NCJ Number
132817
Date Published
1990
Length
31 pages
Annotation
The New Jersey Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention Advisory Committee has developed an interagency plan to promote primary prevention activities statewide.
Abstract
Although many programs serve children, youth, and families in New Jersey, there is minimal coordination to ensure effective service delivery. Consequently, services to children and families are fragmented, crisis-oriented, and often inaccessible. More than 400,000 children live in poverty and many are homeless, preventive health services are lacking, and teenage pregnancy is on the rise. In 1988, more than 2,500 children died from disease or other preventable causes, 27,000 children lived apart from their families for some part of the year, more than 20,000 children were physically and/or sexually abused, more than 18,000 students dropped out of high school, and more than 42,000 youth entered the juvenile justice system on delinquency charges. The plan of the Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention Advisory Committee focuses on primary prevention to build the competencies of individuals, organizations, and systems and to promote the positive development of children and youth. Such preventive efforts are intended to reduce the likelihood of juvenile delinquency and other socially unacceptable behavior before treatment and/or intervention by authorities. The plan incorporates a call to action for parents, teachers, and community officials at every level of government to evaluate their roles as part of the problem and the potential solution to juvenile delinquency. Specific goals and objectives of the plan are detailed as well as plan implementation activities. An appendix contains information on school dropouts, juvenile arrests, and New Jersey's juvenile justice system. References, tables, and figures