Deviance

Historically, girls have been less likely than boys to become involved in the juvenile justice system (Ehrmann, Hyland, and Puzzanchera, 2019; Statistical Briefing Book, 2022). Increases in the proportion of cases involving girls during the 1990s led to increased attention on the needs of girls in the system and on how their needs may differ from boys’. Although girls are still underrepresented in most stages...

Bullying involving children and youth has become a topic of national conversation over the past few decades and is a major focus for schools across the United States and internationally (Gladden et al., 2014; Ybarra et al., 2019). Bullying can cause substantial harm to the children and youth who are victimized, to those who engage in bullying behaviors, and to the bystanders who witness bullying...

In 1979, Hermon Goldstein observed from several studies conducted at the time on standard policing practices that law enforcement agencies seemed to be more concerned about the means rather than the goals of policing. He argued that law enforcement agencies should shift away from the traditional, standard model of policing and that police become more proactive, rather than reactive, in their approaches to crime and...

Youth substance use treatment programs aim to reduce alcohol and illicit drug use, and the misuse of licit drugs, in youths who have been clinically diagnosed with a substance use problem. These programs differ from prevention programs, which aim to promote abstinence in youths to prevent their initial or escalating use.^[1] Treatment programs can take a multitude of approaches, such as court-based, residential-based, and...

There is a large body of evidence examining the relationship between childhood exposure to violence (CEV) and unwanted psychological, behavioral, health, and socioeconomic outcomes (Afifi et al., 2020; Carlson et al., 2019; Farrell and Zimmerman, 2018; Fitton, Yu, and Fazel, 2020; Lippard and Nemeroff, 2020; Polanin et al., 2021; Weissman et al., 2020). This relationship has emerged as an important topic of research, as it...

Liz Ryan became Administrator of the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention on May 16, 2022, following appointment by President Joseph R. Biden. Prior to leading OJJDP, Ms. Ryan served as president and CEO of the Youth First Initiative, a national campaign focused on ending the incarceration of youth by investing in community-based alternatives. Ms. Ryan founded the Youth First Initiative in 2014; under...

Youth substance use prevention programs aim to promote abstinence from alcohol and illicit drugs and the misuse of over-the-counter drugs. They differ from treatment programs, which focus on youths who have been clinically diagnosed with a substance abuse problem. A variety of approaches have been developed that work with families, schools, and communities to help children and adolescents develop skills and approaches to prevent or...

In the United States, hate crimes are complex and often underreported crimes (Levin et al., 2007; Kena and Thompson, 2021; Pezella, Fetzer, and Keller, 2019). For a crime to be considered a hate crime there must be a motivation (in part or in whole) to commit the crime based on a bias against a particular social group of people. The bias may be based on race...

Data have shown that youths of color are more likely than white youths to be arrested and subsequently go deeper into the juvenile justice system (e.g., Puzzanchera, 2021; Puzzanchera and Hockenberry, 2013; Sickmund et al., 2021; Sickmund, Sladky, and Kang, 2021). Researchers have examined the contributing factors to these racial and ethnic disparities for decades, often testing hypotheses and theoretical frameworks related to differential offending...

OJJDP Support

To address youth gangs, the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention (OJJDP) supports a range of programs and activities designed to prevent and suppress gang violence and recruitment.

In FY 2019, OJJDP awarded $7.4 million to support communities as they work to deter and suppress gang activity and provide services and treatment to victims of gang-related violence and crime. OJJDP provided direct...

• Overview
• Training and Technical Assistance
• Contacts
• Resources

Overview

In October 2009, the National Youth Gang Center, which had been funded by the OJJDP since 1995, merged with the National Gang Center, which had been funded by the Bureau of Justice Assistance since 2003. This new partnership recognizes that street gang activities transcend ages of the members and that a balanced, comprehensive approach is needed to...

The Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention (OJJDP) has released the Juvenile Drug Treatment Court Guidelines.

Juvenile drug treatment courts (JDTC) are designed for youth with substance use disorders who come into contact with the juvenile justice system. The new guidelines provide juvenile courts with an evidence-based, treatment-oriented approach that emphasizes family engagement, and addresses the substance use and often co-occurring mental health...

Overview

The Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention (OJJDP) is a leader in efforts to reduce the overrepresentation of minority youth in the Nation's juvenile justice system. Funding through OJJDP's Formula Grants program (Title II) helps states address juvenile delinquency and supports improvements to the juvenile justice system. The funds also help states address the core requirements of the Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention...

OJJDP envisions a nation where children are free from crime and violence. In fiscal year 2019, OJJDP awarded $323,477,998 in grants to support programs, research, training and technical assistance, and information dissemination activities that enhance public safety, ensure youth are held appropriately accountable, and empower them to live productive, law abiding lives.

OJJDP continues its commitment to programs and initiatives that focus on fostering police-youth...

Training Overview

In November 2018, the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention (OJJDP) hosted a training for state representatives in Baltimore, MD. Attendees included compliance monitors, disproportionate minority contact coordinators, juvenile justice specialists, and state advisory group members serving in one of those positions.

The 4-day training provided participants with an overview of the Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention (JJDP) Act, updates on...

OJJDP's JUVJUST news services provides information on OJJDP and OJJDP-supported publications, funding opportunities, events, and more to subscribers. OJJDP will consider requests from other federal agencies to release information through the JUVJUST news service on a case-by-case basis. Subscribe to JUVJUST and browse past JUVJUST announcements below.

Review the following information to access contacts, funding information, state plans, performance measures, and more.

Review the following information to access contacts, funding information, state plans, performance measures, and more. 

Review the following information to access contacts, funding information, and more. 

Review the following information to access contacts, funding information, state plans, performance measures, and more.

Review the following information to access contacts, funding information, state plans, performance measures, and more.

Review the following information to access contacts, funding information, state plans, performance measures, and more.

Review the following information to access contacts, funding information, state plans, performance measures, and more.