Toward Targeted Interventions: Examining the Science Behind Interventions for Youth Who Offend

Youthful offending is a complex behavior that develops from an interaction between social experiences and individual differences in thinking patterns and emotional reactions favoring antisociality. The combination of factors associated with offending varies across individuals and influences the ways in which youth perceive, interpret, and respond to a wide range of experiences. Programs must consider the specific environmental (e.g., community), institutional (e.g., schools, parents, peers), and individual factors impacting youth as essential targets for intervention. We synthesize research on family-focused, school-focused, peer- and community-focused, trauma-focused, cognitive-behavioral, and multisystem interventions in terms of their targets and note variability in their effectiveness. Furthermore, we highlight the continued need for developmentally appropriate interventions that accurately target the mechanisms of action, do no harm, are delivered with fidelity, and encourage active engagement by both interveners and youth.