Youth development approaches have grown in popularity, yet the appropriateness of these strategies for adolescents with serious behavior problems has rarely been addressed. Life-course research examining the onset and developmental course of problem behaviors suggests that youth with different patterns of behavior problems may not equally benefit from youth development interventions. This paper reviews contemporary perspectives on the positive youth development approach in light of multidisciplinary life-course research regarding the development of disruptive behavior problems. The wraparound case-management model is described as a potential framework for applying this research to support youth with serious behavior problems.