ecent Research Findings on Aggressive and Violent ehavior in Youth: Implications for Clinical ssessment and Intervention

f o n e a o g d n t s a Abstract: Assessing children and adolescents for poential violent behavior requires an organized approach hat draws on clinical knowledge, a thorough diagnostic nterview, and familiarity with relevant risk and protecive factors. This article reviews empirical evidence on isk factors, the impact of peers, developmental pathays, physiological markers, subtyping of aggression, nd differences in patterns of risk behaviors between exes. We explore these determinants of violence in hildren and adolescents with attention to the underlyng motivations and etiology of violence to delineate the omplexity, unanswered questions, and clinical releance of the current research. Interventions, including ognitive behavioral therapy, psychopharmacological reatment, and psychosocial treatment, are reviewed with cute recognition of the need to use multiple modalities ith, and to expand research to define optimal treatment or, potentially violent children and adolescents. The nformation considered for this review focuses on vioence as defined as physical aggression toward other ndividuals. Other studies are included with wider defnitions of violence because of their relevance to assessng the potential for violent behavior. © Society for dolescent Medicine, 2004