Violence peaks during the second decade of life. The small group of offenders who began their violent behavior in childhood commits more violent offenses, and the larger group of adolescent offenders begins to become involved in violence. All of these early risks stem from a child's individual characteristics and interaction with his or her family. Drug selling is a risk factor, but its effect size has not been established. Identifying and understanding how protective factors operate is potentially as important to preventing and stopping violence as identifying and understanding risk factors.
Protective factors warrant more research attention.
Violence prevention and intervention efforts hinge on identifying risk and protective factors and determining when in the course of development they emerge. More research in these areas is needed, particularly concerning why violence stops or continues in childhood and adolescence.