Bismarck police issued 12 juvenile citations against three juveniles at the Dakota Boys and Girls Ranch Friday.

The Dakota Boys and Girls Ranch, 1227 N. 35th St., is a 16-bed residential treatment facility for youth who have been abused or neglected, said Jim Vetter, program director at the home. The youth live at the Boys and Girls Ranch, go to school there, and receive help from therapists and psychiatrists, he said.

Lt. Dan Donlin said police were called to the group home at 4:43 p.m. Staff had reported that they had two individuals that they wanted cited for a fight, Donlin said.

Another report came in at 4:54 p.m. about a 15-year-old girl who had assaulted three staff members, Donlin said.

Two officers responded to the disturbances, and five police reports were taken at the facility over the next hour and a half, Donlin said.

In the report of a fight, a 12-year-old boy had assaulted a 15-year-old boy, while a 13-year-old boy egged on the fight, Donlin said.

The 12-year-old boy was cited for disorderly conduct and assault, and the 13-year-old boy was cited for disorderly conduct, Donlin said.

In the second report, a 15-year-old girl had assaulted three staff members, Donlin said. He said she scratched and punched a 28-year-old man, scratched and bit a 22-year-old woman, and scratched and punched a 27-year-old man. She received three citations for simple assault, Donlin said.

Officers said that while they were taking the second report at 5 p.m., the 13-year-old boy and the 15-year-old girl began exchanging obscenities and tried to assault each other, Donlin said. The two juveniles overturned chairs and a table, and they needed to be handcuffed and put in separate rooms, he said. When they were placed in separate rooms, they continually kicked the doors, he said.

Both were cited for disorderly conduct, Donlin said.

About an hour later, two more reports were made at the Boys and Girls Ranch, Donlin said.

Staff reported that the 13-year-old boy had been using profanity and not listening to staff instructions, Donlin said. He said the boy then threw a wooden tray and spit at the 28-year-old male employee who had been assaulted earlier by the 15-year-old girl.

The boy was cited for disorderly conduct and assault, Donlin said.

At about the same time, the 15-year-old girl was being escorted down the stairs by three employees, Donlin said. Officers witnessed her knock over a coffee table, then punch the same 27-year-old man that she had assaulted earlier, he said.

Vetter said Friday's problems are not a regular occurrence at the Boys and Girls Ranch.

"The majority of the kids are never involved in behavior like that,"he said. "It's usually one or two kids who we get once in a while who are a little more explosive."

Vetter said very few of the juveniles at the ranch could be considered delinquent. Staff usually try to work with residents to overcome problems rather than send them to the Youth Correctional Center, he said.

However, if problems get too extreme, residents may be dealt with in other ways, he said.

"There may be a point when they may be placed in a more structured environment,"Vetter said.

(Reach reporter Jenny Michael at 250-8225 or jenny.michael@;bismarcktribune.com.)