Youth Facilities and Violence: An Overview

Young people’s exposure to violence in residential facilities can play a significant role in their long term well-being and raises serious questions about core constitutional and human rights in confinement. Much of the public’s access to knowledge about violence in youth facilities comes in the form of media headlines about serious incidences of violence and death in custody. This overview highlights current research and data collection on the incidence of violence in juvenile facilities in the United States and some theories about why such violence occurs.