While there has been a modest decline in adult violence in the 1990s in the USA, violence - as shown by horrific killings at schools in Oregon, Kentucky and Arkansas - has risen dramatically. When acts of violence by youth occur, the adult community is understandably distressed, and adults are frequently at a loss to explain what happened.In this text, Raymond Flannery Jr reviews the statistics on youth violence by age and sex. He looks at violence committed against adults by other children in the home and at school. He presents an overview of the main causes of violence by children. Finally, he offers suggestions for adults on how to get help for their potentially violent children before it is too late. He reveals the warning signs from their earliest to their most urgent stages so that parents can avert violence at every step of the way.