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Date: April 30, 2024 Tue
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Results for youth violence
106 results foundAuthor: Brand, Anthony Title: Gangs at the Grassroots: Community Solutions to Street Violence Summary: This research focuses on violent and criminal gangs rather than broadly defined anti-social behavior or youth crime. It looks primarily at how to maximize the impact of local interventions that target people involved in or on the fringes of gangs. It highlights how top-down responses and crack-downs on youth crime can do little to address the underlying drivers of gangs and their criminality. It suggests that local, multi-agency frameworks are key to addressing gang violence, and effective solutions must simultaneously deliver a range of interventions across education, health, policing, youth-work, community engagement, economic development, regeneration, skills and training and family support, all tailored to the specific communities and context in which different gangs operate. Details: London: New Local Government Network, 2008. 36p. Source: Internet Resource Year: 2008 Country: United Kingdom URL: Shelf Number: 118781 Keywords: Gangs (U.K.)Inter-Agency CooperationIntervention ProgramsYouth GangsYouth Violence |
Author: Wilson, Jeremy M. Title: Community-Based Violence Preventoin: An Assessment of Pittsburgh's One Vision One Life Program Summary: This report assesses the implementation and impact of the One Vision One Life violence-prevention strategy in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. In 2003, Pittsburgh witnessed a 49-percent increase in homicides, prompting a grassroots creation and implementation of the One Vision One Life antiviolence strategy. This initiative used a problem-solving, data-driven model, including street-level intelligence, to intervene in escalating disputes, and seeks to place youth in appropriate social programs. Analysis of the program, which is modeled on similar efforts elsewhere, can help inform other efforts to address urban violence. Details: Santa Monica, CA: RAND, 2010. Source: Internet Resource Year: 2010 Country: United States URL: Shelf Number: 119164 Keywords: Crime PreventionGun ViolenceHomicidesProblem-SolvingStreet WorkersViolence (Pittsburgh, PA)Violent CrimeYouth Violence |
Author: Barker, Justin Title: Dutch Courage: Young People, Alcohol and Alcohol Related Violence Summary: This report discusses the findings of a project aiming to investigate the experiences, perspectives and understandings of young people regarding alcohol related violence in Canberra. The project examined the patterns of alcohol consumption, the value, and role attributed to alcohol and violence in the lives of young people who socialise in Civic. The project used semi-structured focus group interviews and a survey with self-selected peer groups of young people aged 18 – 25 years. A ‘pathfinder,’ a key youth participant and contact, was used to identify the target groups, providing a means to access groups of young people, and arrange a familiar venue for the focus groups. This was a qualitative investigation that sought to not only obtain the subjective experiences and stories of the participants but also to engage the participants in an analysis of existing theories and models accounting for alcohol consumption and related behaviours by young people. The participants were encouraged to provide their own explanations, theories and analysis based on their own experiences and the information they were provided with. The findings of the qualitative analysis were presented to research participants to validate, verify, refute and add further insights and clarification. Two key findings emerged from the project. Firstly, two groups of young people were identified regarding alcohol related violence, referred to as Group A and Group B. These Groups do not represent distinct communities, but rather different relationships to alcohol and violence within the broader population, and not (necessarily) any other kind of cultural differentiation. Group A encompasses the vast majority of the target group (18 – 25 year olds) of this research project: young people who drink, or associate with other young people who drink, and socialise in Civic. Group A are constrained by negative association with alcohol related violence and a desire to avoid conflict and the negative consequences linked to violence. Group B value violence as a means to obtain status, empower them and claim a legitimate identity. The second key finding of the project outlines the ‘patterns of alcohol related violence’. These incidents of alcohol related violence are predominantly initiated by groups of young men aiming to bolster their status. Four phases were identified, including victim selection, justification, conflict and dispersal. Several approaches and potential ‘ways forward’ are identified in conclusion. Details: Lyneham, ACT, Australia: Youth Coalition of the ACT, 2010. 38p. Source: Internet Resource Year: 2010 Country: Australia URL: Shelf Number: 119476 Keywords: Alcohol Related Crime, DisorderViolent CrimeYouth Violence |
Author: Greenwood, Peter Title: Preventing and Reducing Youth Crime and Violence: Using Evidence-Based Practices Summary: This report presents a list of programs and strategies that are most likely to prevent and reduce youth crime and violence. The list is relatively short, describing 27 programs and 25 strategies that are suitable for implementation primarily by probation departments and schools, and 11 programs and strategies that do not work. This list is the starting point for a public safety investment strategy. (Excerpts from document) Details: Sacramento, CA: California Governor's Office of Gang and Youth Violence Policy, 2010. 15p. Source: Internet Resource; Accessed August 16, 2010 at: http://www.calgrip.ca.gov/documents/Preventing_and_Reducing_Youth_Crime_and_Violence.pdf Year: 2010 Country: United States URL: http://www.calgrip.ca.gov/documents/Preventing_and_Reducing_Youth_Crime_and_Violence.pdf Shelf Number: 119613 Keywords: Juvenile Crime, Evidence -Based PracticesJuvenile DelinquencyRecidivismYouth Violence |
Author: Eckersley, Richard Title: Violence in Public Places: Explanations and Solutions: A Report on an Expert Roundtable for Victoria Police Summary: Combating the problem of violence in public places will require the cooperation of everyone from parents and young people to education providers, police and government, a new report from Australia21 suggests. Key factors identified in explaining violence in public places were the growth in the night time economy, a 24/7 lifestyle, technology and the media, links between antisocial behaviour and young people’s health and well-being, parental overprotection or neglect, increased social expectations or social exclusion and alienation and a perception of violence as the norm. The report was commissioned by Victoria Police and is based on an expert roundtable held in Melbourne in October 2008. Details: Weston, ACT: Australia 21, 2008. 28p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed September 3, 2010 at: http://www.australia21.org.au/pdf/Violence%20in%20public%20places%20report.pdf Year: 2008 Country: Australia URL: http://www.australia21.org.au/pdf/Violence%20in%20public%20places%20report.pdf Shelf Number: 117398 Keywords: Antisocial BehaviorPublic PlacesViolenceYouth Violence |
Author: Arias Foundation for Peace and Human Progress Title: The Face of Urban Violence in Central America Summary: Central America has been identified as a sub-region displaying post-conflict characteristics; with some stages successfully completed, while other have failed or are still in progress. A notable dilemma, however, remains unaddressed: the relationship between violence and youth. Traditionally, this relationship has been perceived as a symbiotic, with youth perceived as violent, as a logical consequence of their presumed lack of maturity or experience. According to this study, the victims of violence in Central America - and worldwide - are youths aged 13 to 29, who come from economically depressed regions, and pockets of urban poverty. They tend to belong to ethnic or racial minorities, live in densely populated areas marked by unemployment, high birth rates and little access to schooling. Many of these youths, both victims and assailants, have been victimized themselves. They have been abused, suffered domestic violence; they have been abandoned, or had little access to education and culture, and are incapable of entering the job market in conditions of equality or security. Details: San Jose, Costa Rica: Arias Foundation for Peace on Human Progress, 2006. 276p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed September 16, 2010 at: http://www.arias.or.cr/download/INGLES.pdf Year: 2006 Country: Central America URL: http://www.arias.or.cr/download/INGLES.pdf Shelf Number: 116550 Keywords: GangsJuvenile OffendersSocioeconomic StatusViolent CrimeYouth Violence |
Author: MacDonald, John Title: Neighborhood Effects on Crime and Youth Violence: The Role of Business Improvement Districts in Los Angeles Summary: Despite declines in youth violence nationally in the past decade, incidence of youth violence and victimization — from assaults to homicide — continue to be a pressing public-safety and public-health concern. Youth violence is also a particular concern for low-income, minority communities, where poverty, family instability, and unemployment provide a fertile context for gangs and illicit drug markets. Due to public-safety and public-health effects of youth violence and the documented association between community socioeconomic conditions and violence, both public-safety and public-health officials and researchers have invested heavily in developing and examining community-level responses to youth violence. While some of these community-level approaches have shown evidence of effectiveness, they are often expensive, difficult to sustain, and hard to replicate. It is worthwhile then to consider community-level interventions and activities that might address underlying environmental conditions that facilitate youth violence rates in communities. This report examines the impact of business improvement districts (BIDs) on crime and youth violence in Los Angeles (L.A.). BIDs are self-organizing, local public-private organizations that collect assessments and invest in local-area service provisions and activities, such as place promotion, street cleaning, and public safety. Such activities can contribute to community-level attributes that might reduce crime and youth violence by increasing informal social control, reducing visible signs of disorder and blight, improving order maintenance, and providing enriched employment opportunities by facilitating overall improvements in the local business environment. Details: Santa Monica, CA: RAND, 2009. 117p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed September 22, 2010 at: http://www.rand.org/pubs/technical_reports/2009/RAND_TR622.pdf Year: 2009 Country: United States URL: http://www.rand.org/pubs/technical_reports/2009/RAND_TR622.pdf Shelf Number: 113423 Keywords: Business Improvement DistrictsCrime PreventionGangsJuvenile OffendersSocioeconomic ConditionsYouth Violence |
Author: Wilkinson, Deanna Title: Event Dynamics and the Role of Third Parties in Urban Youth Violence Summary: This report presents a secondary analysis of qualitative data collected from 1995 through 1998 as part of the New York City Youth Violence Study. The current study’s goal was to identify situational factors and contingencies that facilitated violence among 416 young violent male offenders from the South Bronx and East New York, two of the most violent neighborhoods in the Nation. Details: Columbus, OH: Ohio State University, Depratment of Human Development and Family Science, 2009. 188p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed October 18, 2010 at: http://www.ncjrs.gov/pdffiles1/nij/grants/227781.pdf Year: 2009 Country: United States URL: http://www.ncjrs.gov/pdffiles1/nij/grants/227781.pdf Shelf Number: 120008 Keywords: Gun ViolenceUrban AreasViolence PreventionViolent CrimeYouth Violence |
Author: Graham, Lauren Title: Ending the Age of Marginal Majority: An Exploration of Strategies to Overcome Youth Exclusion, Vulnerability and Violence in Southern Africa Summary: As part of its focus on human security, the Southern Africa Trust (the Trust) has sought to understand the extent of youth violence and crime in the SADC region, as well as the underlying or contributing factors that can explain the levels of youth violence. To this end, it commissioned research on the extent and drivers of youth violence and the possible interventions that might be necessary to deal with this and related challenges, within a holistic understanding of the issue. The research involved a review of literature pertaining to youth and violence in the Southern African Development Community (SADC), as well as a fieldwork component, which sought to assess youth violence in more detail within five selected countries – the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), Mozambique, South Africa, Swaziland and Zimbabwe. The findings from both of these components were also shaped by inputs from three stakeholders – One Voice Mobilisation, the Southern Africa Youth Movement (SAYM), and the Youth Development Network (YDN) – during two stakeholder consultation meetings held at different points in the research and data analysis process. In many respects this research is a starting point for understanding youth violence regionally. It is the first study of this type in the SADC region and the exploratory work begun in this research process should be complemented with further research that can establish regional trends more fully. What became clear in the research process was the complexity of youth violence, particularly when a holistic approach is taken to the issues that underpin its manifestation. Rather than providing quick answers about what might provide the most appropriate programming or policy interventions, the research uncovered a range of debates and issues that need to be taken into consideration in designing policy and programme initiatives in respect of youth violence. Details: Midrand, South Africa, Southern Africa Trust, 2010. 195p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed October 23, 2010 at: http://www.southernafricatrust.org/docs/Youth_violence_civic_engagement_SADC_2010-Full.pdf Year: 2010 Country: Africa URL: http://www.southernafricatrust.org/docs/Youth_violence_civic_engagement_SADC_2010-Full.pdf Shelf Number: 120058 Keywords: Juvenile OffendersViolent CrimeYouth Violence |
Author: Hemphill, Sheryl A. Title: Preventing Youth Violence: What Does and Doesn't Work and Why? An Overview of the Evidence on Approaches and Programs Summary: This paper is designed to inform the development of strategies aimed at preventing violent and antisocial behaviours among young people. The paper summarises the evidence across disciplines and sectors on: • the nature and magnitude of youth violence and antisocial behaviour in Australia (incidence, demographic indicators, trends) • factors that are known to contribute to youth violence and antisocial behaviour together with the strength of the associations with these factors and • policies, programs and strategies that have been proven to work in preventing violent and antisocial behaviour among young people, including the principles upon which they are based and key factors associated with their success. Details: Canberra: Australian Research Alliance for Children and Youth, 2010. 74p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed October 28, 2010 at: http://www.aracy.org.au/publicationDocuments/Preventing_Youth_Violence_final.pdf Year: 2010 Country: Australia URL: http://www.aracy.org.au/publicationDocuments/Preventing_Youth_Violence_final.pdf Shelf Number: 120116 Keywords: Antisocial BehaviorDelinquency PreventionJuvenile OffendersYouth Violence |
Author: Fraser, Alistair Title: Youth Violence in Scotland: Literature Review Summary: Youth violence remains a contentious public and political issue. A great deal of media attention and public debate is devoted to the phenomenon of youth violence. Yet very little is known about the scale or nature of violence committed by youth, trends in violent youth offending, or the role played by violence in the everyday lives of children and young people in Scotland. The aim of the review is to identify and collate available qualitative and quantitative research data and information about youth violence in Scotland, in order to construct a research-informed picture of ‘what is currently known’ about youth violence in this country. It will form part of a wider programme of work on youth violence currently being conducted within the Scottish Government and, in particular, will complement an ongoing audit of official data sources. This review is intended to facilitate an enhanced awareness of potential gaps in recording procedures within the Scottish Government for capturing data on youth violence, identify areas in which there is a particular dearth of information about youth violence, and suggest areas for future research. Details: Edinburgh: Scottish Government Social Research, 2010. 75p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed November 1, 2010 at: http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Resource/Doc/326952/0105428.pdf Year: 2010 Country: United Kingdom URL: http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Resource/Doc/326952/0105428.pdf Shelf Number: 120141 Keywords: Juvenile OffendersViolenceViolent CrimeYouth Violence |
Author: Browne, Angela Title: Anticipating the Future Based on Analysis of the Past: Intercity Variation in Youth Homicide, 1984-2006 Summary: Homicide researchers at the Vera Institute of Justice, RTI International, and the Presley Center for Crime and Justice Studies, University of California conducted a comprehensive study of trends in youth homicide offending from 1984-2006 for youth 13 to 24 years of age in 91 of the 100 largest cities in the United States (based on the 1980 Census). The study extends previous work on the perpetration of youth violence by modeling city-specific explanatory predictors influencing annual changes in youth homicide offending within cities during the youth homicide epidemic in the mid-1980s and early 1990s, applying the specified model to emerging trends in youth homicide perpetration for 2000-2006, assessing whether the model applies equally well for juveniles 13 to 17 and young adults ages 18 to 24, and analyzing whether the scope of the model can be extended to perpetration of nonlethal youth violence, particularly robbery and aggravated assault. A unique comprehensive data file representing youth lethal and nonlethal offending by males ages 13 to 24 at the city-level over this 23-year period was also constructed for public use. Findings showed that homicide, robbery, and aggravated assault trends for both juveniles and young adults followed the same general trend between 1984 and 2006. There was an escalation in lethal and nonlethal violence arrest rates in the early years, followed by a significant downturn after the early 1990s, and then a subsequent and significant upturn in the more recent years of the time period. While some factors were consistently associated with youth violence across offense type, time period, and analytic technique, others were significant in only certain situations. Specifically, structural disadvantage was consistently associated with variation in homicide and robbery among juvenile and young adult perpetrators during both the initial escalation of violence in the mid-1980s and early 90s and in more recent years. Additionally, gang presence –activity and drug market activity were consistently associated with the escalation in homicide offending among both juveniles and young adults during both early and later years. Details: Unpublished report submitted to the U.S. Department of Justice, 2010. 72p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed Decembe4r 21, 2010 at: http://www.ncjrs.gov/pdffiles1/nij/grants/232622.pdf Year: 2010 Country: United States URL: http://www.ncjrs.gov/pdffiles1/nij/grants/232622.pdf Shelf Number: 120560 Keywords: HomicideJuvenile OffendersRobberyViolent CrimeYouth Violence |
