Between 1980 and 1996 the number of arrests has increased considerably for offenders ages 12 and under. This increase is a cost to society in two ways: the cost of the crime and the cost of multiple agencies involved with these children. Several questions have developed due to this increase: How does the juvenile justice system deal with child delinquents? Is child delinquency a predictor of serious, violent, and chronic offending? How early can we predict, and what are early warning signs? In an effort to develop answers for these questions and many more, editors Rolf Loeber and David Farrington organized a study group on Very Young offenders comprising 39 experts on juvenile delinquency and child problem behavior. Over a two-year period of intense and collaborative work these individuals have produced the book Child Delinquents: Development, Intervention, and Service Needs. Presenting empirically derived insights, Child Delinquents is the definitive statement to date on the working knowledge of prevalence, development, risk and protective factors, and optimal intervention with preteen offenders. This book is an excellent source for a broad audience of researchers, scholars, psychiatry, and practitioners at the administrative level.
Professor, Department of Psychiatry, School of Medicine (Secondary appointment in Dept. of Psychology) PhD, Queens University Clinical Program, Clinical/Developmental Program Research Interests: Juvenile antisocial behavior and delinquency, substance use, mental health problems
Foreword - Shay Bilchik Foreword - James F Short Preface - Rolf Loeber and David P Farrington Executive Summary - Rolf Loeber and David P Farrington The Significance of Child Delinquency - Rolf Loeber and David P Farrington PART ONE: EPIDEMIOLOGY AND DEVELOPMENT OF CHILD DELINQUENCY Epidemiology of Official Offending - Howard N Snyder Epidemiology of Self-Reported Delinquency - Rachele C Espiritu, David Huizinga, Anne Crawford and Rolf Loeber Later Delinquency Careers - Marvin D Krohn et al Epidemiology of Problem Behavior up to Age 12 - David R Offord, Ellen L Lipman and Erik K Duku Uncovering Preschool Precursor Problem Behaviors - Kate Keenan PART TWO: RISK FACTORS AND INTERVENTIONS FOR CHILD DELINQUENCY Individual Risk and Protective Factors - Richard E Tremblay and David LeMarquand Family Risk Factors and Interventions - Gail A Wasserman and Angela M Seracini Peer Factors and Interventions - John D Coie and Shari Miller-Johnson School and Community Risk Factors and Interventions - Todd I Herrenkohl et al Race and Gender Issues - Kimberly Kempf-Leonard, Meda Chesney-Lind and Darnell F Hawkins PART THREE: MENTAL HEALTH, CHILD WELFARE, AND JUVENILE JUSTICE INTERVENTION Mental Health, Education, Child Welfare, and Juvenile Justice Service Use - Barbara J Burns et al Juvenile Justice Programs and Strategies - James C Howell Legal Issues - Janet K Wiig Economic Costs and Benefits of Early Developmental Prevention - Brandon C Welsh PART FOUR: CONCLUSION Summary of Key Conclusions - David P Farrington and Rolf Loeber Key Research and Policy Issues - David P Farrington, Rolf Loeber and Larry M Kalb
