Why is violence preventable

In addition, the voices of children, youth, and families who are most affected by violence must be front and center. Collectively, we can prevent and eliminate violence and improve well-being. This framework is for the behavioral health specialty sectors, but can be adapted to other sectors such as child welfare, education, criminal and juvenile justice, primary health care, and the military. The information and resources provided can be easily adapted to other groups and settings such as schools.

Shared Framework for Reducing Youth Violence and Promoting Well Being PDF, 15 pages The Shared Framework draws upon previously developed frameworks and models and incorporates the research and programmatic evidence base that the federal, state, and local partners have built over three decades across multiple disciplines. Violence Reduction Response Center This VRCC resource from the Bureau of Justice Assistance provides free, timely, direct access to expert staff who can connect users to the most relevant violent crime reduction training and technical assistance.

Youth who receive special education services under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act IDEA and especially young adults of transition age, should be involved in planning for life after high school as early as possible and no later than age Research links early leadership with increased self-efficacy and suggests that leadership can help youth to develop decision making and interpersonal skills that support successes in the workforce and adulthood.

In addition, young leaders tend to be more involved in their communities, and have lower dropout rates than their peers. Youth leaders also show considerable benefits for their communities, providing valuable insight into the needs and interests of young people.

Nearly 30, youth aged out of foster care in Fiscal Year , which represents nine percent of the young people involved in the foster care system that year. This transition can be challenging for youth, especially youth who have grown up in the child welfare system.

Read about how coordination between public service agencies can improve treatment for these youth. Civic engagement has the potential to empower young adults, increase their self-determination, and give them the skills and self-confidence they need to enter the workforce.

We need your ideas! Click here to share. Breadcrumb Youth Topics Violence Prevention. Violence Prevention. Review: Mentoring for Children of Incarcerated Parents. It is important for prevention efforts to consider societal conditions disproportionately experienced by black youth and young adults, including concentrated poverty, residential segregation, and other forms of racism that limit opportunities to grow up in healthy, violence-free environments. Addressing the root causes of violence is critical to reducing high rates of violence in communities of color.

All young people deserve to grow up safely and thrive. See Youth Violence Resources for publications, data sources and prevention resources for youth violence. Skip directly to site content Skip directly to page options Skip directly to A-Z link. Violence Prevention. Section Navigation. Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Syndicate. Preventing Youth Violence. Minus Related Pages. What is youth violence? How big is the problem? Some youth are at greater risk than others. Research shows: Sexual minority teens are more likely to experience multiple forms of violence compared to their heterosexual peers.

Youth violence disproportionately impacts Black or African American youth and young adults. Department of Justice Non-fatal violence, including rape, robbery, and aggravated assault, accounts for nearly 99 percent of all violent crimes reported to police U.

Incredibly, over half of the estimated 5 million incidents of non-fatal violence experienced by Americans in were not reported to police and are not reflected in official crime statistics Truman and Morgan Approximately 20 percent of all non-fatal victimizations are classified as domestic violence i. Non-fatal incidents of domestic violence are reported to police at higher rate Youth and the poor face the highest rates of violence victimization Truman and Morgan Young men and boys of color face particularly high risks.

Homicide is the leading cause of death for African American males age 15 to These young men and boys experience a homicide rate 79 per , nearly 14 times greater than the national average and nearly 10 times greater than white males in the same age cohort Centers for Disease Control and Prevention b , a.

Victims who survive violence experience significant health problems. Approximately one-quarter of non-fatal violent events result in physical injury Truman and Morgan The physical, mental, and emotional consequences of violence often extend far beyond the immediate aftermath of victimization. A wide body of research related to trauma, adverse childhood experiences, and crime victimization demonstrates that exposure to violence has a negative influence on multiple health and quality of life outcomes, including increased incidence of anxiety and stress disorders, chronic diseases later in life, decreased academic performance, compromised parenting skills, impaired occupational functioning, unemployment, and problematic social relationships Hanson et al.

The same community disadvantages that increase the risk of violence, such as poverty, community deterioration, social isolation, and failing schools, are also further exacerbated by violence, perpetuating a cycle of community trauma and poor community health outcomes The Prevention Institute For this reason, Cure Violence , a nonprofit organization supported by multiple funders, including the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, defines violence as a contagious disease.

Health funders have generally adopted this public health approach, focusing resources on the people and places at greatest risk for experiencing violence, as well as the policies most likely to mitigate these risks. Recognizing that violence perpetration and victimization are closely linked, health funders support a variety of efforts to help those most likely to engage in violent behavior. This work often seeks to balance law enforcement interventions with supportive services, such as job training, employment, mental health and substance abuse treatment, and housing assistance, to promote a more preventive, less punitive criminal justice system.

For example, the National Network for Safe Communities has developed a Group Violence Intervention that emphasizes engagement with violent groups such as gangs and drug crews by a partnership of law enforcement authorities, social service providers, and community representatives. Working together, these partners deliver a unified antiviolence message, impose legal sanctions on groups whose members commit violent crimes, and offer services and alternatives to group members.

With grant funding from the Jacob and Valeria Langeloth Foundation, the National Network is customizing and strengthening the support services available through its Group Violence Intervention.

The new outreach and support structure seeks to provide services tailored to this high-risk population, such as trauma-informed mental health care, peer recovery groups, conflict mediation, and legal assistance. Similar principles are incorporated in criminal diversion and prisoner reentry programs that reduce recidivism and incarceration with the aid of supportive services specifically designed to address the needs of justice-involved individuals. A wide variety of community characteristics influence the likelihood of violence occurring within particular neighborhoods, including economic opportunity, community cohesion, school safety, and the physical condition of public spaces.