Serious and violent juvenile delinquency: An update

Abstract

This essay updates findings set out in Ernstige en gewelddadige jeugddelinquentie: Omvang, oorzaken en interventies [Serious and Violent Juvenile Delinquency: Prevalence, Causes, and Interventions] (2001), edited by Rolf Loeber, N. Wim Slot, and Joseph A. Sergeant. Recent secular changes in the prevalence of antisocial behavior and serious delinquency are either unknown or inclusive. Developmental aspects of sexually delinquent behaviors remain poorly undertood. Similar risk factors explaining delinquency apply to different ethnic groups. The severity of delinquency is positively associated with the presence of mental health disorders, but not all studies agree. Increasing population diversity requires use of measurement instruments that are culturally sensitive and reliable. Similar relationships between family factors and antisocial behavior hold for different ethnic groups. Progress has been made with the construction of screening devices for the identification of high‐risk groups of youths. Advances have been made in implementing and evaluating preventive programs for different age groups, but evaluations of interventions in juvenile institutions and in the justice system remain a high priority.