Widening the Net in Juvenile Justice and the Dangers of Prevention and Early Intervention

Introduction In recent years as concerns over youth violence and youth crime has increased, policy makers have devoted more resources to delinquency prevention programs. These prevention programs are generally based on the premise that early intervention reduces the likelihood that youths will later end up in the juvenile or criminal justice system. However, as prevention programs expand, policy makers are confronted with the issue of how to target precious resources in the most effective way. Many youth policy advocates assert that delinquency prevention resources should target youths who are experiencing early warnings signs of chronic problems. Absent early intervention these potential chronic problems will result in future delinquent behavior.