NCJ Number
150944
Date Published
1991
Length
81 pages
Annotation
This bibliography of literature on youth at risk pertains to issues related to the correlates of juvenile crime; schooling and employment; children and youth at risk; missing children, runaways, and street youth; youth gangs and violent youth; and responding to youth at risk.
Abstract
A review of the criminal justice literature was conducted to provide a comprehensive assessment of the issue of "youth at risk." This included an examination of the types of "risks" that young people face as victims of harm as well as their involvement in risky or dangerous activities. The criminal justice literature that focuses on the nature and effectiveness of a variety of responses to youth at risk was also examined. This working bibliography contains two main sections. The first presents a broad overview of the issue of "risk." This section is further divided into a number of subsections that focus on specific types of risks that young people face, such as child abuse running away from home, and the risks associated with "street life." The second section examines various types of responses to youth at risk made by the police, the criminal justice system, and the community. Responses to specific types of problems such as gangs and violent youth are also addressed in this section. There are a number of issues discussed in the literature that highlight the kinds of events or situations that place youth at risk. These include child abuse and family violence, problems in school, problems with employment, involvement with the criminal justice system, running away from home or alternative living arrangements such as a group home, drug or alcohol abuse, and the risks associated with street life such as juvenile prostitution and contracting a sexually transmitted disease. A total of 910 listings are provided.