NCJ Number
158378
Date Published
1995
Length
72 pages
Annotation
Raising youth in a violence-free environment requires support from both the family and the community, and successful strategies used by several communities to reduce youth violence are described.
Abstract
Violence costs to government and society are substantial, with estimates of economic damage alone totaling more than $425 billion yearly. Many violence costs, however, cannot be measured in economic terms; these costs are associated with victim trauma and disability and family dysfunction. Juvenile violence has increased since the late 1980's, and the effect of this violence is felt by community residents, schools, police officers, housing and social services, businesses, and religious organizations. An understanding of violence causes and violence prevention through comprehensive partnerships that link community resources are essential. Several communities have devised violence prevention strategies that center around family life, school and childhood, adolescence, and transition to adulthood and community citizenship. These strategies emphasize parental involvement and effectiveness, family skills and support, family planning, activities after school, improvements to the school environment, academic challenge, recreation, conflict resolution, peer mediation, juvenile offender accountability, gang prevention, and job training and skills development. The strategies also focus on community involvement in violence prevention and on community policing. Photographs