From Colombia to Northern Ireland, from South Africa to the United States. All around the world, youth violence—defined as violence committed by or against individuals ages 10–29—is occurring with alarming frequency; 565 young people die every day as a result of interpersonal assaults. What can be done to end this needless violence?
The magnitude of the problem of youth violence in nations throughout the world is shocking. What is encouraging is that strategies to combat this issue do appear to work. For example, community-based restorative justice programs in Northern Ireland reduced retaliatory strikes by paramilitary youth groups by 75 percent, and research trials of policy and intervention strategies, such as parent training and early childhood education, have been shown to significantly reduce youth violence.
This text offers a comprehensive overview of youth violence, including background information that defines the problem internationally, a conceptual framework for understanding approaches to youth violence, examinations of multiple case studies, and examples of prevention programs. The final section presents conclusions and suggested strategies for dealing with interpersonal violence and recommendations for future policy.
