Children at Risk

La Jolla, Calif. - Physicians long have been pivotal in protecting children. But recognizing behavioral and social problems in addition to making medical diagnoses might be more important than ever. Juveniles ages 12-17 who were the victims of a serious violent crime in 1999 knew their offenders 64 percent of the time, and one-third of sexual assaults are committed against children younger than 12 years old, according to FBI data compiled by the National Center for Juvenile Justice.