NCJ Number
178634
Journal
Developments Volume: 12 Issue: 4 Dated: December 1998 Pages: 5-10
Date Published
December 1998
Length
6 pages
Annotation
This article discusses the risk factors and intervention techniques for serious and violent juvenile offenders.
Abstract
The majority of serious and violent juvenile offenders continue to commit crimes year after year. These chronic offenders account for more than half of all serious crimes committed by juveniles and are responsible for larger shares of certain crimes. Research has identified many individual characteristics and factors found in the family, school, community, and among peers that place children at risk of becoming serious and violent offenders. It is unlikely, however, that the influence of a single risk factor will lead a child to commit violence. More often, violence results from a mix of risk factors. The risk factors outlined in this paper encompass psychological characteristics, aggression, attitudes and beliefs, family factors, school failure, peer-related factors, and community factors. The review of promising interventions for serious and violent juvenile offenders advises that so many factors put children at risk of becoming serious and violent offenders that intervention is not likely to be successful if it addresses a single risk factor or a single source of influence. Multiple-component programs that focus on preventive measures to reduce risk factors across several domains are more effective. Studies of a wide range of interventions to reduce serious and violent juvenile crime suggest that simultaneous intervention in the home and in school is the most successful approach. Some family-focused, child-focused, school-related, and peer-based interventions are summarized. The role of the juvenile justice system is briefly discussed. 1 reference and 15 notes