NCJ Number
154129
Date Published
1995
Length
172 pages
Annotation
Focusing on juvenile delinquency prevention, this volume reviews research findings, applies them to community outreach efforts, and describes the steps needed to overcome problems such as juvenile delinquency, alcohol and other drug abuse, unsafe sexual practices, adolescent pregnancy, academic underachievement, and violence.
Abstract
The text presents a model, developmental contextualism, that provides a theoretical framework for considering child and youth development in relation to specific environmental features such as the family, the neighborhood, society, and culture. The discussion uses the model to describe the problems and potentials associated with the interactions between youth and their contexts. The author asserts that, by changing the context in which youth live, researchers can test the effectiveness of policies and programs in creating desired changes in the development and behavior of children and youth. The analysis concludes that the United States must develop a comprehensive and integrative youth development policy and provide resources to sustain programs indicated through appropriate evaluations to be effective. Figures, name and subject indexes, and 203 references