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,…

As teenagers mature, they seek to move away from the adult community's normative pressures. A 10-year survey of adolescents in 10 communities found more congruence than conflict between parent and adolescent world views. Seattle, Washington's innovative youth charter offers an ideal way to map out adult and adolescent roles. Includes nine…

Defines youth development programs and reviews the program evaluation literature. Discusses (1) positive-behavior focused competency/asset enhancing programs, (2) problem-behavior focused competency/asset enhancing programs, and (3) resistance skills-based prevention programs. Includes an appendix of detailed summaries of 15 program evaluations.…

The rationale, origins, and practice of peer counseling, a system of training people to help each other through empathy and decision making, are detailed. Specific applications are described, with particular attention to involving adolescents as peer counselors. Peer counselor training as practiced by the Peer Counselling Project (University of…

This paper reviews some of the maturational events that are applicable in studying psychological effects of pubertal status and timing. Nine changes are reviewed (bone, height, weight, body fat, breast, body hair, penile, testicular, and menarcheal changes) in terms of measurement techniques, psychometric properties, and intercorrelations with…