Testimony to House Juvenile Justice and Family Issues Committee on HB 2684
Texans Care for Children supports the passage of HB 2684, which would help keep students with special needs, such as those with mental health concerns, trauma histories, and disabilities, in school learning and out of the juvenile justice system.
School police officers need specialized training to help them effectively engage with all students, including those with mental health concerns, trauma histories, and disabilities. Increasing the capacity of school police officers to appropriately engage with students, including those with unique challenges, will help keep students safe and successful in school.
Kids are different than adults. Even though an adolescent may physically look like an adult, they do not think or behave like one. The brain does not fully develop until an individual’s mid-twenties. The parts of the brain responsible for controlling impulses and planning ahead are among the last to mature. Hormonal changes, which are a constant for teenagers, also effect the brain, and as a result, an adolescent’s behavior.