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Key Challenges and Prospects in Peer-Based Delinquency Prevention Programs: Comment on van Lier, Vitaro, and Eisner

NCJ Number
220821
Journal
European Journal on Criminal Policy and Research Volume: 13 Issue: 3-4 Dated: 2007 Pages: 297-300
Author(s)
Brandon C. Welsh; David P. Farrington
Date Published
2007
Length
4 pages
Annotation
This article provides a brief summary of key conclusions from a review of early prevention programs discussed in detail in the book, Saving Children from a Life of Crime: Early Risk Factors and Effective Interventions.
Abstract
In Saving Children from a Life of Crime: Early Risk Factors and Effective Interventions (2007), convincing evidence was found of the effectiveness of a number of early individual, family, and school interventions to tackle risk factors to prevent delinquency and late offending, but little is known about peer-based programs. Future experiments are needed to test the effectiveness of these programs, as well as to investigate the casual effects of peer influence. There is a growing body of high-quality scientific evidence on the effectiveness of early interventions to tackle risk factors to prevent delinquency and later offending. The results are also highly favorable and robust for these programs’ impacts on other important life-course outcome, such as education, government assistance, employment, income, substance abuse, and family stability. This article provides a brief commentary on Pol van Lier, Frank Vitaro, and Manuel Eisner’s excellent review article in this issue. References