Can a Costly Intervention Be Cost-effective?

Abstract

Despite recent declines in juvenile delinquency and violence, conduct problems among children and youth remain a serious problem. Particularly problematic are “early starters,” children or youth whose conduct problems emerge early in life,¹ as such problems often lead to personal and social costs later. Those costs include criminal activities, substance use and abuse, and problems associated with early sexual debut, such as unwanted pregnancies and sexually transmitted diseases.^2,3