It's a combination. Many progressives say it's exclusively because of systemic racism and many conservatives say it's exclusively a lack of family involvement, or worse, negative and abusive family involvement. It's both.

But the preventive solutions are the same. More income equality, and support services when families can't access them on their own. And yes, parenting classes can help. Anger management. Substance misuse and mental health services. For example, most juvenile justice involved kids have undiagnosed or unmanaged/poorly managed neurodevelopmental disorders like ADHD, or have developed oppositional defiant disorder. Proper parenting can absolutely prevent ODD. Appropriate medication and therapy can manage ADHD. But it's difficult both to access those services financially as well as physically. If mom is working the 2nd shift, she can't take Joey to therapy. If she doesn't have paid leave, she has to choose between working and her kid's health care.

We can't eliminate violence. But we won't fix this until we acknowledge it is a more complex problem.

Would it work better to give parents proper parenting skills instead of putting all the burden on local schools and police?

What role, if any, lack of proper parenting plays in DC's high crime rate?