Early Interventions to Prevent Juvenile Crime and Delinquency

The purpose of this project at the Kennedy Krieger Institute (KKI)is to both expand existing programs as well as initiate new programs focusing on early interventions to prevent juvenile crime and delinquency. These program initiatives will focus on addressing behavior problems that are precursors to more serious problems such as delinquency, drug taking, pregnancy and school failure. The behavior problems addressed by these interventions include disruptive behavior at home and in school, non-compliance with rules and parental requests, aggression and other forms of externalizing behavior disorders. Other areas of focus will provide remediation for the potential consequences of childhood abuse and neglect, and utilize linkages between science, clinical services, and the juvenile and family court system into one seamless effort to protect children, and at the same time ensure maximum beneficial rearing situations. It is anticipated that the program expansion necessary for this new initiative will provide needed services to approximately 1,000 families per year.
The new initiatives are expected to involve over 11,000 contacts per year in clinic, school and home settings. Patients treated range from toddlers to adults, however 75% of our patient population is in the 5-17 year age range.

NCA/NCF