NCJ Number
123188
Journal
School Safety Dated: (Fall 1989) Pages: 23-26
Date Published
1989
Length
4 pages
Annotation
The current increase in crime by children and youths requires a response that includes positive measures to strengthen family integrity and independence, increasing family support through the tax code and improved education, penalizing parents and other adults who threaten or harm children, and holding parents more closely accountable for the antisocial actions of their children.
Abstract
Several studies have shown that a substantial proportion of urban children are routinely exposed to violent incidents, including murder, and are themselves victims of violence. The increases in drug use, single-parent families, and unemployment in the inner city are further signs of social disorder. Family breakdown is clearly the most important source of our current social problems and will result in further juvenile lawlessness without major interventions. These interventions should include improved family support, strengthened school discipline, and longer prison sentences for lawbreakers. These efforts would reflect the recognition that children need order, just as they need love.