ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1996, Roanoke Times
DATE: Monday, September 30, 1996 TAG: 9609300082
SECTION: VIRGINIA PAGE: C-4 EDITION: METRO
DATELINE: RICHMOND
SOURCE: Associated Press
They haven't killed parents or playmates, worshiped Satan, sold drugs or beaten teachers senseless. Not yet, anyway.
But it is from the ranks of truants and runaways that dangerous and predatory delinquents emerge.
Though violent offenders account for only 3 percent of juvenile crime, they have captured the attention of politicians and the public in recent years. Little is known about nonviolent juvenile offenders, or how to keep them from committing more serious crimes.
Even less is known about the 10 percent to 15 percent who are the least serious offenders, called status offenders because they have violated laws requiring them to attend school and live with parents or guardians.
To shed light on the subject, the Virginia Commission on Youth will ask the 1997 General Assembly to fund a study of these troubled youths and their families. Part of the study may focus on the state law requiring school attendance until age 18.
``I think we need to know what is the state of the state,'' said Nancy Ross, executive director of the commission. ``Who's doing what with these kids; what are the frustrations and the barriers?''
Ross said she hopes to look at what other states are doing to respond to the problems of youths who are on the cusp of serious criminal activity.
This year, Ross and her staff did a cursory study of the problem across the state and found poor relationships between school systems and juvenile courts.
They learned there is no accurate estimate of how many runaways and truants are in Virginia. There is widespread confusion over which agencies should be doing what. And there is little agreement on what, if anything, should be done for the families of problem children.
LENGTH: Short : 42 linesby CNB