Author: Rodgers, Dennis Title: Dying For It: Gangs, Violence and Social Change in Urban Nicaragua Summary: Youth gangs potentially constitute an ideal lens through which to explore the dynamics and ramifications of the new political economy of violence in Latin America, and this paper consequently presents and ethnographic case study of an urban Nicaraguan youth gang. It employs data derived from participant observation research conducted in 1996-97 and 2002 in a low-income neighbourhood in Managua. The first part of the paper provides a brief overview of crime and violence in contemporary urban Nicaragua, exploring some of its socio-economic consequences and situating gang violence within it. The second part offers an account of the neighbourhood's youth gang as it existed in 1996-97, followed by a description of the gang in 2002, focusing on violent gang practices. The third section considers the nature of these two manifestations of the gang and the general evolution of the gang between 1997 and 2002 from an institutional point of view. Details: London: Crisis States Program, Development Research Centre, London School of Economics, 2003. 32p. Source: Internet Resource: Working Paper No. 35: Crisis States Programme, Working Papers Series No. 1: Accessed January 31, 2010 at: Year: 2003 Country: Nicaragua URL: Shelf Number: 120636 Keywords: Gang ViolenceGangs (Nicaragua)Socioeconomic StatusYouth Violence |
Author: Kinsella, Brooke Title: Tackling Knife Crime Together - A Review of Local Anti-Knife Crime Projects Summary: This report highlights the factors which make a project successful and relevant to today’s young people, and identifies some of the underlying causes of knife crime. Findings and recommendations are based on visits made across the country as well as the views of a panel of young people selected from different organisations around the country, which provided a cross section of the 13-24 age range. Details: London: Home Office, 2011. 44p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed February 8, 2011 at: http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/publications/crime/tackling-knife-crime-together/tackling-knife-crime-report?view=Binary Year: 2011 Country: United Kingdom URL: http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/publications/crime/tackling-knife-crime-together/tackling-knife-crime-report?view=Binary Shelf Number: 120708 Keywords: Knives and CrimeWeaponsYouth Violence |
Author: Osaghae, Eghosa E. Title: Youth Militias, Self Determination and Resource Control Struggles in the Niger-delta Region of Nigeria Summary: The Niger-delta region, Nigeria’s oil belt has been the site of a generalised ethnic and regional struggle for self-determination since 1998, the location of often violent confrontations between local ethnic communities and agents of the Nigerian state and oil companies involved in the extraction and exploitation of oil in area. What began as community agitation has undoubtedly undergone several transformations. The first profound transformation was the flowering of civil society, which mobilised a popular civil struggle. In the second, the agitation was extended from that against multinational oil companies (MNCs) to include the Nigerian state. The third transformation involved the elevation of the agitation from purely developmental issues to include the political demands such as federal restructuring, resource control and the resolution of the national question through a conference of ethnic nationalities. The current and fourth stage of the transformation has seen the entrance of youths, youth militancy and youth militias with volatile demands and ultimatums that has elevated the scale of confrontations and violence with the multinationals and the state. The youths presently spearhead and constitute the vanguard of Niger-delta conflict. They chart the course of methods, tactics and strategies and define the conflicts. They drive and run the conflicts and determine the very essence of its momentum, vitality, vocalisation and diction. The insurgency has involved diverse youth militias, well armed, fairly well trained and equipped, using largely speed boats and operating fairly freely in the swamps, creeks, estuaries, rivers and coastal areas of the region, who engage the Nigerian military and seize oil facilities, ships, barges, workers and equipment. Increasingly, the youth militancy has become criminalised, with the region being transformed into an arena of economic crimes, violence and wars between ethnic and communal groups. The present youth-led collective action in the Niger-delta draws inspiration from the 1966 declaration of a Niger-delta republic by a group of educated youths led by cadet sub inspector Isaac Adaka Boro that involved an armed insurrection against the Nigerian state and the seizing of oil facilities. The conflicts have witnessed massive deployments of the Nigerian Army, Navy and other security agencies and represent the most prolonged, extensive and intensive internal military action since the Nigerian civil war», with devastating negative impact on local and national security and stability, and on global economic growth. The negative impact of violence associated with youth-led self-determination struggles in the Niger-delta raises the need for an in-depth examination of the youth, militias and self-determination nexus in the Niger-delta. In other words, there is a need to understand the history, changing contexts and local and social processes and dynamics of the conflicts in the Niger-delta to guide policy-making. Who are the main parties to the conflict? What are their perceptions, values, attitudes and interests? What has been the role of civil society, gender, local elite, traditional governance structures in the prosecution, sustenance and management of the conflicts? How do youths perceive, formulate and respond to the resource control struggles? What social, economic, cultural and political processes conduce with youth responses and methods? What are the methods, strategies and consequences of youth engagement? What is the nature of state, corporate and international perceptions, responses and interventions? What are the efforts and results of conflict containment, management and peacemaking efforts and peacekeeping efforts? The objectives of the study are to examine: a) The resource struggles and conflicts in the Niger-delta region and the role of youths in it; b) The objectives, methods, strategies and conducts of youth engagement; c) The youth movements and militias and their confrontations with the Nigerian state, MNCs and other ethnic groups/communities; d) The results, ramifications and implications of the conflicts; and e) The interventions and policies, their effectiveness or otherwise and efforts at peacemaking. Details: Dakar, Senegal: : Council for the Development of Social Science Research in Africa, 2011. 108p. Source: Internet Resource: CODESRIA Research Reports: No. 5: Accessed March 23, 2011 at: http://www.codesria.org/IMG/pdf/CDP_Nigeria2.pdf Year: 2011 Country: Nigeria URL: http://www.codesria.org/IMG/pdf/CDP_Nigeria2.pdf Shelf Number: 121102 Keywords: Economic CrimesNatural ResourcesYouth MilitiasYouth Violence |
Author: Harris, Daryl Title: Understanding the Psychology of Gang Violence: Implications for Designing Effective Violence Interventions Summary: This study employed a qualitative approach in which 44 male gang-affiliated prisoners convicted of violent offences were interviewed about their experiences of gang affiliation. The analysis suggested that participants held different views about the nature of gangs and there was a lack of consensus about what constituted a gang. This study identified several important psychological motivations contributing to gang affiliation and highlighted ways in which criminality reinforces gang affiliation and identity. The meaning of violence for participants was explored and the authors identify practical implications relating to assessment and intervention with gang affiliated offenders. Details: London: Ministry of Justice, 2011. 35p. Source: Internet Resource: Ministry of Justice Research Series 2/11: Accessed March 28, 2011 at: http://www.justice.gov.uk/publications/docs/research-gang-violence.pdf Year: 2011 Country: United Kingdom URL: http://www.justice.gov.uk/publications/docs/research-gang-violence.pdf Shelf Number: 121123 Keywords: GangsViolent OffendersYouth Violence |
Author: Scambary, James Title: A Survey of Gangs and Youth Groups in Dili, Timor-Leste Summary: The events in April 2006 that propelled Timor Leste into an ongoing political and social crisis came as a surprise to most observers. The disintegration of the security forces into multiple factions and the emergence of large, organized street gangs and a diverse range of potentially destabilising disaffected political groups was also largely unpredicted. The sources of the violence are also varied and complex, including long standing ethnic tensions over the control of the markets and trading routes, property disputes arising from post 1999 resettlement, rival factions within the security forces, endemic gang rivalries, and a politically driven destabilization campaign by opposition parties. The one common thread is the involvement of large numbers of young, marginalized males. The sources of their alienation are well known through a number of recent studies which revealed a sense of disenfranchisement due to a range of factors including unemployment, security concerns, and lack of access to education. Not all youth have resorted to violence however. The key finding of this report was the existence of hundreds of different bairo (village) based youth groups, all attempting in different but positive ways to engage and unify their communities through collective, socially oriented activities. These groups are essentially voluntary, community based civil society organizations, and represent important building blocks for future reconciliation and reconstruction programs, and as vital points of engagement with marginalized youth. Their needs and objectives are generally modest, and could be met with a minimum of support. In the absence of active, viable representative youth structures these groups also present a vital opportunity for building a new, ground up youth representative body, to ensure youth perspectives are heard at a national policy level. Details: Canberra: AusAID, 2006. 42p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed April 18, 2011 at: http://www.etan.org/etanpdf/2006/Report_Youth_Gangs_in_Dili.pdf Year: 2006 Country: Indonesia URL: http://www.etan.org/etanpdf/2006/Report_Youth_Gangs_in_Dili.pdf Shelf Number: 121386 Keywords: Violent CrimeYouth Gangs (Timor-Leste)Youth Violence |
Author: Boots, Denise Paquette Title: Mental Health and Violent Offending in Chicago Youth: A Multilevel Approach Summary: The early identification of mental illness in youngsters is an important goal for researchers who are interested in determining if a causal relationship exists between various forms of mental disorder and offending. Consideration of mental health problems is also of great importance to practitioners in criminal justice who treat youth presenting with co-morbid mental and behavioral issues. Building upon preliminary work, this study utilizes gender- and age-appropriate continuous indicators of DSM-oriented scales of psychopathology to explore the link between child and adolescent mental health and youth violence. This study examines the role of various mental health problems on self-reported violence among Project on Human Development in Chicago Neighborhoods (PHDCN) across age cohorts while controlling for various community-, friend-, familial-, and individual-level risk factors that may also influence violence pathways. Results from the multilevel analyses suggest a continuity of oppositional defiant and antisocial personality problems over the life-course may predict violence. The implications of these findings are offered as they relate to public policy, treatment, and future research efforts. Details: Final Report Submitted to the U.S. National Institute of Justice, 2011. 124p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed June 29, 2011 at: http://www.ncjrs.gov/pdffiles1/nij/grants/234515.pdf Year: 2011 Country: United States URL: http://www.ncjrs.gov/pdffiles1/nij/grants/234515.pdf Shelf Number: 121888 Keywords: Juvenile Offenders (Chicago)Mental Health, JuvenileViolent CrimeViolent Juvenile OffendersYouth Violence |
Author: Moncrieffe, Joy Title: Making and Unmaking the Young ‘Shotta’ [Shooter]: Boundaries and (Counter)- Actions in the ‘Garrisons’ Summary: This paper comprises a patchwork of conversations and life-stories from two of Jamaica’s reputedly violent ‘garrison’ communities. The stories come from a variety of sources, grandparents to the very young; however, the principal focus is on the children and, specifically, on how some among them – those labelled as ‘young shottas’ [shooters] are cultivated. Our storytellers expose the effects of deep-rooted economic and social inequalities; the perception that gun violence is a means to personal liberation and ‘power’, particularly among males; and the concentration of conflict within and across like neighborhoods. There are stories about social conditioning and manhood, the role of families and peers and of how children are forced to grow in contexts where there are little or no opportunities for exit and restricted spaces for change. There are also accounts of how some actual and potential ‘shottas’ are attempting to contest the physical, material and socio-psychological boundaries within and outside of their immediate communities, through what Hayward (2000) describes as ‘action upon boundaries to action’. Notably, contestation does not always comprise those productive social actions that are considered crucial for participation and vibrant citizenship; it is often much more complex, combining non violent and violent actions, ‘legal’ and ‘illegal’ measures. It is important to dissect how perceptions, such as of legality and illegality, legitimacy and illegitimacy are framed for the stories indicate that in these communities such concepts can have different meanings and that what is considered indefensible in some areas may be both justified and regarded as normal practice in others. Through these forthright and compelling accounts, readers will be exposed to the routes to and experiences of different citizenships as well as the substantial challenges to transformational change, particularly for the children who were born and cultivated in these particular violent environments. Details: Brighton, UK: Institute of Development Studies at the University of Sussex, 2008. 53p. Source: Internet Resource: Working Paper 297: Accessed July 20, 2011 at: http://www.drc-citizenship.org/system/assets/1052734559/original/1052734559-moncrieffe.2008-making.pdf?1289991772 Year: 2008 Country: Jamaica URL: http://www.drc-citizenship.org/system/assets/1052734559/original/1052734559-moncrieffe.2008-making.pdf?1289991772 Shelf Number: 122125 Keywords: Gun ViolencePovertySocioeconomic ConditionsViolenceViolent Crime (Jamaica)Youth Violence |
Author: Fox, James Alan Title: The Recent Surge in Homicides involving Young Black Males and Guns: Time to Reinvest in Prevention and Crime Control Summary: While overall homicide levels in the United States have fluctuated minimally in recent years, those involving young victims and perpetrators — particularly young black males — have surged. From 2002 to 2007, the number of homicides involving black male juveniles as victims rose by 31% and as perpetrators by 43%. In terms of gun killings involving this same population subgroup, the increases were even more pronounced: 54% for young black male victims and 47% for young black male perpetrators. The increase in homicide among black youth, coupled with a smaller increase or even decrease among their white counterparts, was consistently true for every region of the country and nearly all population groupings of cities. The pattern also held individually for a majority of states and major cities. After some decline during the 1990s, the percentage of homicides that involve a gun has increased since 2000, both among young white offenders and black offenders of all age ranges. The percentage of gun homicides for young black offenders has reached nearly 85%. These trends are concomitant with various legislative initiatives at the federal level that have lessened the extent of surveillance on illegal gun markets. Time-of-day patterns of violent crime victimization for youngsters, ages 6-17, reveal clear differences between school days and out-of-school periods. On school days, the risk spikes during the after-school hours — the primetime for juvenile crime---while the late evening hours are most problematic on non-school days, particularly summertime weekends. Future demographics suggest that the concern for at-risk youth should increase over the next decade. The number of black and Hispanic children should continue to expand, contrasting with the rather limited increase expected among Caucasian children. There is a significant need for reinvestment in children and families — in essence an at-risk youth bailout during these difficult economic times. Federal support for policing and youth violence prevention has declined sharply in recent years, perhaps precipitated by complacency brought about by the significant 1990s decline in crime. The resurgence in homicide, especially among minority youth, signals the importance of restoring federal funds for crime prevention and crime control. Details: Boston, MA: Northeastern University, 2008. 25p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed August 9, 2011 at: http://www.jfox.neu.edu/Documents/Fox%20Swatt%20Homicide%20Report%20Dec%2029%202008.pdf Year: 2008 Country: United States URL: http://www.jfox.neu.edu/Documents/Fox%20Swatt%20Homicide%20Report%20Dec%2029%202008.pdf Shelf Number: 122335 Keywords: African AmericansGun ViolenceHomicidesIllegal GunsViolent CrimeYouth Violence |
Author: Gayle, Herbert Title: Male Social Participation and Violence in Urban Belize: An Examination of Their Experience with Goals, Guns, Gangs, Gender, God and Governance Summary: The report has ten chapters, divided into four sections. • The first is the Introduction comprised of the Research Design or methodology and the Critical Background. • The second section is an Assessment of the Human Ecology of Belize with emphasis on the urban centres, where social violence is concentrated. It is comprised of three chapters and is a discussion of the ‘pre‐conditional’ areas of the human ecology that contribute to social violence. These are the areas of a society that socialize and or nurture its populace: home, school and community. In the latter we have selected those institutions that comprise the central political authority, responsible for discipline, justice and equality. A breakdown in any of these institutions creates major crises leading to social violence. The third section is the Male Social Participation and Violence which is comprised of four chapters focused on the crisis of youth living in and affected by violence, with the emphasis on boys. The section begins with an Animated Life History of the very young children, ages 6‐13, followed by a PEER analysis of youth, then an Integrated Trauma Survey, and ends with a chapter on Gang Formation and Maintenance in urban Belize. The final section is the Summary and Suggestion. Details: Belize City: Ministry of Education, 2011. 401p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed September 7, 2011 at: http://www.belize.gov.bz/public/Attachment/0112315573071.pdf Year: 2011 Country: Belize URL: http://www.belize.gov.bz/public/Attachment/0112315573071.pdf Shelf Number: 122677 Keywords: GangsGender and ViolenceMalesPovertyUrban AreasViolenceViolent Crime (Belize)Youth Violence |
