Risk Factors

Prevention is a complex and multi-faceted process. Effective prevention strategies are based on an understanding of the factors that place individuals at risk. The prevalence data regarding youth with disabilities in the juvenile justice system suggest that the presence of a disabling condition itself is a risk factor. Other risk factors for antisocial and delinquent behavior include poverty, educational failure, family stress (e.g., single parent home, substance or physical abuse, coercive styles of family interaction), deviant peer networks, and lack of recreational or vocational opportunities. Furthermore, these risk factors can have a negative effect on the academic achievement of students, increasing the likelihood of school failure and problem behavior.

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