Resilience in the Face of Adversity

Matthew

Matthew, 17, became involved with the Juvenile Court due to Delinquency charges of assault and battery and assault and battery on a public employee. Matthew’s charges stemmed from an incident in which he punched another student several times in a school bathroom and pushed a teacher who intervened. The charges were Continued Without a Finding (CWOF); Matthew was referred for a Juvenile Court Clinic psychosocial evaluation and placed on supervised probation until his 18th birthday, just three months from the start of the evaluation. This limited timeline increased the urgency of connecting Matthew with services before the charges were dismissed.

A Hypervigilant Worldview

During the comprehensive evaluation, the Juvenile Court Clinician learned that Matthew had a history of early exposure to domestic violence between his parents, physical abuse, and homelessness. These experiences likely contributed to long-term effects on his functioning and worldview. From a young age, Matthew came to view his environment as unsafe. He became hypervigilant, often feeling responsible for protecting himself and others, sometimes through physical aggression.

Matthew was a special education student with an identified emotional disability; he had longstanding symptoms of ADHD, including difficulty focusing, restlessness, and high activity levels. His trauma history likely worsened these challenges. He frequently avoided class by wandering hallways or spending time in the bathroom. Frequent moves and school avoidance were largely unaddressed in under-resourced schools; Matthew failed many classes, preventing him from advancing beyond his first year of high school. He completely stopped attending school after being suspended following the incident that led to the charges.

Rising Above Adversity

Despite these challenges, Matthew demonstrated strengths, including the ability to form friendships and interact respectfully with adults. His interest in mixed martial arts supported his self-esteem and motivation to maintain his physical health. He was also interested in vocational training and employment.

The Court Clinician recommended trauma-informed outpatient therapy, vocational training, and obtaining a high school equivalency diploma. Given the limited timapplication andupervision ended, Matthew was referred to the Court Clinic Case Manager, who initiated therapy referrals, provided a Job Corps application and gave his mother housing resources. This timely collaboration helped connect Matthew with services and significantly improved his long-term outlook. 

To protect confidentiality, MAJCC does not use real names or identifying features in case examples.

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• 1 Delinquency is an offense committed by a child between the ages of 12 and 18 which would be a crime if the child were an adult.

• 2 In Massachusetts, Continued Without a Finding, “CWOF,” is a judge’s decision that the court has sufficient evidence for a guilty finding, but chooses not to enter that finding into the record. Instead, the court continues the case for a period to be dismissed upon successful completion of probationary terms and conditions. A CWOF gives a defendant a chance to avoid having an official record of conviction.

• 3 Juvenile Court Clinicians must become Certified Juvenile Court Clinicians (CJCC) through a DMH-directed specialized training with on-site supervised clinical work conducted at the Juvenile Court Clinics