Steve Macko

In the following viewpoint, Steve Macko argues that juvenile crime is a serious problem that is getting worse. In the late 1980s and early 1990s, the introduction of crack cocaine into American society and the resulting gang and drug wars caused an explosion of juvenile crime and violence. Although statistics show a subsequent decrease in crime rates, experts claim that a demographic surge in adolescent males will cause the existing level of crime and violence to skyrocket, as the most common offenders are males between the ages of fourteen and seventeen. Macko is an editor for the EmergencyNet News Service, an independent online news forum.

As you read, consider the following questions:

1. What, according to Macko, is the “revolving door” process?
2. How does the author define the “get tough” approach?
3. What...