To examine new approaches to drug law enforcement, this report presents a number of police programs that emphasize prevention of drug use or disruption of drug transactions. The report is based on extensive interviews with police chiefs and officers, criminologists, criminal justice management consultants, U.S. Department of Justice personnel, and…

This report assesses the cost effectiveness of several crime prevention strategies that involve early intervention in the lives of people at risk of pursuing a criminal career. Four different approaches are examined: (1) home visits by child care professionals beginning before birth and extending through the first 2 years of life, followed by 4…

The Children At Risk program was created in Wisconsin in 1985 with the broad goal of reducing the number of students at risk of failing in or dropping out of school. The program requires all school districts to identify children at risk, including dropouts, truants, parents, or adjudicated delinquents, who are behind their age group in either…

With this handbook, crime prevention practitioners have a guideline by which they can structure viable crime prevention programs for their communities. Every aspect of developing, organizing, and implementing strategies for urban community participation in crime prevention is covered. The handbook makes a compelling case for using local resources…

Due to the unusually high number of adolescent mothers in the United States, public concern surrounding the issue of teenage motherhood has accelerated. In order to understand this birth trend, an ecological framework which considers multiple aspects of the lives of teenage mothers is presented here. The study, which uses the National Education…

This chapter provides an overview of current school-based youth suicide prevention efforts. Rather than review the wide variety of existing broad-based and focused school-based prevention programs, the chapter covers conceptually grounded exemplars for which there are some empirical data to illustrate recommended, available youth suicide…

This publication reviews a variety of empirically supported approaches to dealing with alcohol and drug problems in adolescents. Its focus is to provide motivationally based brief interventions that can be delivered in a variety of contexts address key developmental considerations and draw on the latest knowledge about the processes of addictive…

Recent studies have suggested that anxiety disorders in childhood may be prevented and treated with early intervention programs. It is essential that guidelines are available for health professionals to use in the development of these programs. Following an introductory chapter, chapter 2 explains the rationale for early intervention. Chapter 3…

This evaluation focuses on the effectiveness of the brief family counseling intervention component of a school-based comprehensive program. Assessment was based upon increased attendance rates; decreased suspension at secondary schools; decreased number of violent incidents; increased number of students receiving mental health services; and…

This document is comprised of the four 1999 issues of a publication providing a forum for scholarly reviews and discussion of developmental research and its implications for the social policies affecting children. The topics of the issues are: (1) "Beyond 'Giving Science Away': How University-Community Partnerships Inform Youth Programs, Research,…

Third World countries have used community health advisors (CHAs) for many years to deliver health services, health education, and linkages to isolated and underserved communities. In 1998 the National Community Health Advisor Study estimated there were at least 600 such programs in the United States using about 12,500 CHAs. Program activities and…

This paper discusses the results of a study that investigated the effectiveness of a demonstration program designed to provide in-home intervention with parents and children in families with substance abuse issues. The goals of the program were to prevent further child abuse or neglect, prevent family breakdown and child placement, and facilitate…

Noting that most individuals working with young children and their families lack the knowledge and skills to identify early warning signs of significant child distress and that most communities lack resources and expertise to address early social and emotional concerns, this report discusses the importance of healthy social and emotional…

America's substance abuse epidemic has come to rural America. Adults in small metropolitan and rural areas are just as likely as those in urban America to use and abuse illegal drugs, alcohol, and tobacco. Young teens in small metropolitan and rural areas are more likely to abuse substances than those in large metro areas. Based on a wide variety…

A full service school is one that meets the most basic needs of children and their families. This book discusses how these needs can be met within the school setting in order to produce the key desired outcomes of increased learning and easier teaching. The book maintains that schools must think in nontraditional ways and that the voices of…