Description
Book SynopsisAfter decades of rigorous study in the United States and across the Western world, a great deal is known about the early risk factors for offending. High impulsiveness, low attainment, criminal parents, parental conflict, and growing up in a deprived, high-crime neighborhood are among the most important factors. There is also a growing body of high quality scientific evidence on the effectiveness of early prevention programs designed to prevent children from embarking on a life of crime. Drawing on the latest evidence, Saving Children from a Life of Crime is the first book to assess the early causes of offending and what works best to prevent it. Preschool intellectual enrichment, child skills training, parent management training, and home visiting programs are among the most effective early prevention programs. Criminologists David Farrington and Brandon Welsh also outline a policy strategy--early prevention--that uses this current research knowledge and brings into sharper focus wha
Trade Review"Well researched and well reasoned, pragmatic and clearly written: A call to action grounded in science. This book should guide the creation of a national strategy for preventing crime before it starts."--J. David Hawkins, Endowed Professor of Prevention, University of Washington
"The current willingness to allow at-risk children to develop unimpeded into serious, chronic offenders represents an inexcusable policy failure and threat to public safety. Farrington and Welsh balance this "bad news" with invaluable "good news": there is a growing body of evidence-based practices that "work" to save troubled youngsters. Their scholarly but accessible analysis makes a compelling case that the knowledge now exists to construct a national system for early intervention. Perhaps more important, Saving Children from a Life of Crime has the power to inspire in its readers the political will to make this ambitious vision a reality. Let the reading begin!"--Francis T. Cullen, Distinguished Research Professor, University of Cincinnati
Table of ContentsJames Q. Wilson: Foreword 1: Introduction: The Need for Early Prevention Part I: Early Risk and Protective Factors 2: Understanding Risk and Protective Factors 3: Individual Factors 4: Family Factors 5: Socioeconomic, Peer, School, and Community Factors Part II: Prevention in the Early Years 6: Understanding Risk-Focused Prevention 7: Individual Prevention 8: Family Prevention 9: Peer, School, and Community Prevention Part III: Toward a National Strategy 10: Never Too Early: A Comprehensive National Prevention Strategy Notes References Index