Author: Sommers, Marc Title: Fearing Africa's Young Men: The Case of Rwanda Summary: Do the concentrated numbers of male youths in urban Rwanda threaten social stability? The World Bank investigates this theory, examining the concept that large concentrations of male youths are disconnected from their cultures and prone to violence due to the ‘youth bulge’. However, interviews with urban male youths in Rwanda indicate that they are constrained by limited opportunities rather than menaces to society. The situation confronting most Rwandan youth and most of their counterparts in Africa remains alarming - a largely silent emergency. The ‘youth bulge’ theory suggests that a heavy concentration of male youths in urban areas leads to situations of violence, uprisings, revolutions and even terrorism. The prevalence of this theory in post-conflict literature has led African policymakers to attempt to avoid the urban ‘youth bulge’ by targeting aid to rural areas. For example, policymakers in Liberia have directed post-war reintegration strategies towards rural areas even though agriculture does not appeal to urban youth. In pre-genocide Rwanda, anti-urbanisation policy severely limited the educational and employment opportunities available to male youth. Forced immobility meant that while young men had few rural opportunities, they were not allowed to migrate to find better employment. The education system allowed few students into secondary school and provided poor or impractical vocational training. It is likely that the high numbers of male youth participants in the violence in Rwanda is attributable to limited opportunities resulting from faulty anti-urbanisation policy. Instead of eliminating the threat of the urban ‘youth bulge’, these policies created a life of entrapment and frustration that translated into desperation and violence during the genocide. •Young men had far less land than their fathers and were often unable to support a wife or a family. •The educational and legal system prevented young men from access to education and inheriting land, which forced them into low-paid, temporary jobs. •The government vocational education system targeted towards rural youth was ineffectual. Not only was the community required to pay many of the costs and choose appropriate courses, but also forced immobility meant that graduates could not find jobs in an already saturated workforce. •The hopelessness resulting from the lack of opportunities made Rwandan youth susceptible to genocide instigators whose recruitment strategy mixed coercion and promises of material gain. Given that Rwandan youth today face similar patterns of limited education and employment opportunities, there is a threat that the violence could reappear. Policymakers must learn from the past in order to create effective programmes for the current youth generation. •The ‘youth bulge’ theory unnecessarily labels young men as essentially dangerous. Youth may have excellent reasons to be frustrated and faulty policies based on the ‘youth bulge’ assumption may only fuel their discontent. •Policymakers need to accept and support the decisions of youth not to reintegrate into traditional society. This means providing positive engagement and support to them whether in urban or rural areas. •Young women are often ignored in post-conflict policy. All of Africa’s youth needs to be engaged and supported through appropriate, proactive, empowering, and inclusive measures. Details: Washington, DC: The World Bank, 2006. 30p. Source: Internet Resource: Social Development Papers: Conflict Prevention & Reconstruction, Paper No. 32: Accessed November 11, 2011 at: http://www-wds.worldbank.org/servlet/WDSContentServer/WDSP/IB/2006/02/13/000090341_20060213142651/Rendered/PDF/351490RW0Young0men0WP3201PUBLIC1.pdf Year: 2006 Country: Rwanda URL: http://www-wds.worldbank.org/servlet/WDSContentServer/WDSP/IB/2006/02/13/000090341_20060213142651/Rendered/PDF/351490RW0Young0men0WP3201PUBLIC1.pdf Shelf Number: 123310 Keywords: Juvenile OffendersUrban Areas (Rwanda)Violent CrimeYouth ViolenceYouthful Offenders |
Author: Silverman, Carol Title: The Consequences of Structural Racism, Concentrated Poverty and Violence on Young Men and Boys of Color Summary: This brief examines the broader structural and institutional elements that research implicates as the root causes of violence among boys and young men of color. It includes policy solutions and emerging and promising practices that respond to the primacy of broader structural issues, including structural racism. The brief also highlights organizations seeking to change conditions in their communities. Details: Berkeley, CA: Chief Justice Earl Warren Institute on Law and Social Policy, University of California, Berkeley Law School, 2011. 8p. Source: Internet Resource: Research Brief: Accessed November 29, 2011 at: http://www.boysandmenofcolor.org/wp-content/uploads/2011/05/Youth-Violence-for-Boys-and-Men-of-Color-Research-Brief.pdf Year: 2011 Country: United States URL: http://www.boysandmenofcolor.org/wp-content/uploads/2011/05/Youth-Violence-for-Boys-and-Men-of-Color-Research-Brief.pdf Shelf Number: 123464 Keywords: African AmericansDelinquency PreventionPovertyRacismRestorative JusticeSocioeconomic StatusViolent CrimeYouth Violence |
Author: Joseph, Ian Title: Gangs Revisited: What's a Gang and What's Race Got to Do with It? Politics and Policy into Practice Summary: Gangs and youth violence are strangely fascinating topics for researchers, politicians, the media and the public. This perhaps reached its high tide mark with the Prime Minster declaring ‘a concerted, allout war on gangs and gang culture’ in a speech at a youth centre in Witney, his Oxfordshire constituency in late August 2011 following the summer riots. Gangs remain very much on the political agenda. Yet the more we write and talk about them, the less we seem to understand. For this reason, ‘gangs’ are useful vehicles to identify how we negotiate the complexities around youth and crime. There appears to be no consensus as what ‘gangs’ actually are or if they even exist, let alone how and why they form. However, as Runnymede has argued in previous publications – A Tale of Two Englands: ‘Race’ and Violent Crime in the Press and (Re)Thinking Gangs: Gangs, Youth Violence and Public Policy – it is clear that the public debates around gangs and youth violence are viewed and projected through the lens of race and ethnicity. The August Riots have thrown this into stark contrast. It is hard to find a better example of this than the historian and broadcaster Dr David Starkey’s view that ‘the problem is that the whites have become black’ (Newsnight, BBC Television, 13 August 2011) – one of many examples within the rightwing press that linked crime with race and young people. We challenge this view, rather saying that a combination of high unemployment, low school attainment and an absence of a stake in society felt among young people in some communities was creating the conditions where conflict might erupt. Furthermore, in two recent reports (Passing the Baton: Inter-generational Conceptions of Race and Racism in Birmingham and Fair’s Fair: Equality and Justice in the Big Society), the Runnymede Trust had even named Croydon and Birmingham – sites of conflict in these riots – as potential flashpoints. Joseph and Gunter are right to point out that liberal left anti-racists (Runnymede included) have failed to develop a convincing counter-argument to these cultural explanations popular with politicians and the right-wing press which link violent crime to young people. Perhaps consequently, we find ourselves in a position where anti-racist campaigners deny any role of culture in crime patterns, whereas the right-wing press revels in asserting over and over again that black cultures are inherently criminogenic. The authors helpfully suggest that we need to strike a balance between acknowledging the problem and not being hysterical about it. In order to find that balance, we need a frank debate on the relationship between structure and culture, and how particular aspects of this discussion have influenced policy for better or worse. This challenging paper throws up several important questions on where the debate is currently going, and why the authors think we have reached an impasse. Perhaps finding solutions would be best done by an amended policing presence, ‘better’ parenting or whatever policy suits your ideological slant. Still, within this chorus of opinions, it is hard to hear the voice of young people themselves. There’s a lot of good work being done with disaffected youth, as the authors know well by virtue of being involved in this work themselves, but young people’s voices are conspicuously absent from policy making. Campaigns such as 99 Per Cent and the Stopwatch Youth Group are seeking to rectify this. These youth led campaigns show that when young people have a platform to voice their opinions, they demonstrate a nuanced understanding of why they and their peers do what they do. Whilst this need to understand does not condone, it does set a context for ensuring that events such as the riots in August do not happen again and lessons are learnt. It must be worth acknowledging that a way out of this impasse identified in these papers is to enable young people to do the talking and policy makers to listen to them. Details: London: Runnymeade, 2011. 32p. Source: Runnymeade Perspectives: Internet Resource: Accessed February 5, 2012 at http://www.runnymedetrust.org/uploads/publications/pdfs/GangsRevisited(online)-2011.pdf Year: 2011 Country: United Kingdom URL: http://www.runnymedetrust.org/uploads/publications/pdfs/GangsRevisited(online)-2011.pdf Shelf Number: 123984 Keywords: Gangs (U.K.)Race and CrimeYouth Violence |
Author: Joshi, Pamela Title: Violence and Abuse in British Columbia Summary: This report describes the epidemiology of violence and abuse as reflected in a variety of population and nonpopulation based data sources in British Columbia. Comparisons between BC data and national data, health consequences, economic burden are also described for selected topic areas in violence and abuse, including child abuse and neglect, youth violence, intimate partner violence, violent crimes and elder abuse and neglect. A variety of provincial data sources were consulted in the development of this report. Mortality data on homicides were provided through BC Vital Statistics. Hospital separations data were provided by the BC Injury Reporting System. Emergency department admissions data and child protection services data were provided by the BC Children’s Hospital site of The Canadian Injury Reporting and Prevention Program and BC Children’s Hospital Child Protection Services data. Violent crime data was provided by Police Management and Information System. Details: Vancouver: British Columbia Injury Research and Prevention Unit, 2007. 50p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed March 6, 2012 at http://www.injuryresearch.bc.ca/admin/DocUpload/3_20090616_100913Violence%20and%20Abuse%20in%20BC_FINAL.pdf Year: 2007 Country: Canada URL: http://www.injuryresearch.bc.ca/admin/DocUpload/3_20090616_100913Violence%20and%20Abuse%20in%20BC_FINAL.pdf Shelf Number: 124387 Keywords: Child Abuse & NeglectElder AbuseIntimate Partner ViolenceVictims of Crime (British Columbia)Violent Crime (British Columbia)Youth Violence |
Author: Ulmenstein, Sibylle von Title: Group Violence Reduction Strategy: Four Case Studies of Swift and Meaningful Law Enforcement Responses Summary: The publication captures examples of successful and creative law enforcement responses to group violence as carried out by police departments at key National Network jurisdictions. It explores: • How law enforcement partners identified the prohibited violent act that triggered their response • How the act was linked to a particular street group or gang • How active group members were identified for special enforcement attention • How creative levers and sanctions were designed and applied to make the response swift and meaningful • What outcomes were achieved • What important lessons were learned While some of the enforcement actions presented here might have been shaped by specific local conditions at the time of strategy implementation, the ideas, methods, and tactics used can nevertheless be broadly applied in other jurisdictions. Details: Washington, DC: U.S. Department of Justice, Office of Community Oriented Policing Services, 2011. 44p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed April 9, 2012 at: http://www.nnscommunities.org/LE_Case_Studies.pdf Year: 2011 Country: United States URL: http://www.nnscommunities.org/LE_Case_Studies.pdf Shelf Number: 124899 Keywords: GangsGroup ViolencePolice Problem-SolvingViolent CrimeYouth Violence |
Author: Peace Studies Group Title: Youth, Collective Urban Violence and Security: Key Findings Summary: The aim of this paper is to discuss three main critical challenges which research and policymaking in the field of collective youth violence in urban contexts face today. This paper argues that we need to shift the focus of research in this area from “problematic” youth to the study of the ways in which violence permeates daily lives and becomes normalised through specific local social and political conditions. The paper then suggests that, in light of recent theory and empirical research, the relationship between violence and poverty should be re-evaluated. Additionally, and in order to properly address the causes of youth collective violence, this paper argues for a change of focus in the analysis of youth violent mobilisation. The suggested focus rests on the appeal of the symbolic revenues that mark the search for a valued social status and possibilities in contexts of adversity and violence. In fact, symbolic factors associated with the involvement in drugs trafficking and other violent activities and with youths’ contact with firearms are key factors, namely the search for status, power and respect, and attracting recognition from their male and female peers. The adrenaline and danger which youth experience through these activities are highly connected with gender constructions. Finally, this paper supports the progressively accepted evidence in favour of an urgent shift in how to address and prevent youth violence, claiming that repressive policies have hitherto failed to contain violence and to contribute to improving the formulation of preventive policies. This paper is based on data collection and analysis as well as reports from several studies conducted since 2006 in Rio de Janeiro (Brazil), San Salvador (El Salvador), Praia (Cape Verde) and Bissau (Guinea-Bissau). Details: Brussels: Peace Studies Group, Initiative for Peace Building, 2011. 30p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed May 10, 2012 at: http://www.ifp-ew.eu/pdf/201107IfPEWYouthUrbanViolenceFindings.pdf Year: 2011 Country: International URL: http://www.ifp-ew.eu/pdf/201107IfPEWYouthUrbanViolenceFindings.pdf Shelf Number: 125236 Keywords: Gang ViolenceUrban ViolenceViolent CrimeYouth Violence |
Author: Blomberg, Thomas Title: An Evaluation of the Youth Violence Prevention Program in Palm Beach County Summary: Since the early 1990s, Palm Beach County has employed research in its efforts to successfully confront crime and improve its criminal justice system. Through the efforts of its Criminal Justice Commission (CJC), Palm Beach County has implemented such research-based initiatives as Weed and Seed, and drug courts. What is particularly noteworthy about Palm Beach County’s research-driven orientation to confront crime and improve its criminal justice system has been its concerted effort to not only implement research validated initiatives but to evaluate these initiatives in order to conclusively determine their actual effectiveness. This commitment to research and validated crime and criminal justice initiatives has been exemplified once again as Palm Beach County has mobilized against the problem of youth violence. Beginning in 2004, a series of media stories detailed frequent violent and often fatal crimes with firearms in the county. The perception was that the County was in the midst of a violent crime epidemic. In response, the Criminal Justice Commission initiated a study to determine if the perception of a crime epidemic was, in fact, correct. The study assessed the County’s historical trends in the levels of violent crime, gun-related crime, and murder. The study found that while the County’s overall crime rate had declined from 1990-2005, violent crime including those involving firearms, had increased with the murder rate having experienced particularly substantial increases from 2000 to 2005. Of additional importance was the study’s finding that violent criminal offenders in Palm Beach County were most often adolescents or young adults between the ages of 15 and 24. These findings led the Criminal Justice Commission to assess what other communities across the country were doing to combat youth violence. After reviewing the federally sponsored youth violence reduction efforts of Boston, Massachusetts; Oakland, California; Kansas City, Missouri; Detroit, Michigan; Richmond, Virginia; Birmingham, Alabama; Buffalo, New York; Riverside, California; Minneapolis/St. Paul, Minnesota; and Seattle, Washington, it became evident that there were promising youth violence reduction program strategies that might be useful in Palm Beach County. Specifically, the most promising programs would need to be comprehensive and include law enforcement, prevention, intervention, and offender reintegration services. Moreover, it was clear that to maximize the program’s potential for youth violence reduction success, it would be essential to involve the community in the planning and implementation stages of these programs. Ultimately, it was decided that while Palm Beach County’s youth violence problem mirrored those of other communities, it was critical that a tailored community-wide program be implemented that explicitly addressed the specifics of Palm Beach County’s high violent crime communities. In recognition of the findings and conclusions of the study of violent crime in Palm Beach County, it was concluded that the county would implement a comprehensive approach that employed key elements of the national model established by the U.S. Department of Justice for Youth Violence Prevention. The county invited cities to participate and agree to the following conditions: • Abide by the requirement that all city-related projects and efforts will service the residents within the identified geographic areas as outlined by Criminal Justice maps • The city will make a commitment of building space for services within the identified geographical areas • Design a phase-in plan, including timeline, for the creation of a Youth Empowerment Center • Design a phase-in plan, including timeline, for a Justice Service Center • Participate in the multi-agency task force law enforcement component of the Youth Violence Prevention Project • Utilize the findings of the Project’s 