Advancing efforts to address youth violence involvement

Discusses the increased public attention on violence-related problems among youth and the concomitant increased diversity in research. Youth violence involvement is a complex construct that includes violence experienced in mu ltiple settings (home, school, neighborhood) and in multiple forms las vict ims, witnesses, perpetrators, and through family members, friends, and the medial. Potential impacts of such violence involvement are considerable, in cluding increased internalizing and externalizing behaviors among youth and future problems in school adjustment and life-course development. This int roductory article reviews key dimensions of youth-related violence, describ es an American Psychological Association Task Force (Division 12) developed to advance relevant research, and presents examples of national resources and efforts that attempt to address this critical public health issue.