Identification of children at risk at the police station and the prevention of delinquency.

In 1978 the World Health Organization suggested that the efficient use of health resources in a global context means paying special attention to those in greatest need. The aim of community health services should be, among other activities, to identify those "at risk" as early as possible in their lives and to intervene directly to reduce that risk (Skuse 1987). In the area of behavioral development, problems are frequently reported: In the Netherlands about 26% of all children appear to have some difficulties with behavioral development (Verhulst 1985). Set in the context of the WHO recommendation, these figures stress the point that early intervention with regard to children at risk should receive high priority from community educational health services.