Early Intervention

Early intervention programs are generally proactive, interceding when a youth is arrested for a delinquent act in order to impede a youth’s trajectory toward more serious delinquent and problem behaviors. Moreover, the interventions typically are graduated to reflect that the penalties for delinquent activity should move from limited interventions to more restrictive measures according to the severity and nature of the crime. In other words, youth who commit serious and violent offenses should receive more severe sentences than youth who commit less serious offenses. They address the recognized factors that can lead to or serve as a catalyst for delinquency or other problem behaviors in minority youth (e.g., lack of education or employment opportunities, attitudes in the community or family that condone criminal activity, lack of parental supervision). Types of early intervention programs include family therapy, parent training, cognitive behavioral treatment, mentoring, academic skills enhancement, afterschool recreation, vocational/job training, and wraparound services.