For Immediate Release August 14, 1997

The Four M's Of Ending Juvenile Crime

Many Coloradoans live in neighborhoods where the fear of violent crime is as much a part of life as their daily bread. Who are these violent criminals? All too often, researchers find, they are America's young people, the "future" of our country.

Juvenile violent crime is up, both across America and in Colorado. In 1994 alone, law enforcement authorities made 150,000 arrests of teenagers for violent crimes. Nationally, juveniles committed 14 percent of all violent crimes and one-quarter of all property crimes. In 1995, teenagers were responsible for nearly 4,000 murders. In the last two decades, the violent crime rate for Colorado teenagers has soared.

Leading criminologists such as Princeton University's John DiIulio project that this nationwide trend will worsen as the size of America’s teenage population grows into the next century. "Most experts," he explains, "now agree that the number of juveniles arrested for murder, rape, robbery, and aggravated assault will more than double by 2010."

What will it take to prevent this explosion of juvenile crime? DiIulio argues that one factor is critical: restoring the family and community ties of at-risk youth. He should know. DiIulio serves on the Council on Crime in America. The Council believes that building more prisons only treats the symptoms--not the root causes--of America's crisis. Their recent report, "Preventing Crime, Saving Children," recommends instead the "Four M's of Crime Prevention" to stem the tide of youth violence.

After investigating the causes of juvenile crime in great detail, the Council found that every successful prevention program they studied actively engaged caring, responsible adults in the lives of at-risk youth. DiIulio explains, "Cut to its core, the evidence shows that children are less likely to commit violent crime if they have responsible adults in their lives. Even impoverished kids living in crime-ravaged neighborhoods tend to make it if they have an adult--parent, teacher, coach, or clergy--to protect and guide them."

Sadly, as many as 57 percent of American children do not have full-time parental supervision. Where will these "responsible adults" come from? Here are four answers:

1. Monitoring: Less serious juvenile offenders need the community-based supervision of probation officers, community and church leaders, neighbors, and other adults who will remind them that they are accountable for their actions and that they have a place to turn in an emergency. The Council recommends that juvenile probation authorities, especially in urban areas, obtain better pre-and in-service training, smaller caseloads, and more financial resources to fulfill their often-daunting responsibilities.

2. Mentoring: Monitoring alone may steer some at-risk youth away from a life of crime, but not nearly enough. Most youth need more intensive relationships than that of an adult looking over their shoulder. They also need a responsible, non-parental adult to whom they can turn on a regular basis for help with their personal problems. Mentoring programs such as Big Brothers/Big Sisters of America and many church-based organizations have a high rate of success in keeping at-risk youth on the straight and narrow path towards responsible adulthood.

3. Ministering: While mentoring programs make a big difference in the lives of at-risk youth, the Council found that they often are too late to help young people who are already in serious trouble. DiIulio and his fellow researchers are convinced that intensive, community-based, "full faith and service" church programs, such as those in Boston and Philadelphia, hold the key to solving America's juvenile-violence crisis.

These faith-based programs transform the whole person and penetrate to the moral roots where criminal activity begins. Caring adults in these programs commit to assume responsibility for even the worst-off children in their neighborhoods. John Street, the President of the Philadelphia City Council observes: "The most successful programs that we have that are part of our network of service providers are those providers that are religious-based, that are part of some faith group . . .They provide a level of commitment and service that you just don't see in regular, everyday, run-of-the-mill non-profit organizations."

4. Morality not Money is the "fourth M" of juvenile crime prevention. Youth must be told why it is important to live right by people whom they trust and respect. Without a change of heart and a vision of hope that faith-based programs encourage, many teens see no reason to change their attitudes and behavior. Adults at the community level must model a message of right living and rock-bottom commitment to youth. Without motivated and concerned adults, increased money for programs will go down the drain. At-risk youth need committed adults who model accountability to God and neighbor to become a regular part of their troubled lives.

This article, from the Independence Institute staff, fellows and research network, is offered for your use at no charge. Independence Feature Syndicate articles are published for educational purposes only, and the authors speak for themselves. Nothing written here is to be construed as necessarily representing the views of the Independence Institute or as an attempt to influence any election or legislative action.
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