Establishing the crucial link between theory, measurement, and intervention, PREVENTING ANTISOCIAL BEHAVIOR brings together a remarkable collection of studies that utilize experimental approaches for evaluating intervention programs for preventing deviant behavior. The book demonstrates both the feasibility and necessity of such independent evaluation. It also shows how the information obtained in such studies can be used to test and refine prevailing theories about human behavior in general and behavior changes in particular. The volume covers biological, social, emotional, and cognitive approaches to intervention. It highlights prevention experiments tailored to infants, children, and adolescents, describing family, school, and community programs. Some of the programs described target general populations at risk, while others focus on individuals. Throughout, the book emphasizes the importance of scientifically supportable evaluations: They are necessary not only because psychosocial treatments can be harmful, but also because such evaluations yield invaluable insights into why people behave as they do. Offering a broad perspective on socialization, PREVENTING ANTISOCIAL BEHAVIOR is essential reading for clinical psychologists, child psychiatrists, social workers, criminologists, sociologists, and educators. It also serves as a text for advanced students and trainees in these areas.

"The authors conducted a prevention program called Fast Track, consisting of multicomponent, home-school prevention activities carried out with at-risk children from first to 10th grades over a 10-year period, to prevent serious antisocial behavior and youth violence and achieve positive social, emotional, and academic outcomes. They describe the research that informed the design of the program as part of their Conduct Problems Prevention Research Group, how the study was implemented, and outcomes up to 20 years later. They discuss the context for youth violence prevention in the US; the developmental and intervention research that informed the design of the program; the study design and the children and families who participated in it; interventions and impacts in elementary, middle, and high school years; early adult outcomes of the program; implications for developmental theory and research on the prevention of violence; and how communities can address the problem of future violence by focusing on high-risk young children."--Provided by publisher.

This unique volume reports on the largest long-term preventive intervention study ever conducted with children at risk for serious violence and poor life outcomes. From first through 10th grade, Fast Track provided multicomponent interventions to support children, families, and schools in achieving positive social, emotional, and academic outcomes. The book explores the developmental processes associated with early aggression, describes how each component of FastTrack was developed and implemented, and summarizes outcomes up to 20 years later. Vivid case studies track the impact of comprehensive school- and family-based programming on children's pathways through the elementary and high school years. The concluding chapter offers recommendations for using Fast Track components in future violence prevention initiatives. See also the authors' Social and Emotional Skills Training for Children: The Fast Track Friendship Group Manual, a step-by-step guide to implementing one of the core components of Fast Track.

This book presents a comprehensive summary of how well adult crime, antisocial behaviour and antisocial personality disorder can be prevented by interventions applied early in life. It reviews important childhood risk and protective factors for these adult outcomes and the alternative strategies of primary prevention (targeting the whole community) and secondary prevention (targeting persons identified as high risk) are discussed. The book also contains extensive information about prevention programmes in pregnancy and infancy, pre-school programmes, parent education and training programmes, and school programmes (including the prevention of bullying). There is special emphasis on preventing the intergenerational transmission of antisocial behaviour by focusing on family violence, and a special review of whether risk factors and prevention programmes have different effects for females compared to males. Cost-benefit analyses of early prevention programmes are also reviewed, leading to the conclusion that adult antisocial behaviour can be prevented both effectively and cost-efficiently.

This authoritative reference featuring chapters by nationally and internationally recognized experts details behavioral science research with respect to antisocial, criminal, violent behavior, substance abuse, and other high risk behaviors and puts it in context for criminologists, criminal justice practitioners and policymakers, public and mental health professionals, treatment providers and prevention professionals. This resource provides a rich source of leading-edge thinking and data on the causes and treatment of antisocial behavior.

In the latter part of this century, an increasingly vigorous and sophisticated scientific study of antisocial behavior has emerged. This new science has offered partial answers to some very important questions which will lead to better understanding and prevention of antisocial behavior. In 50 chapters, more than 100 leading scientists, clinicians, and scholars review the research in their area of expertise to provide extraordinary extensive and deep coverage of the field in a single volume. The Handbook of Antisocial Behavior is an indispensable resource for mental health practitioners, as well as anyone involved in research into violence and aggression, including psychologists, psychiatrists, neuroscientists, public health professionals, epidemiologists, sociologists, and criminologists.