Dangerous Children In A Dangerous World

Juvenile violent crime rates increased 62% from 1988 to 1993, and then declined by just 6% from 1993 through 1997, according to the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention (OJJDP). However, the rates for juvenile drug and curfew violations, sex offenses, and simple assaults have continued to increase. The greater the number of risk factors and the fewer the resiliency factors the greater the risk that a youth will commit a violent act. To prevent dangerousness in youth, we need to understand the sources of the problem and intervene appropriately.

Youth with histories of aggression often have families that abuse or neglect them, expose them to domestic violence, exhibit untreated psychiatric or substance abuse problems, or are uninvolved in their children