Preventing Violence and Related Health-Risking Social Behaviors in Adolescents

This report reviews longitudinal risk factor research to identify the role of individual, family, school, community, and peer-level influences, as well as interventional research to evaluate prevention intervention effectiveness. The study looked to answer six key questions: What are the factors that contribute to violence and associated adverse health outcomes in childhood and adolescence?; what are the patterns of co-occurrence of these factors?; what evidence exists on the safety and effectiveness of interventions for violence?; where evidence of safety and effectiveness exists, are there other outcomes beyond reducing violence?; if so, what is known about effectiveness by age, sex, and race/ethnicity?; what are commonalities of the interventions that are effective, and those that are ineffective?; and what are the priorities for future research?