Violent behavior is an unavoidable aspect of human nature, and as such it has become deeply integrated into modern society. Examining violence through a critical and academic perspective can lead to a better understanding of its foundations and implications. Violence and Society: Breakthroughs in Research and Practice explores the social and cultural influences of violence on human life and activity. Focusing on emerging research perspectives, case studies, and future outlooks, this comprehensive collection is an essential reference source for graduate-level students, sociologists, researchers, professionals, and practitioners interested in the effects of violence in contemporary culture.

Even though youth crime rates have fallen since the mid-1990s, public fear and political rhetoric over the issue have heightened. The Columbine shootings and other sensational incidents add to the furor. Often overlooked are the underlying problems of child poverty, social disadvantage, and the pitfalls inherent to adolescent decisionmaking that contribute to youth crime. From a policy standpoint, adolescent offenders are caught in the crossfire between nurturance of youth and punishment of criminals, between rehabilitation and "get tough" pronouncements. In the midst of this emotional debate, the National Research Council's Panel on Juvenile Crime steps forward with an authoritative review of the best available data and analysis. Juvenile Crime, Juvenile Justice presents recommendations for addressing the many aspects of America's youth crime problem. This timely release discusses patterns and trends in crimes by children and adolescentsâ€"trends revealed by arrest data, victim reports, and other sources; youth crime within general crime; and race and sex disparities. The book explores desistanceâ€"the probability that delinquency or criminal activities decrease with ageâ€"and evaluates different approaches to predicting future crime rates. Why do young people turn to delinquency? Juvenile Crime, Juvenile Justice presents what we know and what we urgently need to find out about contributing factors, ranging from prenatal care, differences in temperament, and family influences to the role of peer relationships, the impact of the school policies toward delinquency, and the broader influences of the neighborhood and community. Equally important, this book examines a range of solutions: Prevention and intervention efforts directed to individuals, peer groups, and families, as well as day care-, school- and community-based initiatives. Intervention within the juvenile justice system. Role of the police. Processing and detention of youth offenders. Transferring youths to the adult judicial system. Residential placement of juveniles. The book includes background on the American juvenile court system, useful comparisons with the juvenile justice systems of other nations, and other important information for assessing this problem.

A Fully Updated Second Edition of a Groundbreaking Text The only textbook of its kind, Criminological Theory: A Life-Course Approach, Second Edition includes original chapters written by an interdisciplinary group of scholars and experts. The unique collection of contributors comes from the fields of psychology, social work, epidemiology, criminology, psychiatry, and sociology. Unlike other criminology textbooks, which focus exclusively on environmental and social correlates to criminal behavior, Criminological Theory uses a multi-disciplinary approach that synthesizes multiple factors and presents a more comprehensive picture of life-course antisocial behavior. Rather than concentrating exclusively on adolescence and adulthood, Criminological Theory examines the development of offending behaviors from birth through death. Each chapter incorporates a glossary of key terms to facilitate comprehension of topics and disciplines that might be unfamiliar to criminologists. The revised and updated second edition includes critical overviews of current research and presents avenues for future research, as well as empirical chapters featuring quantitative analyses and more traditional overview pieces. Innovative and groundbreaking, Criminological Theory: A Life-Course Approach, Second Edition is an essential text for students of criminology, criminal justice, and sociology.

Youth at Risk in Latin America provides evidence-based guidance to policymakers that will help increase the effectiveness of their youth investment program. Drawing on the authors' detailed analyses, the book describes twenty-three policies and programs that youth development experts agree are the basis of a quality youth development portfolio, from early childhood development programs to parent training to cash transfers for positive behaviors. It also lays out strategies for implementing this effective youth portfolio in a budget-constrained environment by reallocation of resources away from.

This unique volume by eminent gang researchers presents valuable new data on European youth gangs, describing important characteristics of these groups, and their similarities and differences to American gangs. Their findings from the Eurogang Research Program highlight the impact of immigration and ethnicity, urbanization, national influences, and local neighborhood circumstances on gang development in several European countries. It is an important resource on crime, delinquency and youth development for criminologists, sociologists, youth workers, policy makers, local governments, and law enforcement professionals.

This compilation of original essays does more than just illuminate the serious problem of teen violence and victimization; it also provides resources that parents and teachers can use to address issues of violence with their teens and make a difference. While it's widely known that hate crimes represent a serious issue among today's adolescent population, most parents—and perhaps even some educators—may be unaware that gender-based violence is the most prevalent type of hate crime committed by and experienced by teens, and that adolescent girls are exposed to more violence than boys. A complete understanding of the nature of the problem is fundamental to curtailing problems like cyberbullying and sexual harrassment. The Psychology of Teen Violence and Victimization is a two-volume set that fills a gap in the current literature on teen violence by addressing the incidence, psychological explanations, and impact of all forms of teen violence. The author—a psychologist who has focused upon interpersonal problems centered on violence, harassment, and gender—provides in-depth discussion of the various types of violence committed by and against teens. The set offers actionable prevention strategies for parents and teachers as well as individuals involved in community programs. Special attention is given to the impact of violence on adolescents' emotional and physical health, interpersonal relationships, career development, and self-concept.