500 youth surveys to develop and prioritize youth empowerment programs • Pay the city’s portion of all goods, services, and personnel used in connection with this project • Develop separate community advisory boards for youth and young adults • Participate in all aspects of evaluation including data collection, data sharing, site monitoring, and visits The county’s comprehensive approach for confronting youth violence involved an integration of the national model for Youth Violence Prevention with the findings and conclusions of the research study of violent crime in Palm Beach County. Further, county professionals from the criminal justice system, education, human services, and local youth contributed to the planning for the County’s comprehensive approach to youth violence reduction. Four subcommittees were formed, namely, crime prevention, law enforcement, courts, and corrections, and charged with developing a strategic plan. Additionally, a youth workgroup of 25 youth from around the county was established and began its efforts with a survey of over 500 youth throughout the county. The recommendations from the youth workgroup and the four subcommittees were examined and used to support the county’s implementation of a multi-agency comprehensive program model. Ultimately, Palm Beach County’s Youth Violence Prevention Program Model included four components, namely, (1) Crime Prevention; (2) Law Enforcement; (3) Courts; and (4) Corrections, and involved a joint county/city effort. Based on the findings from the study of violent crime in the county, five program sites or violent crime “hot spots” were identified and these cities agreed to implement the Youth Violence Prevention Project. Moreover, in order to conclusively determine the effectiveness of the program in the five program sites, five matching control sites (did not implement the YVPP) were identified by the FSU Evaluation Team. The method used to select appropriate matching control sites included the use of U.S. Census data and Uniform Crime Report (UCR) data. On the basis of implementation, results, and outcomes reported in this Report, Palm Beach County’s first year experiences in implementing the violent crime reduction program model appear successful. The County has demonstrated an ability to mobilize different agencies, services, youth, and other citizens in a common collaborative mission to reduce violent crime. The County’s violence reduction efforts have been facilitated by its now several decade old collaborative history that has involved multiple agencies and citizen involvement in confronting crime. Beginning with Weed and Seed in the early 1990s and continuing with drug courts and the current violence reduction programs, the County has established infrastructures that include productive relationships between the Criminal Justice Commission, Board of Supervisors, Sheriff’s Office, various police departments, State Attorney’s Office, Courts, Corrections, County businesses, various County citizens groups, and others. This collaborative history and set of established multiple relationships has directly and positively impacted the County’s current violent crime reduction efforts. Details: Tallahassee: Center for Criminology and Public Policy, College of Criminology and Criminal Justice, Florida State University, 2008. 133p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed July 19, 2012 at: http://www.criminologycenter.fsu.edu/p/pdf/Palm%20Beach%20County%20YVPP%20Year%201%20Report.pdf Year: 2008 Country: United States URL: http://www.criminologycenter.fsu.edu/p/pdf/Palm%20Beach%20County%20YVPP%20Year%201%20Report.pdf Shelf Number: 125674 Keywords: Crime Prevention (Florida)Delinquency Prevention Programs - GangsGun ViolenceJuvenile OffendersViolent CrimeYouth Violence |
Author: Public Safety Canada. National Crime Prevention Centre Title: Prevention of Youth Gang Violence: Overview of Strategies and Approaches Summary: There are many reasons why interventions on social issues should be evidence-based. In the case of crime, violence and youth gangs in particular, these interventions deal with at-risk groups of the population, and so should try to maximize the potential to achieve positive outcomes. Furthermore, given limited resources, all partners and stakeholders involved should ensure that programs implemented will be the most effective and cost-efficient possible. And finally, interventions should be based on evidence so as not to replicate what does not work. Available evidence suggests that well-designed and rigorously implemented prevention strategies can produce significant changes in youth gang and youth violence problems. Rigorous evaluations of youth gang programs are rare; nevertheless, available studies point to some programs, approaches and strategies that have shown promise in effectively reducing youth gang crime (National Crime Prevention Centre, 2007, 2011; OJJDP, 2010). This document briefly describes some of the most evidence-based approaches to prevent youth gangs and serious youth violence which the National Crime Prevention Centre (NCPC) is interested in developing through the Youth Gang Prevention Fund (YGPF). It is designed to assist organizations interested in submitting a proposal to have access to some of the best available knowledge in Canada. The document is organized in three parts. Part I describes three key approaches, while Part II summarizes some of the key lessons learned through the first five years of the YGPF (2006-2011). Finally, Part III provides a list of Canadian and international resources in youth gang prevention. Details: Ottawa: Public Safety Canada, 2012. 27p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed August 11, 2012 at: http://www.publicsafety.gc.ca/prg/cp/ygpf/ygpf-osa-eng.aspx Year: 2012 Country: Canada URL: http://www.publicsafety.gc.ca/prg/cp/ygpf/ygpf-osa-eng.aspx Shelf Number: 125970 Keywords: Gang ViolenceJuvenile OffendersYouth Gangs (Canada)Youth Violence |
Author: London. Assembly. Time for Action Panel Title: Time to Reflect: The Development of Time for Action, the Mayor's Strategy to Tackle Serious Youth Violence Summary: The Time for Action strategy is a set of programmes aimed at reaching young people in London who may be at risk of becoming a victim, or perpetrator of crime. The Time for Action Panel welcomes the Mayor’s focus on addressing some of the causes of serious youth violence by expanding young people’s opportunities to participate in constructive activities and improve their life chances. It is important that the Mayor shows leadership by supporting programmes which can act to improve young people’s life chances and reduce youth violence. Final evaluation reports for the programmes have not yet been produced so it is too early to make an assessment of overall effectiveness. Some programmes have been fully worked up and are operational but others have been slow to get going. While the overall strategy has been led by the Deputy Mayor for Policing, other Mayoral Advisors have led on other programmes at different times. There are many lessons to be learnt by the GLA from its work in this area as the Mayor considers future interventions and further roll out of these programmes. In developing the programmes it is important to better understand the causes and drivers of serious youth violence and there is more the Mayor can do to commission and publish research which would support his interventions. This is vital to ensure effective programme design and targeting of resources. Our focus has been on three particular areas where the Mayor has intervened and significant GLA resources have been expended: to support offender rehabilitation, to support looked after children and to support mentoring of young black boys. The Panel has looked in detail at the creation of the Heron Unit at Feltham Young Offenders Institute that seeks to deliver intensive rehabilitation for young men who have stepped forward for a second chance. Our impression of the work of the Unit has been very positive and there is now some quantitative data to suggest that the Unit may be able to improve the chances of successful rehabilitation once the young men leave. We look forward to the final evaluation report in the summer and to hearing from the Mayor what further support the GLA will be offering to the Unit. The local authority is the corporate parent for looked after children but there are important strategic interventions that the Mayor can make to support these children. His work to support looked after children has shifted focus from boosting school attendance and achievement to supporting looked after children make the transition from school to university and to help raise aspirations. His intervention has been welcome but there is more that can be done through a campaign for more foster parents and by providing support into employment through ring-fencing apprenticeships in the GLA group. The Mayor’s mentoring programme has not met its delivery targets and there are concerns amongst some Panel members about the capacity of the consortium to create sufficient numbers of successful mentoring relationships. Part of the reason why the mentoring programme is behind schedule may be due to the way the appointment of the delivery consortium was made and the subsequent problems with the winning bid’s delivery partners. Details: London: Greater London Authority, 2012. 38p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed July 13, 2012 at: http://dera.ioe.ac.uk/13977/1/12-03-16-Time-to-Refelct.Pdf Year: 2012 Country: United Kingdom URL: http://dera.ioe.ac.uk/13977/1/12-03-16-Time-to-Refelct.Pdf Shelf Number: 125994 Keywords: Delinquency PreventionJuvenile Offenders (London, U.K.)Violent CrimeYouth Violence |
Author: Boudreau, Julie-Anne Title: Constructing Youth Citizenship in Montreal and Mexico City: The Examples of Youth-Police Relations in Saint-Michel and Iztapalapa Summary: Montreal has witnessed cyclical concerns about youth violence and street gangs. The threat is often “politically” constructed. Currently, Mexico City is struggling with a pervasive sense of insecurity. While the threat in Canada was largely attributed to mafias and organized crime throughout the 1990s (Sheptycki 2003), fear has crystallised on the figure of the young gang member in Mexico and Canada in the past few years. As Ungar writes, [y]outh thus become objects of collective fear, seen not as individuals but for the anxieties they cause and the jarring cultural changes they are seen to embrace. The particular impulsiveness of youths, wrapped up in their hostility to tradition and authority, only serves to aggravate these tensions. (Ungar 2009: 208)1 As a result, youths become the target of police action in public spaces. New repression measures are implemented, such as zero-tolerance policies or anti-gang operations, combined with a strengthened set of preventive actions ranging from youth brigades, to participatory youth projects, to community policing. In Montreal, preventive programs are generously financed by the Quebec Government and the Government of Canada. The money is channelled in priority boroughs selected on the basis of their scoring on a set of risk factors (such as household socio-economic status, school dropout rates, number of single-parent households, proportion of immigrants, general state of the built environment, the presence of gang activities in the borough, etc.). In Mexico City, particularly under the mayorship of Lopez Obrador (2000-2005), police reforms focused on community-run policing programs. The City of Mexico now has several programs for “at-risk” youths, including community youth brigades. Notably, and as discussed in greater detail in the Mexico section, today the Policía Sectorial, which is centrally overseen by the City, manages an outreach program for youth in schools that attempts to connect youth and police in a non-threatening environment. In addition to the citywide effort, Iztapalapa, the only borough in Mexico City with Auxiliary police directly under its command, also has a small team of Auxiliary police officers that implement similar efforts within the delegación. These programs are the closest thing to gang prevention efforts conducted by police in this borough. Such area-based approaches to crime prevention are reflected in the United Nations Guidelines for the Prevention of Crime (2002) and the earlier United Nations Guidelines for the Prevention of Urban Crime (1995), which call for a local approach to problem solving, taking into account the context of vulnerability to being victimized and/or to offending, as well as local resources. Situational approaches build on the “broken windows theory” (Wilson and Kelling 1982) among others, and community crime prevention, which includes consideration of such issues as social capital. The literature on street gangs by criminologists or psychologists (Goldstein 1991; Thornberry et al. 1993; Hawkins 1998) are also relevant. The concern is generally to find causal relationships between background factors (or risk factors) and illegal or violent acts, in order to point towards elements in which to intervene preventively. Over the course of the 1990s, this came to be known as the “new penology” (Feely and Simon 1992), which positions the criminal as a statistical probability to manage. Crime is not conceptualized as transgression; it is understood as the result of the accumulation of risk factors in a territory or an individual. Following this logic, the prevention system aims more to neutralize danger by regulating risks than by punishing or rehabilitating individuals. The stigmatizing effects of this (such as ghettoizing and/or racial profiling) have been largely documented by urban geographers and sociologists (Davis 1998; Symons 1999; Romero 2006; Wacquant 2006; Dikeç 2007). The work of Philoctète at the Maison d’Haïti in Saint-Michel in Montreal (confirmed by the data presented here) has documented how youths perceive the stigmatizing effects of prevention programs and research on their neighbourhood. Yet Saint-Michel has been very innovative in its approach to issues of street crime and insecurity in the borough, developing a comprehensive crime prevention approach which encompasses a range of socio-cultural, developmental and structural concerns. The neighbourhood police work on an area-based logic given the administrative structures in place, but recognize Saint-Michel as a community as well. The neighbourhood has seen many projects beyond gang prevention: support services of all types, work with migrant communities, cross-sector partnerships, community mobilization, etc. As Fady Dagher, former Police Commandant in Saint-Michel, said in a presentation at the 12th UN Congress in Salvador, they are trying to explicitly move from “zero tolerance” to “tolerance”. Much of this local approach is focused on the neighbourhood and the immediate community. Yet, a previous project has shown how moving around the city is important to youths and contributes greatly to their development (Cissé and Boudreau 2009; Guthrie 2009; Boudreau, Janni, and Chatel, 2011; see also Madzou and Bacqué 2008). This mobile and fluid aspect of youths’ everyday life is not always taken into account in prevention projects in Montreal and Mexico City. The developments in Saint-Michel are encouraging, but the youths to whom we spoke still feel at a distance from these programs and labelled as “vulnerable”. The previous research conducted by VESPA has highlighted depoliticization (making delinquency a technical, rather than a publicly debatable problem) as an important effect of these preventive approaches (Boudreau, Janni, and Chatel 2011). It became clear that one of the important effects of preventive measures framed by “at-risk” categorizations is to deny youths any sense of meaningful socio-political agency. As a street worker stated, “it is important to humanize the gang. In it, there are individuals with broken lives” (November 18, 2008, our translation). Viewing gangs as a technical problem of risk management depoliticizes the issue, while stripping youths of individual and group subjectivity. They are seen as vulnerable to gang recruitment rather than as individuals and groups able to act intentionally and autonomously. Parazelli’s (2004) work with street youths in Montreal demonstrates how they create their own autonomous space of action in reaction to the effects of this risk management logic of preventive action. Fortunately, some innovative projects on youth participation are seeking to counteract this (ICPC Youth Resource Guide 2010). With this project, we seek to contribute to this search for solutions. Details: Montreal: Institut national de la recherche scientifique Centre - Urbanisation Culture Société, 2012. 167p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed September 21, 2012 at: http://im.metropolis.net/research-policy/research_content/doc/Youth-police_relations_in_Montreal_and_Mexico_City-final_report.pdf Year: 2012 Country: International URL: http://im.metropolis.net/research-policy/research_content/doc/Youth-police_relations_in_Montreal_and_Mexico_City-final_report.pdf Shelf Number: 126389 Keywords: At-Risk Youth (Montreal, Canada, Mexico City)GangsJuvenile OffendersPolice-Citizen InteractionsPolice-Community RelationsUrban CrimeYouth GangsYouth Violence |
Author: Firmin, Carlene Title: Female Voice in Violence: Introductory Report: Phase 1: A Cross-Regional Study on the Impact of Gangs and Serious Youth Violence on Women and Girls Summary: Since 2008, the social policy think-tank Race on the Agenda (ROTA) has conducted research on the impact of serious youth and gang violence on women and girls. Their Female Voice in Violence project assesses the impact of serious youth violence, gangs and serious group offending on women and girls. In particular it addresses the policy context of violence against women and girls, and serious youth violence, at a national, regional and local level; and assesses the capacity of the third and statutory sector to respond to the needs of gang affected women and girls. This project has so far been London focused, but from 2010-2011 ROTA will develop cross regional research in Liverpool, Manchester and Birmingham. In preparation for this fieldwork ROTA has produced this introductory report to introduce the National Research Programme. It details the introductory report research strategy, outlines the current gaps in policy and practice, and describes the current approaches taken across regions to address both serious youth violence and sexual violence. Details: London: Race on the Agenda, 2010. 50p., bibliography Source: Internet Resource Year: 2010 Country: United Kingdom URL: Shelf Number: 126482 Keywords: Sexual ViolenceViolence Against WomenYouth Gangs (U.K.)Youth Violence |
