ABSTRACT
Juvenile problem behaviors affect us all. Multitudes of parents are confronted by their child’s stealing, early sexual behavior, serious substance use, or prolonged depressed moods. At home, parents may see endless harangues and quarrels in which children and their siblings may become participants as well as victims. Parents are often afraid that their child will not outgrow serious problem behavior and might become chronically delinquent, addicted to alcohol or drugs, or mentally unstable. Teachers find their main mandate in the classroom thwarted by students who disrupt academic courses, bully fellow students, bring weapons into the school, or simply become chronically truant.
