NCJ Number
170395
Journal
Prosecutor Volume: 31 Issue: 6 Dated: (November/December 1997) Pages: 14-20
Date Published
1997
Length
7 pages
Annotation
After documenting trends in juvenile crime and substance abuse, this article presents research findings on juvenile delinquency factors and suggests a strategy for preventing the development of juvenile criminal behavior.
Abstract
A significant number of juveniles in the United States are at high risk for becoming perpetrators and victims of violence. Much of the violence and drug abuse among juveniles stems from incompetent, dysfunctional, and abusive parenting. These conditions that breed juvenile crime can be addressed by building positive connections between at-risk youth and responsible adults through existing community-based programs. Such programs can include community-sponsored "latch-key" activities for children who are unsupervised after school until their parents come home from work; the transporting of young job-seekers from a public housing site to a private job site; and funding an incremental expansion of an established national or local mentoring program. Caring adults are the foundation of a youth's behavior toward self and others, as well as the primary avenue for securing those skills, services, and opportunities that are the key to a responsible and self-sufficient life. Overall, the strategy recommended in this article is to provide "monitoring," "mentoring," and "ministering" to at-risk youth through community-based programs that bring responsible and caring adults into constructive interaction with at-risk youth. 38 notes