NCJ Number
164182
Journal
NCJA Justice Bulletin Volume: 16 Issue: 6 Dated: (June 1996) Pages: 4-7
Editor(s)
R A Kapler
Date Published
1996
Length
4 pages
Annotation
This summary of conference proceedings focuses on challenges to predictions of a future juvenile crime wave.
Abstract
Frank E. Zimring challenged recent demographic analyses that point to an escalation of juvenile violence as the number of juveniles, especially African-American teens, increases in the next decade. These remarks followed presentations by James Alan Fox and Alfred Blumstein who, based on their research, have warned that a "baby boomerang" is likely to increase violent crime and drug abuse rates as the Nation enters the next millennium. The "boomerang" at issue is the generation of children born to the baby boomers (the post World War II generation that grew up during the 1960's). Zimring contended that "using demographic statistics to project how many kids are going to commit homicide has extremely limited utility." Fox and Blumstein, however, do not claim that the warning of increased juvenile crime is a prediction, since efforts can be made to prevent potential from becoming reality. Fox advised that political leaders must act now to avert the coming crime wave by reinvesting in schools, after-school care, and family support activities. Blumstein attributed the increase in juvenile violence to the expansion of the crack market, the recruitment of children and teenagers by drug traffickers, and the proliferation of firearms among all juveniles, especially gangs engaged in turf and drug market battles. The panel on youth gangs consisted of an overview of the gang problem in Chicago and a description of the Chicago Police Department's Gang Violence Reduction Project. Other presentations addressed the criminalization of juvenile crime and the innovative use of computers in criminal justice.