Week 2- Oct. 3rd

Today we went over case files; how they are created, how they are organized, and what is included. I was very interested in the police reports that come with the DYS files on the juvenile offenders. It is nice to see the facts as they appear to the police versus what the children have to say about their stories. I noticed that many of the cases are boys, not all but a majority. This seems like an obvious implication, that boys are more deviant that girls. I wonder if there is a structural flaw in our society that influences young boys to act in mischievous ways. The cases I observed and discussed with Lysbeth that involve girls, often are related to issues around the boyfriend or ex-boyfriend of one of the girls. I am learning what cases are commonly sent to CMS and how CMS decides who will mediate them. Pairing up veteran mediators with new mediators is common practice and I am eager to observe and get one step closer to mediating myself.