NCJ Number
93950
Date Published
1982
Length
21 pages
Annotation
This book summarizes the latest research about violent juvenile crime, emphasizing differences between public perceptions and actual facts, and describes the new national Violent Juvenile Offender Research and Development Program (VJORDP).
Abstract
The overwhelming majority of violent crime is not committed by persons under 18, and violent juvenile crime itself probably has stabilized and even declined in the past few years. In addition, violent crimes committed by juveniles generally do not cause serious injury to victims and do not involve weapons. Most violent juvenile crime is committed by males against other young males, and most schools have not experienced serious juvenile violence. The book also debunks the myth that broken families, mental illness, and drug or alcohol abuse are important causes of violent delinquency. Research shows that the quality of the parent-child relationship is related to violence and that drug abuse is linked to economically rewarding, not violent, crime. Furthermore, incarceration does not deter juvenile violent crime and more juveniles are incarcerated than is necessary for public safety. The book also discusses predicting criminality and treating juveniles like adult criminals. It emphasizes that some approaches do steer some youth away from criminality, but there is no panacea. The VJORDP will test the most promising approaches, with the overall objective of moving youths through a smooth and consistent transition from secure confinement to progressively less restrictive and normal environments. Footnotes and over 60 references are included.