NCJ Number
195026
Date Published
2001
Length
29 pages
Annotation
This document describes programs that attempt to reduce youth problem behavior through prevention.
Abstract
In 1994 a group of concerned Fort Collins citizens teamed up with the Colorado Division of Criminal Justice and began the Build A Generation process. This program focuses on the factors that place youth at risk for problem behavior (risk factors) and on nurturing factors (protective factors) that decrease the likelihood of negative behavior. The first step in understanding Build A Generation is to become familiar with the Communities That Care social development model, which was chosen because it is comprehensive and research-based. Data are organized by risk factor, and then grouped according to domain (social context). The Communities That Care model uses four domains: community, school, family, and individuals interacting with their peers. Recently, public concern has focused on young people who are at risk of failure because of substance abuse, delinquency, teen pregnancy, school dropout, and violence. These issues continue to receive much media and political attention. It is promising that, according to this paper, there are now ways to prevent and diminish the likelihood that young people will engage in such behavior. Figures