James Garbarino

Life and work

Garbarino wrote on the causes of violent behavior in children and how they cope with stress. He studied the impact of war on children, including children in Kuwait, Iraq, Bosnia, and Croatia. Garbarino also conducted many interviews with children who have been convicted of violent crimes in the United States, concluding that abuse and neglect at an early age are contributing causes to the violent behavior of these children. He served as an expert witness involving issues of trauma, violence, and abuse in both civil and criminal trials. Garbarino and his coauthors also conducted many interviews with other high school students and teachers about bullying and social problems at school to help understand ways to improve the school environment.

He recommended that violence prevention begin at an early age by recognizing underlying causes and addressing them before they expand. Garbarino advocated programs that provide assistance to young at-risk children and parents, including a home visiting program that provides home visitors to young mothers at risk to help with child care and provide advice about child rearing. Children who have benefited from this program have reduced drop out and delinquency rates. He also advised intervention when there are problems in school at a young age with advice and counseling rather than punishment when possible. He believed this is often less expensive and more productive than waiting for problems to get worse.

Garbarino died in Ithaca, New York, on March 7, 2026, at the age of 78.