In 1985 the Illinois Legislature revised its Juvenile Court Act and sections of the criminal code to get tough on juvenile crime and school-related crime. The Illinois Supreme Court rejected a challenge to the act. Greater legislative and judicial support is a national trend to control school violence. (MLF)

Youth violence and delinquency are problems that continue to challenge many communities across the U.S. For over a decade, Pennsylvania has been a national leader in confronting youth problem behaviors in a progressive and proactive fashion, investing heavily in supporting local community prevention coalitions and the use of proven-effective…

"Positive Support" examines potential benefits of matching high-risk youth with faith-based mentors. Drawing on surveys and interviews with young people who participated in the National Faith-Based Initiative, we found that mentored youth were less likely to show signs of depression than the youth who were not matched with a mentor. This in turn…

The Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention (OJJDP) compiled this summary in order to assist states and jurisdictions in their delinquency prevention efforts. The summary provides a synthesis of current information on a broad range of programs and strategies which seek to prevent delinquency. The theory of risk-focused prevention is…

This handbook introduces students to essential elements of preventing crime at school by making sure the design, use, and upkeep of the facility do not provide opportunities for criminal behavior--crime prevention through environmental design (CPTED). It discusses how to identify problem areas and the steps to take to make sure these problems are…

This report describes the economics of programs working to reduce crime in Washington State. For a variety of approaches, from prevention programs designed for young children to correctional interventions for juvenile and adult offenders, it systematically analyzes North American research studies from the past 25 years. For this review, the…

Extends research on effects of victimization in terms of fear of crime and constrained behavior by examining micro- and macrolevel factors. Addresses the way in which contextual indicators of ambient risk affects individuals' perceived risk and lifestyles through main effects, and moderating effects where the latter cause the effects of…

Close to one-fifth of all violent crime is committed by children under 18. Between 1987 and 1992, the number of arrests of juveniles increased by 150 percent, twice the increase for persons 18 years and older, while juvenile arrest for murder increased 85 percent. As stated by Representative Schumer, this hearing was convened so that experts from…

This article reviews critically the published behavioral approaches for the reduction of nonconfrontive stealing behavior in school-aged children. Treatment approaches discussed in this paper include aversive and positive contingency management, parent-training, self-control, as well as other interventions aimed at prevention of stealing in…

Some models for collaboration among families, schools, law enforcement, and social agencies, which promote gang awareness and prevention of gang involvement at the elementary and middle school levels, are described in this research review. The studies were grouped into three categories: background information, prevention strategies, and…

Argues that school and community order and safety are inextricably bound together, and, therefore, an analysis of the epidemic of school crime and violence should include community factors. Presents data from elementary schools in Chicago (Illinois) as an example of this connectedness, and suggests public policy to improve school conditions. (JS)

Over the past ten years, probation departments across the state of California have seen a number of important changes in the way they do business. Beginning with Title IV-A-EA in 1993, departments began a system-wide "sea change," from a focus on suppression, enforcement, and monitoring of youthful offenders to a focus on families and on…

Afterschool programs provide safe places for youth after school in addition to improving academic achievement and helping working families. Afterschool programs provide youth a safe, supervised environment that reduces their risk of committing or becoming a victim of violent crime. A recent report from Fight Crime: Invest in Kids has found that…

Considers the research in addressing how society should reasonably invest in the treatment of violent juvenile offenders. The authors first examine the problems of evaluating interventions with violent youth, then explore various intervention options. The use of multisystemic therapy is offered as a cost-effective program for reducing juvenile…

The number of felony-murder convictions of adolescents on death row in the United States is arguably a warning beacon about the serious nature of juvenile homicide. Reviews the research on adolescent homicide and highlights significant family variables. The contribution of a family studies perspective for understanding adolescent homicide is…