American youth violence

the long version

Franklin Zimring offers the definitive examination of adolescent violence in the United States both as a social phenomenon and a policy problem. This book covers the range of youth violence issues in the 1990s, from crime statistics to demographic projections to new legislation. The result is a thorough debunking of Congressional predictions of "a coming storm of juvenile violence" and the half-baked policy proposals that accompany such warnings. The book sets forth comprehensive and dispassionate analyses of three key areas of youth violence policy: adolescent firearms possession and use, standards for transfer from juvenile court to criminal court jurisdiction, and legal sanctions for adolescents who kill. Zimring also offers an appropriate set of responses to youth violence that are consistent with a positive future for the juvenile court and for America's children.