Author: Webster, Daniel W. Title: Evaluation of Baltimore's Safe Streets Program: Effects on Attitudes, Participants’ Experiences, and Gun Violence Summary: Cure Violence, formerly CeaseFire, was developed in 1995 to reduce youth violence associated with firearms. The program takes a multifaceted approach to intervention that involves several different components. One of the major components of this program is street outreach workers, many former gang members, who go out into urban areas and develop relationships with at-risk youth. Outreach staff also act as “violence interruputers” who work around the clock to intervene at the site of conflicts and mediate potential violent encounters between individuals or gangs. Dr. Gary Slutkin developed the Cure Violence program by applying public health lessons to gun violence in some of Chicago’s most dangerous neighborhoods. An earlier rigorous evaluation of Cure Violence in Chicago, using a multiple interrupted time series design, found significant reductions in gun violence and retaliatory homicides associated with four of seven intervention neighborhoods studied. Furthermore, when budget cuts reduced program implementation in certain Chicago neighborhoods, shootings increased in these areas. These preliminary results encouraged the Baltimore City Health Department to replicate Chicago’s Cure Violence program in four of Baltimore’s most violent neighborhoods under the name Safe Streets with a grant from the U.S. Department of Justice. This report presents the evaluation findings of Safe Streets, led by Daniel Webster, ScD, MPH, and Jennifer Whitehill, PhD, of Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health with a grant from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. This rigorous multiple interrupted time series evaluation measures Safe Streets' effect on gun violence, attitudes about the acceptability of gun use and impact on the lives of participants after the implementation of the program. Although the evaluation was not funded by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF), Chicago’s Cure Violence model is being replicated in 15 more sites across the country with a $4.5 million RWJF grant. The findings from this evaluation will be used to identify the most effective elements of the Cure Violence model in reducing gun violence and will add to the body of evidence supporting replication efforts. To measure the effect of the Safe Streets program in intervention neighborhoods, the evaluation: reviewed implementation data of the program; did multiple interrupted time series analysis of the effects of the program on homicide and nonfatal shootings; conducted a community survey of attitudes toward gun violence; and interviewed participants to determine their perceptions of the program’s effect on their lives. Details: Baltimore, MD: Johns Hopkins Center for the Prevention of Youth Violence, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, 2012. 47p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed October 9, 2012 at: http://www.rwjf.org/content/dam/web-assets/2012/01/evaluation-of-baltimore-s-safe-streets-program Year: 2012 Country: United States URL: http://www.rwjf.org/content/dam/web-assets/2012/01/evaluation-of-baltimore-s-safe-streets-program Shelf Number: 126664 Keywords: At-Risk YouthGang ViolenceGun Violence (Baltimore, U.S.)HomicidesSafe Streets ProgramYouth Violence |
Author: Seekings, Jeremy Title: Socio-Economic Conditions, Young Men and Violence in Cape Town Summary: People in violent neighbourhoods attribute violence in public spaces to, especially, poverty and unemployment, but agree that social disintegration, disrespect, drinking and drugs and the weaknesses of the criminal justice system also contribute substantially. However, data from a panel of young men in Cape Town provide little support for the hypothesis that unemployment and poverty are direct causes of violence against strangers. Growing up in a home where someone drank heavily or took drugs is, however, a strong predictor of violence against strangers in early adulthood. A history of drinking (or taking drugs) correlates with perpetration of violence, and might also serve as a mechanism through which conditions during childhood have indirect effects. Living in a bad neighbourhood and immediate poverty are associated with violence against strangers, but being unemployed is not. Overall, heavy drinking – whether by adults in the childhood home or by young men themselves – seems to be a more important predictor of violence than economic circumstances in childhood or the recent past. Heavy drinking seems to play an important part in explaining why some young men have been more violent than others in circumstances that seem to have been generally conducive to rising violence, for reasons that remain unclear. It seems likely that few young people in South Africa in the early 2000s come from backgrounds that strongly predispose them against the use of violence. Details: Brighton, UK: MICROCON, University of Sussex, 2011. 33p. Source: Internet Resource: MICROCON Research Working Paper 49: Accessed December 4, 2012 at: http://www.microconflict.eu/publications/RWP49_JS_KT.pdf Year: 2011 Country: South Africa URL: http://www.microconflict.eu/publications/RWP49_JS_KT.pdf Shelf Number: 127121 Keywords: Alcohol AbusePovertySocio-Economic Conditions and CrimeUnemployment and CrimeUrban NeighborhoodsViolent Crime (Cape Town, South Africa)Youth Violence |
Author: Leshnick, Sukey Soukamneuth Title: Evaluation of School-District-Based Strategies for Reducing Youth Involvement in Gangs and Violent Crime Summary: In 2007, the Employment and Training Administration provided funding to five school districts to improve services to youth who are involved, have been involved or are at risk of involvement with gangs or the juvenile justice system. A variety of educational, employment, and violence prevention programs and strategies were developed and designed to increase academic performance, lower the involvement of drop-outs and reduce involvement in crime and gangs. The Evaluation of School District-Based Strategies for Reducing Youth Involvement in Gangs and Violent Crime report summarizes findings that cover several key areas for improving services: community context, school district characteristics, in-school and out-of-school youth service models, and program outcomes. The goals of the evaluation were to document prevention and intervention strategies, assess partnership models, document outcomes, and identify successful strategies, challenges and lessons learned. Details: Washington, DC: U.S. Department of Labor/ETZ, 2010. 239p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed February 22, 2013 at: http://wdr.doleta.gov/research/FullText_Documents/Evaluation_of_School_District-Based_Strategies_for_Reducing_Youth_Involvement_in_Gangs_and_Violent_Crime_Final_Report.pdf Year: 2010 Country: United States URL: http://wdr.doleta.gov/research/FullText_Documents/Evaluation_of_School_District-Based_Strategies_for_Reducing_Youth_Involvement_in_Gangs_and_Violent_Crime_Final_Report.pdf Shelf Number: 127711 Keywords: At-risk YouthDelinquency PreventionEducational ProgramsGang PreventionGangs (U.S.)Violent CrimeVocational Training and EducationYouth Violence |
Author: Butts, Jeffrey A. Title: Teaming Up for Safer Cities Summary: The National Forum on Youth Violence Prevention is a White House inspired, locally coordinated effort to strengthen youth violence prevention in selected U.S. cities. Communities electing to participate in the National Forum collaborate to develop youth violence prevention strategies that draw upon a wide array of community and organizational resources, including law enforcement, courts, schools, social services, mental health agencies, faith-based organizations, the business community, and a variety of neighborhood and community-based groups. Six cities began working with the National Forum on Youth Violence Prevention in 2010. They were Boston, Chicago, Detroit, and Memphis, as well as Salinas and San Jose, California. By 2012, the Forum had grown to ten cities, including Camden (New Jersey), Minneapolis, New Orleans, and Philadelphia. Soon after the National Forum began, the federal partners managing the effort asked the Research and Evaluation Center at John Jay College of Criminal Justice to observe the implementation of the National Forum and to prepare an assessment of the strategies pursued by each city. The research team at John Jay College worked with colleagues at Temple University’s Department of Criminal Justice to conduct the assessment. The project employed a number of techniques for measuing the implementation of the National Forum, including direct observations, participant interviews, and stakeholder surveys administered at three points in time. This report describes the results from the series of stakeholder surveys conducted in five of the first six cities to participate in the National Forum: Boston, Detroit, Memphis, Salinas, and San Jose. (By 2012, the National Forum efforts in Chicago had not reached a point that would justify the city’s inclusion in this assessment report.) The first round of surveys was launched (via surveymonkey.com) in June 2011, while the second and third rounds began in February and August 2012, respectively. The last survey in the third round was received in October 2012. Thus, this report describes changes perceived by respondents during 15 months of National Forum implementation. Changes are slow to come in complex violence reduction initiatives. The assessment team didn’t expect to find large and profound improvements in the perceptions of respondents from National Forum cities. There were, however, a number of important indicators of postive change. Across the five surveyed cities, respondents reported improved law enforcement effectiveness, better access to family services and opportunities for youth, and more support for violence prevention from local officials. Most importantly, survey respondents in the third round of surveys were less likely than those in the first round to report increasing levels of particular forms of violence in the community. Perceptions of violence associated with drug sales and family conflict, for example, improved in National Forum cities. Perceptions of gang violence also improved. In the first survey, for example, 46 percent of respondents in the five cities believed that gang activity was becoming more visible in their communities. By the third survey, the same perception was reported by just 33 percent of respondents. Cities involved in the National Forum on Youth Violence Prevention are beginning to see substantive improvements in their efforts to stem youth violence. The results of these efforts are modest and they are almost always slow to develop. Some of the indicators that improved between the first and second surveys did not appear to improve in the third survey. Yet, the existence of any positive and measurable change in just 15 months is reason enough to believe that the efforts of the National Forum are having a beneficial effect on community safety. Details: New York: Research and Evaluation Center, John Jay College of Criminal Justice, City University of New York, 2012. 46p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed March 14, 2013 at: http://johnjayresearch.org/rec/files/2012/12/teamingup2012.pdf Year: 2012 Country: United States URL: http://johnjayresearch.org/rec/files/2012/12/teamingup2012.pdf Shelf Number: 127931 Keywords: Crime PreventionViolence PreventionViolent CrimeYouth Violence |
Author: Pana, Artemis Title: Youth4Youth: A Manual for Empowering Young People in Preventing Gender-Based Violence through Peer Education Summary: The Youth4Youth training manual is the culmination of a series of initiatives undertaken in several European countries that aimed at shedding more light on the issue of gender-based violence among adolescents. A number of projects funded by the European Commission’s Daphne Programme have created a wealth of information on how young people think and act in relation to their gender identity and within romantic relationships, forming the basis for the work undertaken in the Youth4Youth project, a deliverable of which is this manual. Most importantly, they have provided the foundation upon which interventions such as this manual can be developed and implemented in schools and in youth centres to prevent gender-based violence, and violence against women in particular, by addressing its root causes as early as possible. Emerging evidence suggests that patterns of violence and victimization may develop in early adolescence, and soon become difficult to reverse. Hence, primary prevention measures have an essential role in combating gender based violence since schools and other education centres are a critical component of adolescents’ lives and one of the main contexts where gender socialization takes place, as well as where attitudes toward oneself and others are formed and reinforced. This type of work goes on to stress the importance of funding programmes within the EU that prioritize gender equality and the fight against gender-based violence, including primary prevention programmes that aim to provide young people across Europe with the knowledge and skills to live healthier, more empowered lives. Details: Nicosia, Cyprus: Mediterranean Institute of Gender Studies (MIGS), 2012. 94p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed April 6, 2013 at: http://www.medinstgenderstudies.org/wp-content/uploads/Y4Y-Manual_digital_v12.pdf Year: 2012 Country: Europe URL: http://www.medinstgenderstudies.org/wp-content/uploads/Y4Y-Manual_digital_v12.pdf Shelf Number: 128299 Keywords: BullyingDelinquency PreventionEducationGender-Based ViolencePeer GroupsSchool ViolenceSexual ViolenceViolence PreventionYouth Violence |
Author: Denman, Kristine Title: Evaluation of Dlo’ayazhi Project Safe Neighborhoods Summary: Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) is a nationwide crime reduction initiative sponsored by the Department of Justice (DOJ). It has been in operation for over a decade. It began with a focus on firearm crimes, and in 2006, expanded to include gang crimes. This initiative is typically implemented in urban areas; however, in 2008 the DOJ invited the Navajo Nation Department of Public Safety to apply for the program. The successful application outlined a plan for implementing PSN in and around the Crownpoint area of the Navajo Nation. In 2011, DOJ provided supplemental funding to continue PSN efforts in Crownpoint and expand into the Shiprock area, which is in the northwestern part of New Mexico. This report summarizes a process evaluation of these expansion efforts, as well as ongoing PSN efforts in the Crownpoint area. There are three primary principles that guide the PSN model: it is meant to be community based, coordinated and comprehensive. PSN is designed to be centered on the community in which it is being implemented, recognizing and reacting to community needs and the local resources available to address those needs (http://www.psn.gov/about/index.html). For example, while PSN focuses on gun and gang crime, the Navajo Nation PSN program has been expanded to include a domestic violence component. This addition represents a Task Force response to concerns about domestic violence voiced by representatives of the Navajo Nation. Across the country, United States Attorney’s Offices (USAO) coordinate PSN efforts in their respective districts. The USAO designates a Task Force Coordinator whose charge is to convene a PSN Task Force that brings together representatives from law enforcement and prosecution at all jurisdictional levels (local, tribal, state and federal), as well as community leaders, research partners, and others. This Task Force then meets regularly to develop collaborative strategies to address PSN program goals. The Task Force meetings are a venue for planning, reporting on and refining PSN activities and initiatives. In addition to managing these efforts, the PSN Task Force Coordinator reports back to the Department of Justice regarding local PSN efforts. Finally, PSN is meant to be comprehensive. The Navajo Nation PSN focuses on intervention, prevention, and prosecution of gun crimes, gang related/motivated offenses, juvenile violence and domestic violence offenses occurring on the Navajo Nation. Intervention involves violence suppression through targeted law enforcement operations. Prevention includes educational programming, outreach and support services. For example, the educational component involves a program called Project Sentry which targets at-risk youth, and is designed to prevent their involvement in gun and gang crime. Other prevention efforts occur as well. Outreach includes family advocacy and support for domestic violence issues and related problems, such as substance abuse. Finally, prosecution of targeted crimes occurs at the tribal and federal levels. The Navajo Nation PSN program is unique among PSN programs. It is among the first to be implemented on tribal lands, and must address challenges that differ from those typically seen in urban areas. First, the geography of the area differs from that of a typical urban PSN site. It is a very large geographical area, with many undeveloped roads and many areas that are sparsely populated. Second, there are fewer law enforcement officers per square mile relative to that seen in an urban area. In addition, this PSN initiative must take into account tribal law, and be able to work with tribal government in addition to negotiating municipal, state and federal laws. Finally, there are cultural differences and sovereignty issues that PSN must be sensitive to and take into account when implementing the initiative. However, the area is also similar to other PSN sites in that the community leaders have identified violence and gangs as a problem. They note that these problems are associated with substance abuse and poverty issues, like other PSN locales. Further, there is concern that particular housing structures on the Navajo Nation have become crime magnets, similar to urban dwellings. The USAO for the District of New Mexico (USAO NM) requested evaluation services in support of the Navajo PSN initiative from the New Mexico Statistical Analysis Center at the University of New Mexico’s Institute for Social Research. The USAO NM outlined two primary evaluation goals. First, the USAO NM expressed particular interest in determining how well the Task Force was coordinating activities and forging connections between disparate groups. Second, they were interested in better understanding the challenges to PSN implementation on the Navajo Nation so that they could best meet these challenges. There are five questions guiding this evaluation: 1. What portions of PSN are being implemented? 2. How well are PSN Task Force partners coordinating activities to implement the program goals? 3. What are Task Force members’ perceptions of PSN’s impact and success? 4. What are the facilitators to PSN implementation in the target areas? 5. What are the barriers to PSN implementation in the target areas? The purpose of this evaluation, then, is to determine whether the initiative is being implemented in the way that it is intended, to understand the perceived success of the initiative, and to pinpoint facilitators and barriers to implementation, focusing especially on coordination of activities. The results are meant to be used to make decisions about whether and how to refine the program activities and to provide feedback to the funders regarding program compliance. Details: Albuquerque, NM: University of New Mexico, Institute for Social Research; New Mexico Statistical Analysis Center, 2013. 73p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed April 6, 2013 at: http://nmsac.unm.edu/psn-process-evaluation-final-report.pdf Year: 2013 Country: United States URL: http://nmsac.unm.edu/psn-process-evaluation-final-report.pdf Shelf Number: 0 Keywords: Crime Prevention ProgramsDomestic ViolenceGang ViolenceGun ViolenceNavajo NationProject Safe Neighborhoods (New Mexico, U.S.)Violent CrimeYouth Violence |
