ABSTRACT
Youth antisocial behavior has increased steadily over the past several decades despite improvements in the identification and treatment of the most severe offenders (Silverthorn & Frick, 1999; Snyder & Sickmund, 1995; Wilson, 2000). Recent school shootings have been highly publicized and sensationalized events that do not capture the more dominant undercurrent of youth antisocial activity. The Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention has published data from the past 2 decades that highlight this disturbing trend. From 1983 to 1992, the juvenile violent crime rate increased 100% with an almost identical increase in the number of boys and girls seen in court for suspected delinquent activity (see Silverthorn & Frick, 1999; Snyder & Sickmund, 1995). The most recent Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention data indicate an 83% increase in female criminal cases and a 39% increase in male criminal cases during the period of 1988 to 1997 (Wilson, 2000). Youth antisocial behavior is increasing and at a high cost to society in such forms as property destruction, treatment needs of the victim(s) and perpetrator, and general legal and institutional expenses.
