We see it every day on the TV news. The juvenile crime rate is increasing faster than the adult crime rate. There are more juveniles locked up in the State of California than anywhere else in the country. Juveniles are being locked up not just for curfew violations or talking back to their parents but for major crimes like armed robbery, murder, and a host of drug offenses. This is an interracial problem that cuts across class and gender lines. More and more middle class teenagers are becoming involved in significant at risk behaviors.

The question we must ask is why is all this is happening? No one really knows the answer but a lot of theories have been put forward in order to get some kind of a handle on this problem. Some people say that the rise in youth crime is a direct result of poverty, discrimination, and institutional/individual racism. Certainly, these factors play a role but they do not explain why so many middle class children are increasingly becoming involved in at risk behavior. Others say that inconsistent parenting and single parent homes are the real causes of the problem. This may also be true but it does not explain why some children who have bad parents still manage to become successful adults.

The solutions that are currently available are also totally inadequate. We have tried the entire spectrum from social work interventions to lock them up and throw the key away. Our lack of vision has only made the problem worse.

So here we are with a situation on our hands that is almost totally out of control. What are we going to do: throw up our hands and give up? You tell me.