The HEW National Strategy for Youth Development Model is promoted as a community-based planning and procedural tool designed to enhance positive youth development and prevent delinquency. To investigate the relationship between the percentage of youths endorsing particular needs and problems and the relative predictiveness these items bear on…

Demographic prediction of juvenile delinquency has been hampered by the heterogeniety of youth samples. In an attempt to correct for sampling bias in predicting juvenile delinquency, 1,689 male and female youths(aged 12 to 19, drawn from a 6 percent systematic, census tract, random sample of Pennsylvania school youths) completed the Youth Needs…

Examines the effect of family structure, parental rejection, and parental supervision and control on urban Black male delinquency. Finds that only perceived parental rejection has a significant effect on participation in delinquent activities. Discusses factors in Black communities that may contribute to controlling delinquency. (FMW)

Analysis of data from the 1958 Philadelphia Birth Cohort Study indicates that individuals who dropped out from delinquency were less likely to renew their involvement with crime as adults regardless of race, socioeconomic status, gender, or particular dropout period. (FMW)

Analyzes the interrelationships among delinquency, substance abuse, and sexual activity in a sample of 1,725 youths over a 5-year period. Findings indicate that adolescent sexual intercourse is a function of age and sex, and may reflect a general propensity to engage in risky behavior. (FMW)

The Health, Education and Welfare (HEW) Office of Youth Development's National Strategy for Youth Development model was promoted as a community-based planning and procedural tool for enhancing positive youth development and reducing delinquency. To test the applicability of the model as a function of delinquency level, the program's Impact Scales…

Examines patterns of drug use and other delinquent behaviors among students and school dropouts in six inner-city neighborhoods. Finds no correlation between substance use, delinquency, and dropping out, but does find that all dropouts were characterized by weak family support systems and social isolation. (FMW)

The recent development of strong statistical techniques has made accurate predictions of recidivism possible. To investigate the utility of discriminant analysis methodology in making predictions of recidivism in juvenile offenders, the court records of 271 male and female juvenile offenders, aged 12-16, were reviewed. A cross validation group…

Recent national surveys have found marked increases in the use of illicit drugs and alcohol among adolescents. To investigate differential prediction of alcohol versus hard drug use amoung youths, 6% of the youths, aged 10-19, from a Pennsylvania county school system (N=1,689) were assessed on the HEW Community Youth Program Impact Scales. The 12…