Date of Award
Spring 5-2026
Language
English
Document Type
Honors Thesis
Degree Name
Bachelor of Arts
Department
Sociology
Advisor/Committee Chair
Jonathan Dirlam
Committee Member
Angie Chung
Abstract
Encountering the justice system can have harmful impacts on a child’s well-being and can lead to negative outcomes in the future, such as missing school and reoffending. This paper proposes a program to combat these impacts by creating infrastructure for schools to handle low level offenses within schools through a mentoring program. After a review of the literature on the current justice system in the United States, rehabilitative and restorative justice practices, and the effects of youth leadership positions, the “Re-Mentoring Program” is proposed. A play on the words "restorative" and "rehabilitative," this program involves youth who have offended, victims, and community youth in a mentoring program. This paper outlines the program's goals, the people involved, a proposed implementation plan, and the program's limitations. Youth take on both the roles of mentor and mentee to foster a community-focused solution between the victim and the offender, prioritizing the well-being of both. Those who have previously offended will then have the opportunity to become mentors. This will allow students to take on a leadership position, leading meetings and facilitating communication. The goal of this program is to reduce crime in schools and prevent the negative outcomes that early encounters with the justice system can cause, while building community and fostering a positive learning environment.
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
Recommended Citation
Horn, Abigail, "Youth in Leadership Positions: A Mediation Program Proposal" (2026). Sociology. 5.
https://scholarsarchive.library.albany.edu/honorscollege_sociology/5