Adolescents are developmentally distinct from adults in ways that merit a tailored response to juvenile crime. Normative adolescent brain development is associated with increases in risk taking, which may include criminal behavior. Juvenile delinquency peaks during the adolescent years and declines in concert with psychosocial maturation. However,…

"The Mentoring Toolkit 2.0: Resources for Developing Programs for Incarcerated Youth" provides information, program descriptions, and links to important resources that can assist juvenile correctional facilities and other organizations to design effective mentoring programs for neglected and delinquent youth, particularly those who are…

In this article, Mark Freado and Howard Bath present the case of an 11 year boy who had been arrested and charged with the murder of his two-year-old cousin. Because of the severity of the criminal charge against this boy, and despite his age, a transfer hearing was set to determine whether he would be tried as a juvenile or an adult. Such…

Inhalant and prescription medication abuse, particularly among adolescents, are serious problems in our society. Several risk factors associated with inhalant and medication abuse among adolescents have been identified. As a result, adolescents may suffer multiple consequences in a range of developmental areas. The purpose of this article is to…

Many teenagers get involved in criminal activity. This tendency is so pervasive that psychologist Terrie Moffitt, one of the world's leading experts on the development of antisocial behavior, has described delinquent behavior as a normal part of teenager life (Scott & Steinberg, 2008). Adults, even those in the justice system, are often at a loss…

The rise in female delinquency has resulted in large numbers of girls being incarcerated in Youth Development Centers (YDC). However, there are few gender specific treatment programs for incarcerated female adolescent offenders, particularly for those with a history of substance dependency. In this article, we present a Multi-level Risk Model…

Advances in prevention science in the past 25 years provide important direction for neighborhood and community efforts to improve the lives of youth. Prevention scientists have applied a public health approach to youth problems such as drug use and delinquency, and have shown that these problems can be prevented. The identification of risk and…

In understanding delinquency in adolescence the key theoretical papers on the role of oedipal resolution and superego development remain essential and are summarized. To this we need to add our knowledge of trauma and of developmental deficit if we are to offer appropriate strategies for young delinquents and to be able to select those for whom…

Reviews major theories of the adolescent crime rate peak; presents the integrated theory (which attempts to explain why most people in modern, industrialized societies increase their levels of offending during adolescence); and discusses the extent to which individual, group, and temporal factors influence the applicability of the theory.…

Fifteen-year olds have the highest crime rate of any age group in Great Britain. A formal initiation of adolescents into adulthood, such as that of Australian Aboriginal society, may be what is lacking in contemporary society. Examines functions of the Aboriginal initiation as a basis for modern initiations that include challenge, responsibility,…

This report is designed to help community-based organizations, youth-serving agencies, and the criminal justice and juvenile justice systems recognize their common stake in supporting healthy and positive youth development, both to revitalize their neighborhoods and to control crime. It focuses on: "The Basics: Youth, Crime and Community…

This document focuses on adolescent depression, described as a major, pervasive, and perhaps increasing problem. A brief introduction to depression in adolescence, with case examples, is followed by a discussion of what constitutes adolescent depression. Depressed mood, depressive syndromes, and clinical depression are three approaches taken in…

Examines the variety of informal groups of adolescents that exist throughout Russia today. Categorizes these groups according to their beliefs and behavior. Maintains that the situation of Russian young people today is a disaster zone. (CFR)

Youth violence and delinquency are problems that continue to challenge many communities across the U.S. For over a decade, Pennsylvania has been a national leader in confronting youth problem behaviors in a progressive and proactive fashion, investing heavily in supporting local community prevention coalitions and the use of proven-effective…

Three case histories elucidate a discussion of the developmental nature of the behaviors of juvenile male sexual offenders. The sexual assault cycle is defined in the stages of negative self-image, predicting rejection, isolation, fantasies, planning the offense, and committing the offense. Tools for treating the offender are outlined. (Author/JDD)