Current educational and juvenile justice systems rely greatly on punishment and power over strategies-- especially when faced with youth whose severe behaviors escalate to violence. This book attempts to go beyond the typical problem-focused book, offering field-tested, concrete prevention and intervention strategies that can be used to help even…

The purpose of this research was to determine the effects of educating students on the negative aspects of enabling their peers. Enabling is any action taken by a concerned person that removes or softens the effect of a harmful consequence. For this study, 24 students (21 females) who were characterized as "Natural Helper" students at a…

The term "at-risk" has changed significantly in its usage and some of the insights offered by college students studying at-risk youth are presented in this paper. Their observations are grouped under what it means to be an at-risk youth; measurement techniques, such as the status or cohort method, which are used to identify such youth; the…

This document presents official responses to President Clinton's October 19, 1996 radio address urging stronger measures to reduce the incidence of teen's driving while under the influence of drugs. The document begins by reviewing background information concerning state laws, enforcement issues, drug testing, and prevention as they relate to…

This report on smoking and health, the twenty-third in a series that was begun in 1964, is the first in this series to focus on young people. It underscores the seriousness of tobacco use and its relationship to other adolescent problem behaviors. Examined here are the past few decades' scientific literature on the factors that influence the onset…

This report assesses findings from content analyses on crime news, investigating whether news coverage reflects actual crime trends; how news coverage depicts minorities and crime; and whether news coverage disproportionately depicts minority youth as perpetrators. Data came from searches of criminal justice and communications databases, which…

Noting that rates of teen pregnancies and births have declined over the past decade, this analysis examined how much of the progress is due to fewer teens having sex and how much to lower rates of pregnancy among sexually active teens. The analysis drew on data from the federal government's National Survey of Family Growth (NSFG), a large,…

Research indicates that parents, grandparents, elders, foster parents, youth leaders, coaches, and other role models can play a major role in helping young people avoid substance abuse. This booklet provides caregivers with guidelines for communicating with youth about these potential problems. It is geared to the parents or guardians of 7-to-13…

This paper describes the evaluative research of the Palm Beach County, Florida School Districts Youth Court Trial Program. Youth or teen courts have been implemented as an alternative measure to juvenile courts for handling adolescents who committed delinquent acts, usually for the first time. The purpose of the applied research was to identify…

This document comprises the remarks of Richard Riley, the U.S. Secretary of Education, at the National Press Club in Washington, D.C. on September 7, 2000 for his annual "Back-to-School" speech. Presented in four parts, the speech focuses on important transitions through children's education. Part 1 maintains that it is imperative that a…

A qualitative study was conducted, guided by the following research questions: (1) What are the perceptions of parents mentored through community-initiated parent-to-parent exchanges? and (2) Does semi-formal support for parents through mentoring relationships with other parents mediate their early adolescents' risk-taking behavior, influence…

This paper briefly reviews the literature on violence in rural schools and communities, as well as the causes of rural crime and violence. General demographic and economic characteristics of rural communities are listed, followed by facts on rural school enrollments, achievement, and funding. Recent changes in rural communities that might…

Children who are subjected to the juvenile justice system suffer injustices and prejudices similar to those experienced by women and minorities. The main difference is that there is no political group comprised of juveniles who could advocate for a new approach to juvenile justice. This makes them the most vulnerable of all individuals who come…

This article examines three strategies that seem to hold particular promise in addressing the root causes of aggressive, violent behavior among young people. These strategies are improved health and counseling services for expectant and new mothers, particularly those at risk for child abuse or neglect; school reform that emphasizes the importance…

This paper discusses several issues considered as part of a statewide mentoring initiative. It is divided into three sections. The first section summarizes the key issues associated with short-term mentoring and mentoring in a longer-term, socially transformative context. Data from Comprehensive School Alienation Program is discussed concerning…