Decreasing Delinquency, Criminal Behavior, and Recidivism by Intervening on Psychological Factors Other Than Cognitive Ability

This chapter reviews studies on interventions aimed at reducing the risk of criminal behavior, and which focus on changing psychological factors other than cognitive ability. These include short-term positive interventions (school-based programs, social skills training, family interventions, and health-based interventions); short-term interventions with negative and inconclusive effects (juvenile awareness programs, boot camps, and incarceration; and job and vocational training); long-term positive interventions (the Olweus Bullying Program, life-skills training programs, the Seattle Social Development Project); and long-term interventions with negative and inconclusive effects (positive youth development programs, prison-based interventions, and social cognitive skills training).