It analyzes current research on risk and protective factors and the development of SVJ offending careers, integrating it with information on the effectiveness of prevention and intervention programs. The SVJ offender is usually male and displays early minor behavior problems before age 12 that lead to more serious delinquent acts, such as authority conflicts, stubborn behavior, defiance or disobedience and authority avoidance. The majority of SVJ offenders tend to start offending early and continue longer than non-SVJ offenders. In addition, the age of onset of nondelinquent behavioral problems is much earlier in SVJ offenders. For example, youth who are brought to court for index offenses at age 14.5 typically began to have minor behavioral problems at age seven, progressed to moderately serious behavior problems at age 9.5 and committed serious delinquent offenses before age 12.
Chronic offenders account for more than half of all serious crimes committed by juveniles.
The vast majority of those offenders are SVJ offenders. SVJ offending is more prevalent among African-American youth than among whites. However, this factor may be due to significant community factors such as living in poor, socially disorganized neighborhoods. From childhood to adolescence, SVJ offenders tend to develop behavior problems such as aggression, dishonesty, property offenses and conflict with authority figures. SVJ offenders typically advance simultaneously in each problem behavior area, beginning with minor problem behaviors and progressing to increasingly more serious forms of delinquency.