation, intervention, rehabilitation, education, and other services designed to reduce recidivism amongst children and their families.



• Juvenile Justice: Systems, Structure, and Process: This course will focus on the response of law enforcement and other professionals in the protection of children in trouble or in need of services. Emphasis will be placed on an examination of the juvenile court as an institution, investigative process and forensic interview strategies needed to successfully classify and more accurately detect suspected child abuse, the policies and practices of agencies involved in processing children and youth through the juvenile justice system.



• Family Dynamics: Motivation, Support and Communication: This course will examine the protective and risk factors associated with the developmental pathways internalized by youth through interaction with their family system. Emphasis will be given to child and youth development, which is affected by the family system, peer groups, schools and teachers, community and other social influences. In addition, the dynamics of traditional, non-traditional and culturally diverse family construction in contemporary society will be explored.



• Victimology: Child Abuse and Exploited Children: This course introduces students to the field of victimology and explores its conceptual boundaries, basic concepts and literature. The course will be delimited by the exploration of the topics: family violence, child abuse including neglect, physical abuse, sexual abuse, and emotional and verbal abuse; and prevention, intervention and treatment issues associated with exploited children.



• Safe Schools: Climate and Culture: This course provides students with an overview of school safety and is intended to prepare students to develop or strengthen strategies, activities, and processes that will enhance the safety and well being of students, staff, and community members. Emphasis will be placed on the interaction between stakeholders and the importance of building and sustaining community collaboration for the purpose of school safety. The importance of policies and procedures, legislative mandates, and current safe school standards will be explored.

The Criminal Justice Institute offers a master's degree in criminal justice that trains working professionals through an interdisciplinary focus. The program prepares students through the core curriculum and allows for specialty training through various tracks. Additionally, students may choose among elective courses available at the graduate level throughout NSU.

For more information about the Child Protection and Juvenile Justice track or other specialty tracks in the Criminal Justice Institute, please call 954-262-7001 or visit the website at www.cji.nova.edu