Author: Hipple, Natalie Kroovand Title: Project Safe Neighborhoods Case Study Report: District of Nebraska Summary: Unlike the other initiatives which were created in local jurisdictions, Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) was created as a national program. PSN was designed in 2001 by officials in the U.S. Department of Justice. PSN was coordinated through 93 U.S. Attorneys’ Offices that encompass the United States and its territories. United States Attorneys are federal prosecutors who are considered the chief law enforcement official within each federal jurisdiction. In designing PSN, the U.S. Department of Justice emphasized five core components: partnerships, strategic planning, training, outreach, and accountability. PSN proposed to increase partnerships between federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies through the formation of a local gun crime reduction task force. Additionally, PSN encouraged establishing partnerships with other sectors of local government, social services, community groups, and citizens to increase resources for gun crime prevention components as well as to increase the legitimacy of interventions. The strategic planning and problem solving component of PSN was designed to help jurisdictions tailor PSN to the local context. Specifically, PSN provided resources for the inclusion of a research partner. The research partner would work with the PSN task force to analyze the local gun crime problem and to share the findings with the task force for the development of a proactive plan for gun crime reduction. And, the research partner would assist in the ongoing assessment of the program implementation and provide feedback to the task force. Finally, PSN included a significant commitment of resources to support training and community outreach. Although there was variation across the 93 PSN task forces,2 the provided training emphasized several common features. First, it was a focused deterrence model. Rather than increasing the threat of sanctions for all offenders, this program was highly focused on reducing gun crime. Additionally, emphasis was placed on understanding the patterns of gun crime in the local jurisdiction so that enforcement and prevention resources could be directed to the people, places, and contexts generating gun crime. One example of an intervention that emerged in several communities was the use of a data driven approach to identify high risk, high volume, violent offenders for whom enforcement resources would be concentrated (Bynum et al., 2006). Second, resources were provided to communicate the deterrent message to those at risk for engaging in gun crime as both offenders and victims. This included a media campaign of risk messages through a variety of outlets (e.g., radio, television, billboards, posters in jails and community centers). Third, resources were provided for the development of intervention and prevention programs. Again, there was wide variation across the various PSN sites in terms of the nature of these programs. Following the Boston and Indianapolis programs described above, a number of sites attempted combine a deterrence message with social support opportunities specifically tailored to high risk offenders. This was a common PSN strategy using direct communication to at-risk individuals through what has become known as offender notification meetings (McDevitt et al., 2006). In addition to providing support (e.g., mentoring, vocational training, job preparation) these meetings were intended to increase the sense of fairness and legitimacy of the overall approach. Not only were these individuals being told to stop carrying guns and to stop the violence but they were being offered support and the hope for an alternative set of choices. The current repon focuses on the District of Nebraska. Similar to PSN in the Eastern District of Missouri and in the District ofMassaehusetts, PSN in Nebraska built upon prior experience with multi-agency strategic problem solving through the district's panicipation as an informal participant in the SACS I initiative. Details: East Lansing, MI: School of Criminal Justice, Michigan State University, 2007. 44p. Source: Internet Resource: Case Study 9: Accessed April 22, 2013 at: https://www.ncjrs.gov/pdffiles1/nij/grants/241727.pdf Year: 2007 Country: United States URL: https://www.ncjrs.gov/pdffiles1/nij/grants/241727.pdf Shelf Number: 128426 Keywords: CollaborationGun Violence (Nebraska)Media CampaignsPartnershipsProject Safe NeighborhoodsViolence PreventionYouth Violence |
Author: Deitch, Michele Title: Understanding and Addressing Youth Violence in the Texas Juvenile Justice Department. Report to the Office of the Independent Ombudsman Summary: Following numerous reports in 2012 of increased levels of youth violence in secure facilities operated by the Texas Juvenile Justice Department (TJJD), the Office of the Independent Ombudsman (OIO) requested assistance from the Lyndon B. Johnson School of Public Affairs at the University of Texas to analyze the extent and nature of youth misbehavior within TJJD and to identify strategies to effectively address the violence. This report responds to that request and aims to support the OIO in its efforts to understand and address misbehavior in TJJD’s secure facilities so that youth and staff are safe and youth receive effective rehabilitative programming. This report focuses on “major rule violations,” the most serious offenses a youth can commit during his or her time at TJJD. These include a wide range of non-violent and violent infractions, as well as attempted escapes, riots, and other group disturbances. At the OIO’s request, TJJD provided information about all of the major rule violations that took place within its six long-term, secure facilities from January 2009 through December 2012. These data were thoroughly analyzed to identify trends in the occurrence of violence. The report also examines youths’ and staff members’ personal experiences with assaultive behavior based on the results of a survey the OIO administered to youth and staff in five of the secure facilities in August and September 2012. To understand how TJJD manages youth misbehavior, we also analyzed data about current disciplinary practices, reviewed agency policies, and spoke with relevant agency administrators. In order to identify best practices for managing the behavior of youth within institutional settings, we conducted an extensive literature review and consulted with a wide variety of national experts in the field, including current and former administrators of other state juvenile systems. The findings presented in this report are timely as Texas legislators, TJJD administrators, and the OIO work to address the chronic challenge of youth misbehavior in TJJD’s secure facilities. The persistent nature of violence and other major rule violations has critical implications for juvenile justice system reform efforts during the 83rd Legislature and beyond. Details: Austin, TX: Lyndon B. Johnson School of Public Affairs, The University of Texas at Austin, 2013. 152p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed June 6, 2013 at: http://www.utexas.edu/lbj/sites/default/files/file/faculty/DeitchUnderstandingandAddressingYouthViolenceinTJJDMay%202013FINAL.pdf Year: 2013 Country: United States URL: http://www.utexas.edu/lbj/sites/default/files/file/faculty/DeitchUnderstandingandAddressingYouthViolenceinTJJDMay%202013FINAL.pdf Shelf Number: 128973 Keywords: Juvenile Detention Facilities (Texas)Juvenile Inmate MisconductJuvenile InmatesJuvenile OffendersYouth Violence |
Author: Berkman, Heather Title: Social exclusion and violence in Latin America and the Caribbean Summary: This paper examines how social exclusion contributes to violence in communities throughout Latin America and the Caribbean. Residents in socially excluded communities cannot depend on those institutions designed to protect them, and violence becomes an instrument to achieve certain outcomes, such as justice, security, and economic gain. When conventional methods of obtaining and working for increased social status, higher income, and wider influence are limited, as they often are in marginalized areas, some feel compelled to resort to violent acts. This paper discusses how social exclusion and violence interact in a vicious circle that leaves the socially excluded in a very hostile social environment where the borders between legal and illegal, legitimate and illegitimate are often fuzzy and uncertain. In this environment violence is used by a minority to acquire justice, security, authority and economic gain. The use of violence by this minority, however, affect the lives of the majority of excluded people that do not resort to violence. As youths are particularly vulnerable to this issue, this paper also examines the relationship between violence and the plight of Latin American youth gangs and street children. Details: Washington, DC: Inter-American Development Bank, 2007. 36p. Source: Internet Resource: Research Department Working paper series ; 613): Accessed June 21, 2013 at: http://www.iadb.org/res/publications/pubfiles/pubwp-613.pdf Year: 2007 Country: Central America URL: http://www.iadb.org/res/publications/pubfiles/pubwp-613.pdf Shelf Number: 129039 Keywords: Socio-Economic StatusStreet ChildrenViolence (Latin America and Caribbean)Violent CrimeYouth GangsYouth Violence |
Author: Mercy Corps Title: Understanding Political Violence Among Youth: Evidence from Kenya on the links between youth, economic independence, social integration, and stability Summary: What makes youth prone to engage in violent movements? And what program strategies show the greatest potential to mitigate this risk? Mercy Corps recently undertook research to better understand these questions, based on data from its Local Empowerment for Peace (LEAP) project in Kenya. The study sheds light on the debate over whether young people’s economic conditions are a major driver of violence. It provides hard evidence on a number of social, political, and economic factors that influence youth propensity towards violence in Kenya. The findings have clear implications for peacebuilding programs in environments like Kenya where underlying tensions periodically erupt into violent conflict. The results of this study lend support to the further use of economic incentives and promoting social integration among youth as pillars of peacebuilding programs in Kenya and similar contexts. The research also points to the need to expand young people’s political and civic engagement to significantly reduce their risk of participation in violent movements. Several Mercy Corps programs in Kenya and other countries have already internalized this lesson and are promoting constructive avenues for political participation among youth alongside efforts to improve their economic independence. Details: Portland, OR: Mercy Corps, 2011. 52p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed June 22, 2013 at: http://www.mercycorps.org/research-resources/understanding-political-violence-among-youth Year: 2011 Country: Kenya URL: http://www.mercycorps.org/research-resources/understanding-political-violence-among-youth Shelf Number: 129133 Keywords: Socioeconomic ConditionsYouth Gangs (Kenya)Youth Violence |
Author: Hardiman, Paul Soto Title: Youth and Exclusion in Disadvantaged Urban Areas: policy approaches in six European cities Summary: This volume in the Trends in social cohesion series follows on from Volume 8, which dealt with some aspects of “integration” of young people in urban areas, in particular the implications of the concept and the responsibilities of the various parties (the state, the administrative authorities, politicians, the voluntary sector, mediators, families and young people themselves) in matters of policy. It also considered the limitations of reparation-orientated approaches that treat the question in isolation, being targeted at this specific section of the urban population. The present volume provides two additional studies. The first part, by Paul Soto, offers a reading of the causes of youth violence, based on comparative analysis of neighbourhood integration policies in six European cities: the four west European cities are Naples (the Spanish quarter), Barcelona (el Raval), Amsterdam (Slotervaart) and Derby (Derwent); the two cities in transition countries are Sofia (Fakulteta) and Moscow (the Southern Administrative District). In the second part Frédéric Lapeyre looks at the particular case of Naples’ Spanish quarter. His investigation brings home the complexity of any genuine policy in the matter, which, to restore humanity and dignity to young people’s daily lives, requires that all the players revise their perceptions and action. In a summary of the six case studies, Paul Soto shows that so-called “youth violence”, whether in west or east Europe, displays certain constant features: poverty, disappointed aspirations, lack of prospects, of self-confidence and of confidence in the local environment, official uncertainty, ignorance of the problems, indifference and spatial segregation. The violence manifests itself in the home and in family life, in the street, towards “outsiders”, towards symbols of authority, towards young people’s own community and towards communal facilities and installations. The study examines in detail the forms that violence can take. In the neighbourhoods considered, violence is one response to lack of control over changes that worsen the situation and the social climate: in addition to containing concentrations of poverty, some of it extreme, these are also reception areas for imported poverty in the form of immigrants. A series of questions arises. What kind of policy will enable young people to change their lives in neighbourhoods suffering from identity loss and in which identity building is conflict-based (“us”, the minority in the neighbourhood, and “them”, the majority who live on the far side of the mental and social boundaries that surround young people’s life setting)? What kind of constructive spaces can we provide for analysing and discussing the older generation’s anger and resentment? In what kind of environment are the political decisions being taken? How do politicians respond to the pressure they are under to make tackling local and street violence the priority rather than developing proper long-term education, training and employment policy? Paul Soto’s overview identifies four types of official response, ranging from decentralisation – allocating responsibilities and resources to the level at which the problem is located – to seeking areas in which young people themselves, and the rest of society, could be given greater responsibility. He reflects on how the political sphere addresses this and highlights the strengths and weaknesses of the different approaches. He shows that no project can be fully successful unless it rebuilds young people’s sense of belonging and sense of identity by reconciling them with their immediate life context (family, school, friends and so on). This part ends with a series of recommendations as regards both methods and indicators for evaluating the situation and setting up mechanisms for intervention and spaces conducive to it. In the second part Frédéric Lapeyre describes the everyday lives of young people in the Spanish quarter of Naples. He offers an interpretation of the interplay between various “life spaces” (physical/public, family/private and relational/public), all of which are characterised by a culture of disorganisation and violence, but also by great vitality and by tolerance of incomers who themselves have been marked by their experience of poverty and despair. The Spanish quarter features a huge concentration of deprivation and the community there has a large proportion of jobless citizens and people on minimum guaranteed income. From an early age the young have to harden themselves against disadvantage and take on an adult role. Their desperate need of protection draws them to the sort of figure who rules by fear, and the dearth of self-fulfilment models is compounded by the instability of relationships. The rejection of social norms is reflected in vandalism, educational failure, membership of criminal gangs and so forth. How is any sort of ambition for something better to be fostered in neighbourhoods like that, and how are people to be enabled to form any kind of life project in an environment where people are constantly afraid both individually and collectively? Details: Strasbourg Cedex: Council of Europe Publishing, 2004. 178p. Source: Internet Resource: Trends in social cohesion No. 9: Accessed June 22, 2013 at: http://www.coe.int/t/dg3/socialpolicies/socialcohesiondev/source/Trends/Trends-09_en.pdf Year: 2004 Country: Europe URL: http://www.coe.int/t/dg3/socialpolicies/socialcohesiondev/source/Trends/Trends-09_en.pdf Shelf Number: 129144 Keywords: At-Risk Youth (Europe)Urban AreasYouth GangsYouth Violence |
Author: IRIN (UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs) Title: Youth in Crisis: Coming of Age in the 21st Century Summary: Across the globe, a generation of youth is rapidly reaching adulthood bearing the tragic consequences of their nations’ worst problems. In this ‘Youth in Crisis’ In-Depth, IRIN traces the impact of the events shaping their lives, from the illegal forced marriage of teenage girls in Afghanistan and Ethiopia, to the tripling of school fees and the deteriorating education system in Zimbabwe. Cultural conservatism, as well as fear of attacks on schools by Taliban insurgents, and poverty, mean half of all Afghan children do not go to school, and those who do often ‘graduate’ to unemployment. To be young in some nations is to be more disadvantaged than one’s parents were: the numbers of children attending school in the Republic of Congo has fallen from almost 100 per cent before the 1998-2002 civil war to below 75 percent now. The same is true in northern Uganda where high illiteracy rates are a consequence of two decades of war and insecurity, condemning Acholi youngsters brought up in displaced peoples’ camps to a life of far fewer opportunities than older siblings, parents and even grandparents. Educational and economic collapse is given as one reason for the ease with which militias in the east of the Democratic Republic of Congo recruited teenagers into their ranks - demobilisation programmes struggle to convince many of them to resume civilian lives. Young Somalis, who escaped violence at home, face a different problem: as part of an ‘educated elite’ at schools in refugee camps in Kenya, they are unable to put their education to good use as long as Kenya’s government curtails their movement outside the camps. Life beyond school is equally challenging: some medical students in Conakry, the capital of Guinea, arrive hours before classes just to save a space close enough to a university lecturer to hear him speak. Classes often stretch to more than 1,200 students and lecturers demand financial rewards for granting students good marks. Young Guineans with degrees end up hawking goods on city streets - a factor influencing their decision to agitate for political change, which they say “is going to come with violence”. University campuses in Côte d’Ivoire have become a breeding ground for pro-government political militancy and extortion, while Nigeria is trying to curb the influence of predatory student cults that in the past few years have opened fire on students in examinations, and continue to intimidate or kill anti-cult activists. Gang culture dominates the lives of tens of thousands of South Africans in Cape Town. In addition, youngsters addicted to tik (crystal meth) land up in juvenile detention centres where conditions and counselling are inadequate. Street gangs are also common in N’Djamena, capital of Chad, a country where the role of the youth is said to have been crucial to every political transition since 1975. Emotionally bereft, many Rwandan teenagers are not rebelling but still recovering from the 1994 genocide that defined their lives. Loss and injustice also characterise the lives of an estimated 250,000-300,000 Kenyan street children, while three-quarters of Kenyan sex workers interviewed for a United Nations report said they felt commercial sex was an acceptable way to make money. In Pakistan, the wealth gap between rich and poor is blamed for a surge in petty crime, committed mostly by people aged 16-25 years. Drug addiction is also a problem among the young and privileged. Since the attacks of 11 September 2001 in the United States and the war in Afghanistan that followed, many middle-class boys in Pakistan have been turning away from Western lifestyles and identifying with extremist Islamic groups and the violence they promote. ‘Soul hunters’ from religious or criminal groups in the densely populated Ferghana Valley linking Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan prey on young people facing unemployment or migration to Russia or Kazakhstan - vocational training set up under the Soviet system to provide skills for the labour market has collapsed. In the Occupied Palestinian Territories, some young people take pride in joining groups involved in what they term resistance to Israel, while in Lebanon more teenagers have joined Lebanon’s Hezbollah political party since the 2006 war between Hezbollah militias and Israel’s largely conscripted army. In Iraq, some families say they would rather see their teenagers and children die fighting American soldiers than become victims of spiralling sectarian violence. These issues form part of IRIN’s In-Depth on ‘Youth in Crisis,’ which also contains features on the transition from childhood to adulthood, education, war, migration, HIV/AIDS, violence and urbanisation, as well as photos, links and references. Details: Nairobi: IRIN, 2007. 80p. Source: Internet Resource: IRIN In-Depth: Accessed June 25, 2013 at: http://www.irinnews.org/pdf/in-depth/youth-in-crisis-irin-in-depth.pdf Year: 2007 Country: International URL: http://www.irinnews.org/pdf/in-depth/youth-in-crisis-irin-in-depth.pdf Shelf Number: 129162 Keywords: Forced MarriageGangsStreet ChildrenYouth PovertyYouth Violence |
