NCJ Number
172915
Date Published
1996
Length
112 pages
Annotation
Although the overall rate of violent crime in the United States has not increased in recent years, law enforcement and public health officials characterize youth violence in terms of an epidemic, pointing out that serious violent crimes are now being committed by younger and that youth victims of violence are also younger.
Abstract
Statistics indicate 2,000 children are killed each year by others, 24,000 children kill themselves, and 3,500 die in traffic accidents involving drugs or alcohol. Living in a violent environment can create a casual attitude toward violence, especially when such violence occurs in the home. In addition, because children normally learn to trust and develop attachments to people within the first few years of life, much essential nurturing takes place within the family. Child abuse by parents, family members, and other significant caregivers takes many forms, including psychological or emotional abuse, sexual abuse, and lack of adequate guidance. Children who face violence in the school setting have difficulty learning, and experts point to poverty and broken families as key factors in school violence. Youth violence is also discussed in terms of gang and group violence, biological and developmental factors, violence in the American culture, guns, and drugs and alcohol. Solutions to the problem of youth violence are considered that concern family violence prevention and intervention, education, and the juvenile justice system. References, endnotes, figures, and photographs