NCJ Number
197664
Date Published
2002
Length
255 pages
Annotation
In examining the relationship between youth and serious and violent antisocial behavior in American society, this book explores the precursors, onset, situational, and motivating factors in juvenile violence and crime and examines explanations for and responses to the increasing problem of juveniles who commit serious crimes.
Abstract
Part I is composed of seven chapters that focus on the magnitude of juvenile crime; an overview of juvenile violence, its manifestations, its victims, and causal theories; the link between juvenile drug and alcohol abuse and delinquent behavior; violence in schools; youth gangs and violence; dating violence; and family violence. Part II contains four chapters that address various perspectives and theories that have attempted to explain the causes of delinquent behavior. A chapter is devoted to each of the following categories of risk factors: biological, psychological, sociological, and intrafamilial. Part III presents three chapters on procedures for dealing with juvenile crime through the justice system. A chapter on the police and juvenile criminals focuses on the prevalence of and trends in juvenile arrests, the nature of police contacts with the juvenile offender, options for the police use of discretion in managing juvenile contacts, and youth attitudes toward police. Another chapter in this section of the book considers how juveniles are handled by juvenile and adult courts. Attention is given to the origins of the juvenile justice system in America, landmark U.S. Supreme Court decisions pertinent to juvenile justice policy, how the juvenile court deals with serious offenders, and how the criminal court deals with serious juvenile offenders. A chapter on juveniles in custody and confinement provides data on their confinement in both adult and juvenile correctional facilities, the overrepresentation of minority youth in custody and confinement, juveniles' modes of adaptation to institutional life, and aftercare for serious juvenile offenders. Part IV of the book consists of one chapter on the prevention and control of juvenile crime. Included in this chapter is an overview of Federal legislation that bears on the prevention and control of juvenile crime, the role of Child Protective Services agencies in preventing juvenile delinquency, and an overview of delinquency prevention and control strategies. Chapter figures and tables, 770 references, and a subject index