Official websites use .gov
A .gov website belongs to an official government organization in the United States.
Secure .gov websites use HTTPS
A lock (
) or https:// means you’ve safely connected to the .gov website. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites.
Youth curfews are an example of a local policy response to crime and delinquency committed by youths or to an increase in incidents of victimization of youths. While the requirements and restrictions vary by time, place, and age (Hazen and Brank, 2018), the general concept is that keeping youths at home during the late-night to early morning hours will limit their opportunities to commit or...
The juvenile justice system has evolved though four periods since the juvenile courts’ creation more than a century ago: the Progressive Era (1899–1960s), the Due-Process Era (1960s and 1970s), the Get-Tough-on-Crime Era (1980s and 1990s), and the contemporary reaffirmation of the Kids-Are-Different Era (2005 to the present) [Luna, 2017; National Research Council, 2013]. The juvenile justice system evolved to hold youths who offend accountable for...
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...
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...
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 fiscal year (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...
OJJDP's Tribal Youth Programs and Services helps Tribal communities prevent victimization and juvenile delinquency, reduce violent crime, and improve Tribal juvenile justice systems.
Tribal ConsultationLearn more about the Tribal Consultation:
|
Between fiscal years 2017 and...
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...
The Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force Program (ICAC) helps state and local law enforcement agencies develop an effective response to technology-facilitated child sexual exploitation and Internet crimes against children. This help encompasses forensic and investigative components, training and technical assistance, victim services, and community education.
The program was developed in 1998, in...
The Formula Grants Program is authorized under the JJDP Act of 1974, as amended.
OJJDP's Formula Grants Program supports state and local delinquency prevention and intervention efforts, and juvenile justice systems improvements. Within the program purpose areas, states can provide job training, mental health and substance use treatment, community-based programs and...
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...
