NCJ Number
166119
Date Published
1997
Length
28 pages
Annotation
This report by the Council on Crime in America emphasizes the youth crime problem and the plight of at-risk children and identifies effective juvenile crime prevention programs.
Abstract
According to several widely used measures, certain categories of juvenile crime and criminal victimization have declined over the past few years. At the same time, serious juvenile violence continues to be heavily concentrated in urban minority neighborhoods. Studies indicate that as many as 57 percent of children in the United States do not have full-time parental supervision and that the number of reported instances of child abuse has more than quadrupled over the past 15 years. Studies also show that child abuse substantially increases the likelihood of future crime and delinquency and that family deviance and drug abuse adversely affect developing children. Juvenile crime prevention strategies are detailed that focus on community-based adult supervision of juveniles who have been in trouble with the law, mentoring of at-risk children, and community mobilization to ensure the well-being of children. Philadelphia's Youth Aid Panel is described as an effective, community-oriented juvenile monitoring program. Programs of Big Brothers and Big Sisters of America are noted as successful mentoring strategies, while Churchmen Saving Children is cited as an example of ministering to children.