Breadcrumb
- Federal Resources
Federal Resources
National Youth Gang Survey Analysis
This annual survey of law enforcement agencies is developed and implemented by the National Gang Center and is used to assess the extent of gang problems by measuring the presence, characteristics, and behaviors of local gangs in jurisdictions throughout the country.
Predictors of Youth Violence
This Juvenile Justice Bulletin from the OJJDP gives a comprehensive discussion of risk factors for youth violence, including gang membership, across the domains of individual, family, school, peer, and community factors. The Bulletin also gives a brief overview of a study that looked at predictors of violent or serious delinquency by age group and includes a discussion of what the results mean for implementing interventions and appropriately using the identified risk factors.
Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention
The Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention (OJJDP) provides national leadership, coordination, and resources to prevent and respond to juvenile delinquency and victimization.
OJJDP Safe Start Center
The Safe Start communities are funded competitively through OJJDP, and work to coordinate the efforts of service providers in key areas, such as early childhood education, health, child welfare, substance abuse prevention and intervention, domestic violence, law enforcement, and the courts to address the needs of children exposed to violence.
Protecting Children in Cyberspace: The ICAC Task Force Program
The ICAC Program can help State and local law enforcement agencies to develop an effective response to online enticement and child pornography cases.
PTSD, Trauma, and Comorbid Psychiatric Disorders in Detained Youth
Developed by the Department of Justice as part of the ongoing Beyond Detention series, this bulletin analyzes data from the Northwestern Juvenile project, a longitudinal study of youth detained at the Cook County Juvenile Temporary Detention Center in Chicago. The prevalence of trauma and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) seen among the juveniles studied is discussed, as well as the tendency for PTSD and other psychiatric disorders to co-occur in this population.
Recognizing When a Child’s Injury or Illness Is Caused by Abuse
This guide can help first-responders and investigators distinguish between types of injuries and differentiate between injuries that result from child abuse (PDF, 28 pages) and those that are accidental.
Risk and Protective Factors Data Tool
This strategic planning tool developed by the OJJDP helps communities assess the severity of their gang problems and plan their responses. The tools provided include: a community resource inventory to record community assets such as programs and services; planning and implementation questions to help assess what prevention and intervention programs match with their needs; descriptions of risk factors categorized by age and domain (individual, family, etc.); and a program matrix that lists appropriate programs and their descriptions.
Special Education and the Juvenile Justice System
The Bulletin summarizes the provisions of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act and analyzes their relevance to the juvenile justice process-from intake and initial interview to institutional placement and secure confinement.
Spanish Language Resource: Abducted Children
The Department of Justice’s Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention has released a Spanish translation of a publication for youth who were abducted as children and are working towards recovery.
The Northwestern Juvenile Project: Overview
This bulletin provides an overview of the Northwestern Juvenile Project, the first large-scale, prospective longitudinal study of drug, alcohol, and psychiatric disorders in a diverse sample of juvenile detainees.
The Impact of Gangs on Communities
This National Youth Gang Center bulletin gives a comprehensive discussion on the effects of gangs within communities and the lifelong effects of this problem. Factors taken into account include demographics of a community, and the impacts gang activity can have on the economic and physical climate of an affected area.
Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention’s Internet Crimes Against Children Task Forces Arrest More Than 1,000 Child Predators in Operation Broken Heart
Sixty-one members of the ICAC Task Force, funded by OJJDP, arrested 1,140 child predators from 41 states during Operation Broken Heart. This was a two-month, nationwide coordinated investigative operation to intensify efforts to identify and arrest child sexual predators during the months of April and May 2015.
Second National Survey of Children’s Exposure to Violence
Children’s Exposure to Violence, Crime, and Abuse: An Update (PDF, 16 pages) presents findings from the second National Survey of Children’s Exposure to Violence (NatSCEV II), conducted in 2011. NatSCEV II gathered data about exposure to violence among a new group of 4,500 children and youth, and added new categories of crime and victimization. Findings from the NatSCEV II show that 60% of young people were exposed to violence in the past year, and more than one in 10 reported five or more exposures.
