This report reviews a massive body of research on where, when, and how much youth violence occurs, what causes it, and which of today’s many preventive strategies are effective. The report reviews existing knowledge to provide a base for action at all levels of society. The report centered around four perspectives. The first perspective, the violence of youth, focuses on the physical assault by a youth that carries a significant risk of injuring or killing another person. It includes studies into the many individual, family, school, peer group, and community factors associated with serious violence. These youth are primarily children and adolescents from around age 10 through high school. Second, the report views violence from a developmental perspective, trying to understand why youth become involved in violence and some do not. It examines how their personal characteristics interact with social contexts in which they live. It considers a range of risk factors, ranging from prenatal to adulthood. Two general onset trajectories were identified, violent behaviors emerge before puberty and violent behavior emerges after puberty with the strongest link appearing at early onset. Third, the report reflects the Surgeon General’s public health mission, to protect and improve the Nation’s health. The public health approach focuses more on prevention than on rehabilitation, identifying behavioral, environmental, and biological risk factors associated with violence and take steps to educate and protect individuals and communities from these risks. A framework is provided for research and intervention drawing on the insights and strategies of various disciplines. The approach taken blends offender based research with public health concepts of prevention and intervention. The public health approach defines the problem, identifies possible causes, designs, develops, and evaluates the effectiveness of interventions, and disseminates successful models. The fourth and final perspective is the challenging of false notions and misconceptions of youth violence, such as in many circles the epidemic of youth violence is seen as over. These myths can trigger public fear or inappropriate or misguided policies that are counterproductive or inefficient. In the process of reviewing a vast, multidisciplinary, and sometimes controversial research, this report seeks to clarify discrepancies of youth violence and identify risk and protective factors. The major conclusion is that youth violence is not an inflexible problem. The knowledge and tools needed are available to reduce, even prevent, much of the serious youth violence. Necessary information is being generated to design, test, and evaluate intervention programs. In using research-based approaches and correcting damaging myths and stereotypes, the Nation can confront the problem of youth violence systematically. References