NCJ Number
148069
Journal
Health Affairs Volume: 12 Issue: 4 Dated: special issue (Winter 1993) Pages: 46-64
Date Published
1993
Length
19 pages
Annotation
The authors review established early risk factors for later delinquency and violence.
Abstract
As reflected in a statement by Attorney General Janet Reno, the most formative time of a person's life is the first three years, when he or she learns the concept of reward and punishment, and develops a sense of conscience. However, public policy has not yet been committed to supporting families during this critical period. Institutions and programs equivalent to public schools should be established for preschoolers, as none exist now. Early risk factors include characteristics of the child: antisocial behavior, low IQ (especially low verbal ability) attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, learning disability, poor motor-skill development, prenatal and perinatal complications, minor physical anomalies, and head injury; characteristics of the family: lack of parental supervision or involvement, parental rejection, poor disciplinary practices, family criminality, child abuse/neglect, poor marital relations, parental absence due to divorce or separation, and large family size. These factors should be studied not as snapshots, but as moving pictures. Exhibit, 87 references