Some are conducting parenting classes, Saturday schools, monthly dances and other youth activities, including job-readiness programs. Peer pressure is significant, but adult caring, and attention, is essential. Government can do only so much to address the emotional poverty in the lives of young people that leads some of them to crime. Still lacking is focus on the 4-7 age group. Many authorities believe troubled children can be identified as early as 4 years old.
Intervention has to be considered.
In all, though, city, county, state, federal and community leaders are doing a lot of smart things that they should be doing. More important, the concerted, cooperative, comprehensive effort to reduce juvenile violence is creating the foundation that is needed to make kids' lives better and Portland safer.