Integrated Approaches to Preventing Antisocial Behavior Patterns Among School-Age Children and Youth

LEVELS OF BOTH LETHAL AND NONlethal forms of youth violence continue to accelerate in our society despite recent declines in other forms of criminal behavior (Federal Bureau of Investigation, 1996)Four years ago, the former surgeon general, C. Everett Koop, and his associates in the medical field declared interpersonal violence to be the Number 1 public health problem in this country (Koop & Lundberg, 1992). Gunshot wounds have now replaced automobile accidents as the leading cause of paralysis among young people (Centers for Disease Control, 1994). Evidence suggests that the United States has evolved into the most violent developed country in the world (Council on Crime in America, 1996; Zimring & Hawkins, 1995). Our society seems to be caught up in an epidemic of violence—a majority of which is accounted for by youth under the age of 19 who use handguns and other weapons to settle disputes (Fagan, 1996). Most of these individuals are young men, although young women seem to be narrowing the gender gap in the areas of juvenile crime and gang activity (Hawkins, 1996). Recent demographic projections are far from encouraging. For example, it is expected This article provides a reconceptualization of the role of schools in preventing antisocial behavior