The OJJDP-sponsored Rochester Youth Development Study found that childhood maltreatment is a significant risk factor for both self-reported violent delinquency and delinquency that results in contact with police. This study also suggests that the strength of the relationship between child maltreatment and serious or violent delinquency may increase as the maltreatment becomes more serious (Kelley, Thornberry, & Smith, 1997). Growing awareness of the risks faced by maltreated children prompted the Coordinating Council to establish the Interagency Working Group on the Link Between Child Maltreatment and Juvenile Delinquency. Established in 1998, the Working Group is yet another example of an evolving approach to delinquency prevention and reduction that emphasizes comprehensive and collaborative efforts. The Group provides a forum for discussing development of a coordinated, comprehensive, and multidisciplinary agenda for advancing research, policy, and practice on the link between child maltreatment and delinquency. The active participation of practitioners, researchers, and representatives of diverse agencies has been critical to the Group's success.

This year, in a continued effort to foster interdisciplinary collaboration at the State and local level, the Working Group, with the assistance of the Child Welfare League of America, convened four State Forums. The forums bring together State legislators, and representatives of child welfare, law enforcement, juvenile justice, and public health and mental health, among others, to foster collaboration among agencies, increase public awareness of the link between child abuse and juvenile delinquency, identify promising strategies for prevention and intervention, and promote local, community-based assessment, planning and implementation of effective practices.

The South Carolina forum is an excellent example of the collaborative approach that the CFE Program and the Coordinating Council strive to promote. Held in Columbia, South Carolina on May 7, 1999, this State Forum brought together over 300 Leaders including the directors of eight Cabinet and State agencies, United Way executives, school personnel, law enforcement officers, corporate leaders, and mental health professionals, among others, at the invitation of Governor Jim Hodges, to discuss policy and practice related to child abuse, education, and juvenile delinquency.

The priorities identified, including increased collaboration among stakeholders and long-term planning, clearly reflected a shift at the State level toward increased emphasis on long-term, comprehensive, and collaborative strategies to address the needs of children and youth. Governor Hodges emphasized the importance of this shift as he opened the forum saying, "I am asking for the best thinking and collaboration of all us. We have no tolerance for turf battles. We must save our children!"