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Saving Children From a Life of Crime: Toward a National Strategy for Early Prevention

NCJ Number
232317
Journal
Victims and Offenders Volume: 2 Issue: 1 Dated: January 2007 Pages: 1-20
Author(s)
Brandon C. Welsh; David P. Farrington
Date Published
January 2007
Length
20 pages
Annotation
This article outlines a national strategy for the prevention of delinquency and later offending. Critical lessons learned from Western countries, in the development of national crime prevention agencies, is discussed.
Abstract
A great deal has been learned about childhood risk factors for offending and about effective interventions targeting these risk factors that reduce later delinquency and criminal offending. The time is right to implement a risk-focused, evidence-based national strategy for early prevention in the United States. A National Council on Early Prevention could provide technical assistance, skills, and knowledge to state and local agencies in implementing prevention programs; could provide funding, continuity, coordination, and monitoring of local programs; could provide training in prevention science for local people; could commission systematic reviews of the effectiveness of interventions; and could maintain high standards for evaluation research. The main aim of this article is to outline a national strategy for the prevention of delinquency and later offending. It identifies and discusses critical lessons learned from Western countries, such as Canada and Sweden, about the development of national crime prevention agencies. (Published Abstract)