OJJDP Research: Making a Difference for Juveniles

As a society that strives to raise productive, healthy, and safe children, how can we be certain that our responses to juvenile crime are effective? Do we know if our efforts at delinquency prevention and intervention are making real differences in the lives of youth and their families and in their communities? How can we strengthen and better target our delinquency and crime prevention strategies? Can we modify these strategies as needed to respond to the ever-changing needs of our Nation’s youth?

OJJDP Research: Making a Difference for Juveniles summarizes key initiatives undertaken by OJJDP’s Research Division in research, evaluation, and statistics from 1996 through 1998 and presents the major findings of
these initiatives. Readers may have encountered some of this information previously—for example, the research on serious and violent juvenile offenders received widespread attention from policymakers and practitioners. However, this publication goes beyond simply reporting the facts. It puts the findings into context, highlighting their significance to policymakers, juvenile justice systems, schools, families, and juveniles themselves.