America's Children: Key National Indicators of Well-Being, 2007

Indicators Needed

Behavior

A broader set of indicators than those presented in this section is needed to adequately monitor the behaviors and social environments of youth. Other behavior and social environment measures are needed on:

• Positive behaviors. The participation of youth in positive activities (e.g., activities such as volunteering or voting) and the formation of close attachments to family, school, and community have been linked to positive outcomes in research studies. However, additional research needs to be conducted to strengthen our understanding of positive activities and the aspects of those activities that protect youth from risk. To that end, the Forum cosponsored the Indicators of Positive Development conference to conceptualize, define, and measure positive youth development.
• Youth violence. The indicator of serious violent crime offending by youth does not provide critical information on the involvement of youth in the criminal justice system, including the characteristics of youthful offenders and the number and characteristics of youth arrestees and detainees, those prosecuted in juvenile and adult courts, and those incarcerated in the Nation's juvenile facilities, jails, and prisons. Additional work is needed to produce a more comprehensive and useful picture of the number, experiences, and characteristics of youth within the criminal justice system.