Author: Santacruz-Giralt, Maria Title: Inside the Neighborhood: Salvadoran Street Gangs Violent Solidarity Summary: During the last decade, there has been a considerable increase in the level of violence and victimization among street gangs in El Salvador. According to the Salvadoran Institute of Legal Medicine (1999), the highest mortality rates due to homicide occur in young men aged 15 to 24, 41% of which were committed with a firearm. Many people around this age are currently joining a street gang or are already members of it. Although gang membership is not new for Salvadoran society, there is a great deal of concern because it constitutes one of the major reasons for the premature death of hundreds of young people, insecurity in an increasingly number of areas in the country, and bloody fights between rival groups that usually end tragically. Thus, the relevance of the situation is not only related to the fact that gang membership is becoming one of the options preferred by an increasingly number of adolescents, but also to the fact that the dynamic of violence that distinguishes these groups puts them at risk of violence both as victims and as perpetrators. Objectives Ø To provide and update information on the situation of hundreds of young Salvadoran gang members. Ø To propose an approach to identifying predictors of gang criminal violence and victimization. Ø To provide useful information for policy makers addressed to violence prevention. Method A five-section questionnaire was applied to 938 gang members (82.7% male, 17.3% female), most of whom belong to two of the biggest gangs in the country (the 18th Street and the Mara Salvatrucha). The questionnaire consisted of 75 questions that assessed · demographic information, · process and characteristics of gang membership, · consumption of alcohol and drugs, · type and frequency of violent acts carried out and received, and · history and characteristics of early victimization and exposure to violence at home and in their environment. A probability sampling was not possible in this survey due to the inherent difficulty of interviewing a street-gang member and to the nonexistence of a registry that can give an accurate idea of the number of people involved in gangs. Trained former gang members from the Homies Unidos team were the interviewers. Technical support, training and supervision were done by IUDOP members. Results · The mean age for becoming an active gang member is 15.2 years. · Seven out of ten gang members declared having weapons on them (mostly handguns, knives, "homemade" guns, explosives and rifles). This is most frequent among active, older male gang members. · The number of young people involved in gang activities who do not want to quit behaving violently and consuming drugs has decreased, compared to a previous study carried out in 1996 (1996 = 84.9%; 2000 = 42.8%). · 85% of the interviewees confessed to drug consumption during the 30 days prior to the interview. Among the most frequently consumed drugs were alcohol, marijuana, cocaine, crack, inhalants or combinations of these. · A multiple linear regression model was used to identify those factors more strongly correlated with criminal violence and victimization. The variables detected as more robust for aggression were as follows: - being an active gang member - having been in prison - using and abusing alcohol and drugs - being male - having a history of domestic violence. The predictors detected as more robust for criminal victimization were - being female in the gang - high consumption of illegal drugs - being an active member of the gang - being employed, and - having been a victim of violence at home. Conclusions The problem of gang violence as witnessed and perpetrated within the group, especially toward members of the "rival gang", as well as excessive consumption of alcohol and drugs, have worsened in comparison to previous studies. In addition to this, the study shows an increased number of gang members who want to remain active in his/her gang; thus, the probability of their becoming a lethal victim of street violence has shown an exponential increase. The problem with street gang has worsened, among other things, because the leading factors—both personal and socioeconomic—have not been effectively addressed. Hence, primary prevention becomes an important tool to reduce or avoid gang membership and violent activities. However, gang membership—as any other problem that has its roots in the social structure—has to be taken care of, and prevented, by means of directing efforts and resources towards its multiple dimensions. This study is a valuable source of information for policy-making. Although gang violence is quite complex, it can be understood and potentially prevented by using good and reliable information on its risk factors. This research offers concrete guidelines on factors that increase the likelihood of a young people joining gangs, committing acts of criminal violence, and becoming one more victim of the cycle of violence. Details: Washington, DC: Pan American Health Organization, 2001. (Executive summary available in English; Full report is available in Spanish). 169p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed July 16, 2013 at: http://www1.paho.org/English/AD/DPC/NC/barrio-adentro-exec-sum.pdf Year: 2001 Country: El Salvador URL: http://www1.paho.org/English/AD/DPC/NC/barrio-adentro-exec-sum.pdf Shelf Number: 129398 Keywords: Gangs (El Salvador)HomicidesYouth Violence |
Author: David-Ferdon, Corinne Title: Homicide Rates Among Persons Aged 10–24 Years — United States, 1981–2010 Summary: Homicide disproportionately affects persons aged 10–24 years in the United States and consistently ranks in the top three leading causes of death in this age group, resulting in approximately 4,800 deaths and an estimated $9 billion in lost productivity and medical costs in 2010 (1). To investigate trends in homicide among persons aged 10–24 years for the period 1981–2010, CDC analyzed National Vital Statistics System data on deaths caused by homicide of persons in this age group and examined trends by sex, age, race/ethnicity, and mechanism of injury. This report describes the results of that analysis, which indicated that homicide rates varied substantially during the study period, with a sharp rise from 1985 to 1993 followed by a decline that has slowed since 1999. During the period 2000–2010, rates declined for all groups, although the decline was significantly slower for males compared with females and for blacks compared with Hispanics and persons of other racial/ethnic groups. By mechanism of injury, the decline for firearm homicides from 2000 to 2010 was significantly slower than for nonfirearm homicides. The homicide rate among persons aged 10–24 years in 2010 was 7.5 per 100,000, the lowest in the 30-year study period. Primary prevention strategies remain critical, particularly among groups at increased risk for homicide. National homicide counts and population estimates for U.S. residents were obtained from the National Vital Statistics System using CDC's Web-based Injury Statistics Query and Reporting System (WISQARS) for persons aged 10–24 years for the period 1981–2010 (1,2). Data were stratified by year, sex, 5-year age group (i.e., 10–14, 15–19, and 20–24 years), and mechanism of injury (i.e., firearm or nonfirearm). Homicide counts and population estimates were further stratified by race/ethnicity for 1990–2010 (i.e., non-Hispanic white, non-Hispanic black, non-Hispanic other, and Hispanic).* Annual homicide rates (per 100,000 population) were determined overall and for the indicated strata. The most recent period (2000–2010) is of particular interest because it best reflects the populations currently at highest risk for whom the continued implementation of prevention strategies remains crucial. Trends for this later period were analyzed using a negative binomial rate regression modeling approach, allowing formal statistical evaluation of trends and comparisons across strata. Details: Atlanta, GA: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2013. 4p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed August 5, 2013 at: http://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/pdf/wk/mm6227.pdf Year: 2013 Country: United States URL: http://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/pdf/wk/mm6227.pdf Shelf Number: 129518 Keywords: Crime StatisticsGun-Related ViolenceHomicides (U.S.)Violent CrimeYouth Violence |
Author: Chan, Linda S. Title: Preventing Violence and Related Health-Risking Social Behaviors in Adolescents Summary: Over the last two decades of the 20th century, violence emerged as one of the most significant public health problems in the United States (Administration for Children and Families, 2004). While recent trends have been encouraging, homicide remains the second leading cause of death among adolescents (National Center for Injury Prevention and Control, 2004). During this period, an increasing number of research studies has have sought to characterize youth violence and the contexts in which it occurs, as well as risk and protective factors associated with such violence. At the same time, a myriad of prevention interventions have been developed and evaluated with multiple youth populations and in a range of settings. In the fall of 2004, the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) will convene a State-of-the- Science Conference on Preventing Violence and Related Health-Risking Social Behaviors in Adolescents. The purpose of this consensus conference is to provide a forum to present and review what is currently known about preventing youth violence. In preparation for this meeting, the Office of Medical Applications of Research (OMAR) and the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) nominated and supported the topic for an Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ)-sponsored systematic review and analysis of the evidence. AHRQ awarded this project to the Southern California Evidence-based Practice Center (SC-EPC)and its partner, Childrens Hospital Los Angeles, to conduct the review and summarize the findings in an evidence report. Researchers were to review longitudinal risk factor research to identify the role of individual, family, school, community and peer-level influences as well as interventional research to evaluate prevention intervention effectiveness. This evidence report addresses the following six key questions: 1. What are the factors that contribute to violence and associated adverse health outcomes in childhood and adolescence? 2. What are the patterns of co-occurrence of these factors? 3. What evidence exists on the safety and effectiveness of interventions for violence? 4. Where evidence of safety and effectiveness exists, are there other outcomes beyond reducing violence? If so, what is known about effectiveness by age, sex, and race/ethnicity? 5. What are commonalities of the interventions that are effective, and those that are ineffective? 6. What are the priorities for future research? For the purpose of this evidence review, we used the Centers for Disease Control and Preventions definition of violence: threatened or actual physical force or power initiated by an individual that results in, or has a high likelihood of resulting in, physical or psychological injury or death (National Center for Injury Prevention and Control, 2004). We made the decision to include only the following types of violent behavior: murder or homicide, aggravated assault, non-aggravated assault, rape or sexual assault, robbery, gang fight, physical aggression, psychological injury or harm, and other serious injury or harm. Thus, we did not review the growing literature that reports on studies of suicide, verbal aggression, bullying, arson, weapon carrying, externalizing behaviors (e.g., acting out), attitude about violent behavior, youth crime against property or materials (such as burglary, theft), or intent to commit violence as outcomes. These related behaviors and attitudes are included in this report only to the extent that they have been proposed as risk factors for the forms of violence on which this report focuses. The definition of violence prevention interventions that we used was developed for and published in the Surgeon Generals Report on Youth Violence (Satcher, 2001). According to this definition, Primary prevention interventions are those that are universal, intended to prevent the onset of violence and related risk factors; secondary prevention interventions are those implemented on a selected scale for children/youth at enhanced risk for youth violence, intended to prevent the onset and reduce the risk of violence; and tertiary prevention interventions are those that are targeted to youth who have already demonstrated violent or seriously delinquent behavior. Details: Rockville, MD: Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, 2004. 372p. Source: Internet Resource: Evidence Report/Technology Assessment, no. 107: Accessed May 8, 2014 at: http://archive.ahrq.gov/downloads/pub/evidence/pdf/adolviol/adolviol.pdf Year: 2004 Country: United States URL: http://archive.ahrq.gov/downloads/pub/evidence/pdf/adolviol/adolviol.pdf Shelf Number: 132296 Keywords: Delinquency PreventionEvidence-Based PracticeJuvenile Delinquents (U.S.)Juvenile OffendersYouth Violence |
Author: Clear Plan Title: Fear and Fashion Programme Evaluation Summary: Research was commissioned in 2004 to support the Bridge House Trust to identify how it could best make a contribution to addressing the problem of knife crime and young people in London by determining: what were the key factors involved in young people deciding to carry knives and weapons? what was the scale of the problem? and what were the most effective types of intervention? 'Fear and Fashion: The use of knives and other weapons by young people' was the report which emerged, based on an examination of the available evidence. Additional primary research into the perceptions and experiences of practitioners working with young people extended this analysis. The report concluded that there were two main reasons for young people carrying knives: fear of violence from other young people, and to obtain status amongst their peers for carrying and/or being willing to use a knife. The primary recommendation of the report was the need for demonstration or pilot projects to combat the problem. Details: London: City Bridge Trust, 2010. 32p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed May 10, 2014 at: http://www.citybridgetrust.org.uk/NR/rdonlyres/1C16AAF8-522A-4474-B477-B2C96CA84660/0/CBTFearAndFashionEvaluationReport.pdf Year: 2010 Country: United Kingdom URL: http://www.citybridgetrust.org.uk/NR/rdonlyres/1C16AAF8-522A-4474-B477-B2C96CA84660/0/CBTFearAndFashionEvaluationReport.pdf Shelf Number: 132321 Keywords: Gangs (U.K.)Knife CrimeKnivesWeaponsYouth Violence |
Author: McMahon, Simon Title: Sports-based Programmes and Reducing Youth Violence and Crime Summary: It is widely accepted as common sense that undertaking sport can be beneficial in many ways. Political interest and important investments in sport and sports-based youth interventions suggest that one such benefit may be to reduce youth crime and violence. This synthesis study examines evaluations of sports-based youth interventions in London and finds different types of evidence claiming that sport can indeed reduce youth violence and crime. Sport can act as a diversionary activity distracting from violent and criminal activities and also as a hook bringing young people into contact with opportunities for achieving wider goals such as furthering their education or finding employment. Details: London: Mayor of London, 2013. 22p. Source: Internet Resource: Project Oracle synthesis study 02/13: Accessed June 19, 2014 at: https://www.london.gov.uk/sites/default/files/Project%20Oracle%20Synthesis%20Study%2002-2013%20Sport%20interventions%20HQ.pdf Year: 2013 Country: United Kingdom URL: https://www.london.gov.uk/sites/default/files/Project%20Oracle%20Synthesis%20Study%2002-2013%20Sport%20interventions%20HQ.pdf Shelf Number: 132511 Keywords: Crime Prevention Delinquency Prevention Sports Youth Violence |
