Scope

This Research Guide focuses on crimes and misdemeanors committed by those under the legal age for punishment as adults. Included are such topics as so-called "status offenders" (minors punished for activities, such as drinking or leaving home, which would not be crimes for adults), youth gangs, juvenile courts, and young people in prison. See also the Research Guide School Violence.

Overview

Gangs: A Reference Handbook
College Library Reference Collection: HV 6439 U7 K55 1996

School Violence: A Reference Handbook
College Library Reference Collection: LB 3013.3 K68 1997

Encyclopedia of Gun Control and Gun Rights
College Library Reference Collection: KF 3941 A68 U88 2000
Refer to "Schools and Guns," pages 262-264

Encyclopedia of American Crime
College Library Reference Collection: HV 6789 S54 2001
Refer to "School Killers" volume 2

Encyclopedia of Crime and Punishment
College Library Reference Collection: HV 6017 .E524 2002
Refer to "Youthful offenders" in index in volume 4, page 1876..

Encyclopedia of Psychology
College Library Reference Collection: BF 31 E52 2000
Refer to "Delinquency" volume 2

Encyclopedia of Applied Ethics
College Library Reference Collection: BJ 63 A66 1998
Refer to "Juvenile Crime" volume 3, pages 2

Sourcebook of Criminal Justice Statistics

Opposing Viewpoints Resource Center 1990 - to date (updated daily)
Opposing Viewpoints Resource Center (OVRC) includes the acclaimed social issues series published by Greenhaven Press, as well as core reference content from other Gale and Macmillan Reference USA sources and provides viewpoint articles, topic overviews, statistics, primary documents, links to websites, and full-text magazine and newspaper articles.

Finding Journal and News Articles

Below are links to databases that cover this subject area. The truncation symbol for all of them is an asterisk (*) unless otherwise noted.

Sample searches for databases:

juvenile detention
school violence
gang* and youth
youth and legal
juvenile and justice
juvenile and delinquen*
youth and crime
juvenile court*
gang*
runaway*
high risk youth
male and delinquen*
female and delinquen*
status offender*

Recommended Databases:

Academic Search 1984 - to date (updated daily)
This library database indexes approximately 3,100 popular magazines and academic journals and provides the full-text articles from approximately 1,000 journals. Basic instructions for Academic Search

CQ Researcher November 1991 - to date (updated weekly)
Contains weekly reports from Congressional Quarterly that cover the most current and controversial issues. Basic instructions for CQ Researcher

Education Full Text 1983 - to date (updated monthly)
Indexes more than 400 scholarly and trade periodicals and selected monographs in education, educational psychology, college life, teacher education and evaluation. Basic instructions for Education Full Text

Lexis/Nexis Academic Universe Dates Vary (updated daily)
Contains the full-text articles from U.S. and international newspapers (including the New York Times, June 1980 - to date), as well as some news and business magazines and trade journals. The truncation symbol is an exclamation point (!). Basic instructions for Lexis/Nexis Academic Universe

ProQuest Research Library 1988 - to date (updated daily)
Indexes over 2,000 general-interest and academic journals. Nearly 1,000 periodicals are full-text. Dates vary, but many full-text journals go back to 1988. Basic instructions for ProQuest Research Library

PsycINFO 1872 - to date (updated weekly)
Indexes 1,300 scholarly journals along with books and book chapters in psychology, educational psychology, and behavioral sciences. Basic instructions for PsycINFO

Public Affairs Information Service (PAIS) 1972 - to date (updated quarterly)
Indexes journal articles, books, government documents, statistical compilations, committee reports, directories, serials, reports of public, intergovernmental and private organizations, and most other forms of printed literature from all over the world. The full-text of the articles is not available in the database. Basic instructions for PAIS

Social Sciences Full Text 1983 - to date (updated monthly)
Indexes more than 415 scholarly journals in economics, politics, public administration, public health, sociology, criminology, environmental and urban studies, psychology and anthropology. Basic instructions for Social Sciences Full Text

Finding Books

MadCat
Books on youth crime can be found in MadCat, the UW-Madison library catalog.

Sample keyword searches:

"juvenile delinquency"
"juvenile justice"
"juvenile court?"
gang?
"juvenile delinquency" and http (to find electronic resources)

Internet Sites

Street Gangs
http://www.streetgangs.com/
Gang descriptions, location maps, and newsletter reports of gang and anti-gang activity.

Youth Crime Watch of America
http://www.ycwa.org/
Youth Crime Watch is a youth-led movement to create a crime-free, drug-free environment in schools and neighborhoods.

National School Safety Center
http://www.nssc1.org/
Focuses on efforts to rid schools of crime, violence and drugs, and on programs to improve student discipline, attendance, achievement and school climate.

Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention
http://ojjdp.ncjrs.org/
US Department of Justice site provides facts, resources and publications supporting states and local communities in their efforts to improve the juvenile justice system.

Statistics

FedStats Dates Vary (updated continually)
FedStats provides access to the statistics found in the publications of more than 70 United States federal government agencies. Searches on FedStats provide direct links to federal agency statistical publications in both full-text and tabular format.

Statistical Universe 1973 - to date (updated monthly)
Contains the full text of more than 800 U.S. government statistical publications. Lexis-Nexis Statistical Universe is available to UW-Madison registered users.

Videos

Brother of Mine: Youth Violence and Society
College Library Main Book Collection Call Number: HQ784 V55 B76 1999

Gang Violence in America
College Library Main Book Collection Call Number: HV6439 U5 G359 1996

Streets on Fire
College Library Ethnic Studies Collection Call Number: HV6439 C2 S87 1994

Beyond Hate
College Library Main Book Collection Call Number: BF575 H3 B49 1991

Organizations

National Juvenile Detention Association
http://www.njda.com/
Eastern Kentucky University
301 Perkins Building
521 Lancaster Avenue
Richmond, Kentucky 40475-3102
Phone: 859-622-6259

The Center on Juvenile and Criminal Justice
http://www.cjcj.org/
1622 Folsom Street
San Francisco, CA 94103
Phone: 415-621-5661