Quick Overview of the Role of OJJDP

In line with the "money talks" viewpoint, the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention (OJJDP) is a valuable financial tool in trying to help families break the cycle of juvenile justice on a national level. Through partnership with other wings of the Office of Justice Programs, the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention offers funds to states and local bureaus for specific purposes.

Among the need-based initiatives that the OJJDP is most responsible for include the Formula Grants Program (direct aid to the states for developing comprehensive juvenile justice programs), the Community Grants Program (authorization of Title V grants to communities for delinquency prevention), and the Juvenile Accountability Grants Program (which, in practice, would hold both offenders and juvenile justice programs accountable), as well as approaches to enforcing underage drinking statutes.

Another key component/function of the the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention is its ability to foster a collaborative spirit amongst many different child protection agencies and services. Certainly, the cycle of juvenile justice and violence is high on the agenda of the OJJDP, but other aspects of the welfare of American youths is more than tangentially related to this primary mission, especially considering child abuse.

Yet another role the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention plays is as advisor and trainer. The National Training and Technical Assistance Center of the OJJDP, for one, uses its means to educate professionals in the ways of reducing delinquency while still keeping the best interests of children at the forefront (and in fact, even refers to "break[ing] the cycle" of juvenile justice in its slogan). Additionally, the OJJDP sponsors regional training programs for personnel to recognize and respond to signs of child abuse and exploitation.