NCJ Number
162012
Journal
Youth Record Volume: 8 Issue: 6 Dated: (March 31, 1996) Pages: 1,12-14
Date Published
1995
Length
4 pages
Annotation
The increasing rate of violent crime involving juveniles as both perpetrators and victims and the demographic changes that will increase the population of youth ages 14-17 indicate that within the next 10 years the United States will experience an unprecedented increase in youth crime.
Abstract
Researchers have demonstrated that certain conditions correlate highly with the increase in juvenile violence. Parental absence increases a child's likelihood of future criminal behavior. Juvenile drug use is highly correlated with delinquent behavior, and drug use among adolescents has increased in recent years. Most people in the United States believe that the media affects violent crime at least a little. By the year 2005, the number of youths aged 15-19 will increase by 23 percent, and a growing proportion of these teenagers will be coming from homes without fathers. Given the correlation between father absence and crime, some experts estimate that violent crime like murder could increase to 40,000 murders per year, an increase of 60 percent from the current level. These findings indicate the need for all levels of government to make addressing juvenile delinquency prevention a major priority. Figure, table, and 44 reference notes