OJJDP Releases Research on Youth's Mental Health Needs and Long-Term Outcomes after Detention
OJJDP released four research bulletins based on findings from the Northwestern Juvenile Project, which investigates the mental health needs and long-term outcomes of juvenile detainees:
- Detained Youth Processed in Juvenile and Adult Court: Psychiatric Disorders and Mental Health Needs (PDF, 16 pages)
- Perceived Barriers to Mental Health Services Among Detained Youth (PDF, 12 pages)
- Psychiatric Disorders in Youth After Detention (PDF, 20 pages)
- Violent Death in Delinquent Youth After Detention (PDF, 14 pages)
Resource: Data Snapshot on Youth Victims of Violence
This Statistical Briefing Book Data Snapshot (PDF, 1 page) highlights characteristics of youth victims of violence and domestic violence using data from the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s National Incident-Based Reporting System.
Resource: Enhanced Resource Guidelines: Improving Court Practice in Child Abuse and Neglect Cases
These guidelines (PDF, 417 pages) are available for judges and court professionals as a tool to enhance court practice in child abuse and neglect cases.
Report: Durable Collaborations: The National Forum on Youth Violence Prevention
This report describes the outcomes from a study of the perceptions and attitudes of community leaders in the 15 cities participating in the National Forum on Youth Violence Prevention. Results indicate that leaders feel the Forum develops greater opportunities for youth, more effective violence prevention approaches, improved perceptions of law enforcement, and a broader engagement of community members.
Report: Impact of Domestic Violence Policies and Practices on Girls and Young Women
This summary report (PDF, 19 pages) by OJJDP’s National Girls Initiative explains the issues discussed during a roundtable event with advocates from the violence against women and juvenile justice reform for girls communities. The report describes a set of principles identified by participants; research gaps; and promising future federal, state, and local directions to ensure girls and young women are not criminalized for behaviors due to experiences of trauma, and can access services and supports.
Resource: National Youth Violence Prevention Update 2010-2016
This update (PDF, 16 pages) provides an overview of the three signature initiatives that comprise the federal national youth violence prevention strategy: the National Forum on Youth Violence Prevention, the Community-Based Violence Prevention program, and the Defending Childhood initiative.
Resource: Changing Minds Campaign
This campaign aims to educate adults who work with youth about the impact of childhood trauma and the actions they can take to help young people heal.
Report: The Role of Technology in Youth Harassment Victimization
This bulletin (PDF, 12 pages) discusses key findings from the Technology Harassment Victimization study. Conducted between December 2013 and March 2014, this study examined technology-involved harassment within the context of other types of youth victimization and risk factors.
Report: Gun Violence and Youth
This literature review (PDF, 24 pages) provides an overview of intentional gun violence involving youth, aged 10-24, in the U.S., including homicides, nonfatal injuries, suicides, community violence, and school violence/shootings. It includes information on the scope of the problem, risk and protective factors, policy research on guns, guns as a public health issue, and evidence-based practices and programs to reduce gun violence.
Resource: Enhancing Law Enforcement Response to Children Exposed to Violence
This toolkit, developed by the International Association of Chiefs of Police and the Yale Child Study Center with support from OJJDP, provides practical tools and resources to assist law enforcement agencies in building or enhancing effective operational responses to children exposed to violence. This toolkit can help police leaders and frontline officers provide trauma-informed, developmentally-appropriate responses to children exposed to violence.
Resource: Arts-Based Programs and Arts Therapies Literature Review
This literature review (PDF, 9 pages) explores recent research on arts-based programs and arts therapies for at-risk, justice-involved, and traumatized youth. It describes the theoretical foundation that supports the use of these therapies, outcome evidence found in the literature, and model program descriptions. Youth-serving professionals can use this resource to learn about programs that have demonstrated positive impacts on youth. Researchers can use it to understand the current state of research on this topic and to explore how future studies can address how and in which optimal conditions the arts can directly impact youth.