Developmental Pathways Towards Crime Prevention: Early Intervention Models

Abstract

In examining the role of early intervention in children’s social development, the authors discuss the results of five broad-based intervention programs based on the Healthy Families model originated in the State of Hawaii. These programs were directed toward families at moderate levels of risk when dealing with the arrival their first child and were situated in Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island, Whitehorse, Yukon, and at three sites in Edmonton, Alberta. The authors state that their experiences with this project have led them to question a number of traditional assumptions regarding past theory and research in this area as it pertains to crime prevention. More specifically, they discuss how the developmental model helped to identify the various developmental pathways of positive change that were being demonstrated by families in the Healthy Families Program sites. They agree with other researchers that early childhood intervention is viewed most appropriately as an individualized strategy and not as a developmental panacea.

Keywords

• early intervention
• crime prevention
• at-risk families