Statistics indicate that early detection and intervention with child and adolescent offenders dramatically lowers the rate of recidivism. However, for any State to succeed in this effort there must be a coordinated system of continued care, education, identification, reporting, judicial, and social services. In general, the treatment process can be extremely effective when courts are involved; the prospect of jail as the alternative to treatment can expedite the process of breaking through denial and resistance. There is a brief description of the Shadow Mountain Institute adolescent offender treatment program with a list of patient characteristics. In general, treatment issues include: (1) coordinated community assessment and treatment services for victims, offenders, and their families; (2) a long-term public awareness campaign aimed at preserving the innocence of children; (3) educational programs promoting healthy values with regard to human sexuality, parenting, and human relations; (4) pre-sentence mandated treatment options for offenders who admit responsibility; (5) educational workshops for judicial system personnel; (6) inservice training programs for physicians, therapists, and frontline workers; and (7) consultation/networking among clinicians. References