But in the mid 1980's and early 1990's, the media bombarded Americans with facts showing that juvenile violent crime had increased. Public fear soared. And although statistics now show that the past few years have brought a decrease in all violent crime, including juvenile offenses, many people still feel afraid and confused. Too few solutions are explored and all too often Americans are left with the sense that we are powerless to reclaim our children.

Indeed today the very nature of the separate system of juvenile justice is coming under attack. Across the country, states are enacting "tougher" laws calling for the prosecution of youths in adult courts and the imposition of lengthy, often mandatory periods of incarceration.

Yet this approach generally runs counter to a massive body of evidence suggesting that the real solutions include preventive, rehabilitative, and restorative alternatives to punitive approaches for youthful offenders. The communities that are curtailing juvenile crime are succeeding largely because they have made a commitment to invest in youth-even and often especially in those who are considered at high risk of becoming involved in crime and violence. Kids who have good educations, stable families, and jobs-in short, a stake in their own futures-are much less likely to commit crimes than those who do not.

Although juvenile justice is often discussed as a national issue, the In Search of Law and Order: Reclaiming America's Kids outreach efforts are designed to address local needs and circumstances. Therefore, in planning your meeting, you should consider focusing your discussion around one or two of the principal series' messages that may be most relevant to your own community.