Teens experience all the same crimes that adults do: from robbery, sexual assault and car theft to relationship violence and stalking. But teens and young adults are more vulnerable; they are more likely than any other age group to be victimized.
The Session:
The ways in which parents and caregivers respond when a teen is victimized by crime can make a significant difference in how well the young person copes with and recovers from the event. Mitru Ciarlante will explore adolescent development and how it affects the ways youth experience crime. She will discuss support services, resources and avenues for ensuring that teen survivors’ voice are heard.
The Expert:
Mitru Ciarlante is director of the Youth Initiative at the National Center for Victims of Crime, where she leads a national strategy to advance youth survivors’ rights, address youth victimization and encourage youth leadership on these issues. During her 20 years as an advocate for youth crime victims, Ciarlante founded a comprehensive child advocacy program used by three counties in Pennsylvania, a children’s advocacy task force for the Pennsylvania Coalition Against Domestic Violence, a high school peer education program and a youth activist network for the Pennsylvania Coalition Against Rape.
