Canine-assisted intervention (CAI) describes a therapeutic approach involving the presence of a dog, and usually a trained handler, with the goal of supporting the development of people’s social, cognitive, and emotional skills. This type of intervention has been gaining increasing attention across different populations. One group we still know relatively little about, however, is young people involved in the criminal justice system. That was precisely the focus of a recent scoping review I lead with a group of colleagues from the University of Saskatchewan, exploring the outcomes of CAIs for youth aged 12 to 17 who were involved in the criminal just…
Canine-assisted intervention (CAI) describes a therapeutic approach involving the presence of a dog, and usually a trained handler, with the goal of supporting the development of people’s social, cognitive, and emotional skills. This type of intervention has been gaining increasing attention across different populations. One group we still know relatively little about, however, is young people involved in the criminal justice system. That was precisely the focus of a recent scoping review I lead with a group of colleagues from the University of Saskatchewan, exploring the outcomes of CAIs for youth aged 12 to 17 who were involved in the criminal justice system. We found that the presence of dogs can be beneficial by promoting the developments of social and emotional skills, but the results were mixed, revealing how the interdisciplinary nature of CAI shapes the types of outcomes observed.
Main Results
The first thing that stands out when looking at the 11 studies reviewed is the diversity of approaches. A few mentioned the presence of a handler, while others did not mention details about a specific professional responsible for the dog. Also, the studies were conducted in a variety of settings, including residential detention centers, training schools, and juvenile halls. Their goals included assessing the impact of CAIs on youths’ behavior and emotional states, improving mental health symptoms, exploring the potential of these interventions in reducing recidivism, and understanding how professionals perceived the benefits. In a few cases, the focus extended to training dogs and evaluating the likelihood of their adoption. However, the studies reviewed did not mention animal welfare considerations, something that deserves more attention and serves as an important reminder for future work in this area.
One of the main challenges when comparing these studies was the lack of consistency in how CAI was defined. The terminology varied considerably, making it difficult to compare outcomes across studies. Yet, this variation also reflects the interdisciplinary nature of the field, bringing together professionals from psychology, education, social work, and animal science.
Although the findings were mixed, several studies reported positive changes, including improvements in social skills. One, for instance, found that youth became more motivated to engage in different activities, and some programs were associated with a reduction in serious offenses after participation. Another study reported reductions in depression and anger, along with improvements in general symptoms and overall mental health. These results suggest that the impact of CAI may go beyond reducing recidivism, as it may also support the broader well-being of youth during a critical stage of development.
At the same time, it is important to interpret these results with caution because some studies did not find significant differences after the intervention, as highlighted in this review. Such variations in outcomes may reflect differences in the number of sessions, the duration of the program, and the wide variability in how CAI is structured and delivered.
In addition, it is important to note that very few studies included a control group. Future research could greatly benefit from doing so, as it would help clarify the specific advantages of incorporating dogs into these interventions.
The Relevance of CAIs
Youth involved in the criminal justice system often face complex emotional and social challenges. In this sense, this review offers significant insights by presenting an overview of studies on CAI among youth involved in the criminal justice system.
Additionally, investigating how CAIs have been delivered and exploring the effectiveness of CAIs using clear measures and standardized protocols can help advance the human-animal interaction field. In this context, CAI may offer an alternative and helpful approach to be used with youth involved in the criminal justice system.
By understanding what specific characteristics of CAIs are beneficial to improve youth’s behaviour and emotional states, we can promote social integration among youth and develop interventions that truly meet the complex needs of justice-involved youth and help them move toward healthier futures.