Author: Richardson, Roslyn Title: Fighting Fire with Fire: Target audience responses to online anti-violence campaigns Summary: This report documents young Muslim Sydneysiders' responses to a variety of online campaigns that promote non-violent political activism or aim to 'counter violent extremism' (CVE). In undertaking this study, which involved interviews with Muslim communities in Western Sydney - communities that have been targeted by both violent propaganda and government communication campaigns - two things became apparent. First, there's a pool of highly educated, discerning and media-savvy young people in these communities. Second, rather than merely being an audience for government-sponsored communication campaigns, they're creating their own websites, YouTube clips, radio programs and Facebook groups. - Some of these websites and other initiatives directly challenge violent narratives while others provide avenues for non‑violent political protest and expression. The popularity and reach of this entirely community-generated web content significantly outshines the reach of any government-sponsored internet-based CVE strategies developed to date. - The young people responsible for these initiatives, some of whom are communication professionals, understand and to some extent share their target audiences' needs and wants. As journalism and marketing graduates, they also have the professional know-how to produce high quality and attention-grabbing campaigns. Furthermore, when they take the lead in creating these initiatives they generate more interest and praise from their target audiences than when they merely support government‑sponsored programs. - Outside of the online space, young people from across Sydney's Muslim communities engage in a range of activities that directly assist others to move away from violent and criminal paths. A number of the respondents in this study, for example, are volunteer youth mentors who assist young people identified by their schools, the justice system or both as 'vulnerable' (to criminalisation). These interventions in real life are augmented by their efforts through online forums to reach out to young people they identify as at risk. - The efforts of these young volunteers both inside and outside the online space seem largely unknown beyond their immediate communities. Nevertheless their contribution in creating communities that are empowered and resilient to violent messaging may be considerable. The core recommendation of this report is: Where possible, government agencies should support existing popular community-driven anti-violence online campaigns rather than prioritising the development of new websites to counter violent narratives. Government agencies should directly engage with the young people involved in these popular initiatives and investigate ways to support them and their campaigns where possible. - While this study offers many findings that government agencies and communities might view with optimism, it also reveals that there are significant barriers that undermine young Muslim Sydneysiders' engagement with CVE communication campaigns and government agencies. These barriers are also likely to undermine government agencies' engagement with the young communication professionals who are currently producing a range of popular anti-violence campaigns. The report identifies and discusses these barriers. However, it is anticipated that from the large amount of data collected there will be subsequent publications describing some in greater detail. - The most significant barrier identified in this study relates to the pervasive prejudice young Muslims report experiencing as a result of being Muslim and/or of Arab background. Many of the study's respondents rejected government-produced CVE websites because they felt such strategies perpetuate the stereotyping of Muslim communities as potentially threatening and deviant. From their perspective, Australia's CVE agenda fuels Islamophobia, making them more vulnerable to discrimination including verbal and physical attacks. - The respondents also rejected the government's CVE agenda because they perceived government agencies as doing little to address social issues of greater importance to them. This includes the violent crime and socioeconomic disadvantage experienced by those living in their Western Sydney suburbs. In this respect, they believed that government agencies' engagement with them on CVE issues is largely self-serving and does little to address the 'real' violence they see afflicting their communities. - Another significant barrier undermining young Muslim Sydneysiders' engagement with Australia's CVE agenda is their lack of trust in government agencies. Some perceive an irony when the Australian Government asks them to support campaigns denouncing violence when it is waging violent wars in other countries. Government CVE interventions in Muslim communities have also fuelled community paranoia and young Muslims' belief that they are under constant surveillance. As a result of a variety of issues affecting Muslim communities inside and outside Australia, the respondents perceived the Australian Government as not being 'on their side' and not representing their interests. - While some respondents displayed a deep cynicism about the Australian Government and its CVE agenda, for moral and religious reasons many were devoted to assisting 'at risk' youth in their communities. The ASPI research team also found that even self-described 'radicals', 'conservatives' and those who decry Australia's counterterrorism policies, want to engage better with police and other government agencies. This report offers 13 recommendations to facilitate this engagement and enhance communication campaigns that challenge violence. - However, this report also offers a warning that online communication strategies are unlikely to provide a solution for those at greatest risk of becoming involved in violent extremism. The respondents of this study, who included sheikhs involved in deradicalisation work, argued that one-on-one intervention strategies are a far more effective way to reach and influence vulnerable individuals. - This study shows that it's difficult to motivate young people to view government-sponsored CVE websites; it's undoubtedly much more of a challenge to entice 'at risk' youth to visit such sites. - By focusing on Muslim youth this report potentially supports discourses that position Muslim Australians as a 'problem community' and security threat. The research team doesn't support such views and sees them as counterproductive to our aim of enhancing government agencies' interaction with young Muslims. In fact, this study shows that the securitisation of Muslim communities directly causes young Muslim Sydneysiders to reject CVE websites and shun interaction with government agencies. - Nevertheless, some of our respondents expressed deep concern about groups and individuals in their communities sympathetic to using violence to achieve political-religious aims. Some believed it was important for their communities to develop online strategies to challenge violent narratives and provide more avenues for young people to express their views in a non-violent manner. In addition, some felt it was the correct role of government agencies to support communities in these endeavours. - On the whole this report challenges approaches that only discuss Muslim youth as being highly vulnerable and in dire need of empowerment to resist violent propaganda. Instead, it shows that some have taken a lead role in challenging violent narratives and are empowering themselves. This report is intended for use by government agencies and communities to inform their future work in this area. - Included as an appendix to this report is a separate ASPI study examining the online CVE strategies developed by five countries: UK, US, the Netherlands, Canada and Denmark. Details: Barton, ACT: Australian Strategic Policy Institute, 2013. 82p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed June 26, 2014 at: https://www.aspi.org.au/publications/fighting-fire-with-fire-target-audience-responses-to-online-anti-violence-campaigns/Fight_fire_long_paper_web.pdf Year: 2013 Country: Australia URL: https://www.aspi.org.au/publications/fighting-fire-with-fire-target-audience-responses-to-online-anti-violence-campaigns/Fight_fire_long_paper_web.pdf Shelf Number: 132545 Keywords: At-Risk YouthMedia CampaignsMuslimsOnline CommunicationRadical GroupsViolence PreventionViolent ExtremismYouth Violence |
Author: Gupte, Jaideep Title: Understanding 'Urban Youth' and the Challenges they Face in Sub-Saharan Africa: Unemployment, Food Insecurity and Violent Crime Summary: Much of Africa is urbanising fast and its young population is projected to constitute the largest labour force in the world. While urbanisation can be linked closely with economic development, we also know that it is the least developed countries that have younger populations than the rest of the world. This duality implies that understanding the nature of risks and vulnerabilities faced by urban youth, how they are impacted by them, as well as how they respond to and may be resilient against them, continue to be important questions for furthering development in sub-Saharan Africa. A key conceptual debate surrounds how the category of 'youth' is understood, as several definitions of the term exist, ranging from age bands to social or cultural framings. In this paper we look to review how the various definitions of 'youth' relate to three dominant discourses about poverty and vulnerability in urbanising Africa: (1) food insecurity; (2) unemployment/joblessness; and (3) violence/insecurity. By doing so, we seek to identify if and when these are responsive to youth needs and practical in terms of policy efforts aiming to reduce poverty and vulnerability in urban areas. Details: Brighton, UK: Institute of Development Studies, 2014. 26p. Source: Internet Resource: IDS Evidence Report no. 81: Accessed July 3, 2014 at: http://opendocs.ids.ac.uk/opendocs/bitstream/handle/123456789/4122/ER81%20Understanding%20Urban%20Youth%20and%20the%20Challenges%20they%20face%20in%20Sub-Saharan%20Africa%20Unemployment,%20Food%20Insecurity%20and%20Violent%20Crime.pdf;jsessionid=04480EA1517A659737664826FCEF0713?sequence=1 Year: 2014 Country: Africa URL: Shelf Number: 132615 Keywords: Juvenile DelinquencyJuvenilesPovertyUrban AreasYouthYouth Violence |
Author: McMurtry, Roy Title: The Review of the Roots of Youth Violence. Volume 4, Research papers Summary: The Review has commissioned a number of literature reviews and research papers to help fulfill its mandate. Some of the leading Canadian experts in the fields of criminology, sociology and race relations have authored these materials. This volume contains the following papers: A Province at the Crossroads: Statistics on Youth Violence in Ontario, by Scot Wortley; Youth Crime: The Impact of Law Enforcement Approaches on the Incidence of Violent Crime Involving Youth and Matters Related to Understanding the Implications of These Findings, by Anthony N. Doob, Jane B. Sprott and Cheryl Marie Webster; A Comparative Analysis of Youth Justice Approaches, by Tullio Caputo and Michel Vallee; Racial Minority Perspectives on Violence, by Rinaldo Walcott, Cecil Foster, Mark Campbell, and David Sealy; A Methodology to Identify Communities in Ontario Where High or Increasing Relative Disadvantage May Lead to Youth Violence, By Desmond Ellis; and Governance Models for the Roots of Youth Violence, by the Institute on Governance. Details: Ottawa: Queen's Printer for Ontario, 2008. 492p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed July 7, 2014 at: http://www.children.gov.on.ca/htdocs/english/documents/topics/youthandthelaw/rootsofyouthviolence-vol4.pdf Year: 2008 Country: Canada URL: http://www.children.gov.on.ca/htdocs/english/documents/topics/youthandthelaw/rootsofyouthviolence-vol4.pdf Shelf Number: 132625 Keywords: Juvenile DelinquentsJuvenile OffendersNeighborhoods and CrimeViolent CrimeYouth Violence |
Author: David-Ferdon, Corinne Title: Preventing Youth Violence: Opportunities for Action Summary: All forms of violence, including youth violence, suicidal behavior, child maltreatment, sexual violence, intimate partner violence, and elder abuse, negatively affect the health and well-being of our country. Youth violence, in particular, is a significant public health problem. Each and every day, approximately 13 young people in the United States are victims of homicide and an additional 1,642 visit our hospital emergency departments because of physical assault-related injuries. Among high school students, 1 in 4 report being in at least one physical fight and 1 in 5 report being bullied in the last year. Youth who are victims of violence also have a higher risk for many other poor physical and mental health problems, including smoking, obesity, high-risk sexual behavior, asthma, depression, academic problems, and suicide. Young people are frequently the ones hurting other youth and commit a significant proportion of the violence in communities-youth aged 10-24 years represented 40% of all arrests for violent crimes in 2012. The damage resulting from youth violence extends beyond the young perpetrators and victims. Each year, youth homicides and nonfatal assault injuries result in an estimated $17.5 billion in combined medical and lost productivity costs. Violence can increase health care costs for everyone, decrease property values, and disrupt social services. Many of our young people and communities view the grim facts about youth violence as unavoidable and have accepted youth violence as a societal reality. However, the truth is that youth violence is not inevitable. Youth violence is preventable. The past investment into monitoring, understanding, and preventing youth violence is paying off and proving that youth violence can be stopped before it occurs. We cannot continue to just respond to violence after it happensthe public health burden of youth violence is too high and our potential to prevent youth violence is too great. Our understanding about youth violence and our ability to prevent it is based on decades of work by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the larger field of youth violence prevention researchers and practitioners. From systematic surveillance, rigorous research on modifiable factors that predict violence, evaluation of prevention strategies, and the strengthening of the capacity of communities to use approaches that work, we have learned a great deal about how to prevent youth violence. To help communities take advantage of the available knowledge, CDC has developed, Preventing Youth Violence: Opportunities for Action. This resource summarizes what we currently know about youth violence-the health consequences, trends, disparities, causes, costs, and prevention strategies. This resource outlines important strategies for youth violence prevention that are based on strong evidence and experience. It includes examples of specific programs and activities that have been found to be effective. These evidence-based youth violence prevention strategies focus on reducing the factors that put young people at risk for violence and bolstering the factors that strengthen their positive development and buffer against violence. Everyone has a role to play in preventing youth violence. Preventing Youth Violence: Opportunities for Action provides information and action steps that can help public health and other community leaders work with partners to prevent youth violence. This resource also describes actions that young people, families, caregivers, adults who work with youth, and other community members can take to reduce youth violence. A companion document, titled Taking Action to Prevent Youth Violence, is available to help these groups better understand the steps they can take. Details: Atlanta, GA: National Center for Injury Prevention and Control, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2014. 54p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed July 17, 2014 at: http://www.cdc.gov/violenceprevention/youthviolence/pdf/opportunities-for-action.pdf Year: 2014 Country: United States URL: http://www.cdc.gov/violenceprevention/youthviolence/pdf/opportunities-for-action.pdf Shelf Number: 132706 Keywords: At-Risk YouthCrime PreventionDelinquency PreventionJuvenile OffendersViolence PreventionYouth ProgramsYouth Violence |
Author: Sethi, Dinesh Title: European report on preventing violence and knife crime among young people Summary: This report highlights interpersonal violence as the third leading cause of death and a leading cause of disability among people aged 10-29 years in the 53 countries of the WHO European Region. This burden is unequally distributed, and 9 of 10 homicide deaths in the Region occur in low- and middle-income countries. Irrespective of country income, interpersonal violence disproportionately affects young people from deprived sections of society and males, who comprise 4 of 5 homicide deaths. Numerous biological, social, cultural, economic and environmental factors interact to increase young people's risk of being involved in violence and knife-related crime. Factors that can protect against violence developing among young people include good social skills, self-esteem, academic achievement, strong bonds with parents, positive peer groups, good attachment to school, community involvement and access to social support. Good evidence indicates that reducing risk factors and enhancing protective factors will reduce violence among young people. The experience accumulated by several countries in the Region and elsewhere shows that social policy and sustained and systematic approaches that address the underlying causes of violence can make countries in the Region much safer. These make compelling arguments for advocating for increased investment in prevention and for mainstreaming objectives for preventing violence among young people into other areas of health and social policy. Details: Copenhagen: WHO Regional Office for Europe, 2010. 117p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed September 23, 2014 at: http://www.euro.who.int/__data/assets/pdf_file/0012/121314/E94277.pdf Year: 2010 Country: Europe URL: http://www.euro.who.int/__data/assets/pdf_file/0012/121314/E94277.pdf Shelf Number: 121192 Keywords: HomicidesInterpersonal ViolenceJuvenile OffendersKnife Crime (Europe)Violence PreventionViolent CrimeYouth Violence |
Author: Krafchik, Max Title: Evaluation of Young and Safe Project: London Borough of Lambeth Summary: Programme outline 1.4 The Young and Safe programme grew out of Lambeth's determination to reduce the level of serious youth violence in the borough. The programme was established in 2009, with its role and approach evolving since then as understanding of the issues and potential responses has developed. 1.5 The programme's action plan for 2010-2013, Help if you want It, consequences if you don't, sets out the approach currently adopted. As well as emphasising the message conveyed by the title, the plan has as its core strands: a focus on young people involved in gangs and violent offending along with a first point of contact role in prevention and early intervention; targeted use of Young and Safe resources, avoiding duplication with other agencies; and a recognition of the vulnerability of their target group. 1.6 The programme works with young people aged 8-19 who are at significant risk of involvement or are involved with criminal activity, gangs and violence. The various interventions it supports are intended to help individuals avoid future involvement or to withdraw if they are already engaged. 1.7 The programme has become increasingly sophisticated in identifying which young people it should prioritise for support and the role that the programme should take in working with them. The programme has devised a risk and vulnerability framework, reflecting its experience of work with young people, and directs its support to those at high or medium risk against these criteria. 1.8 The programme has also spelt out how its role fits in alongside other agencies, especially the Youth Offending Service, children's social care and anti-social behaviour teams. In summary, this is based on the following approach: i) Young and Safe takes responsibility for the assessment, supervision and provision of services to young people who have entered the criminal justice system but do not have a current community supervision order ii) Young and Safe provide access to its services for other young people who have entered the criminal justice system and are under the supervision of the Youth Offending Service, as well as to young people who are the responsibility of children's social care either as child looked after, child in need or having a child protection plan iii) Young and Safe also provides access to its services for young people who are identified as at significant risk of entering the youth justice system and are at medium / high risk on the vulnerability criteria. Inspira Consulting was commissioned by Lambeth's Young and Safe programme in August 2010 to undertake an external evaluation of the programme. This report provides an overview of the work that has been commissioned by Young and Safe, presents feedback from young people and project staff, and reports on interviews with professionals in key agencies who work alongside Young and Safe and refer young people to them. Details: Dudley, UK: Inspira Consulting, 2011. 50p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed October 2, 2014 at: http://moderngov.lambeth.gov.uk/mgConvert2PDF.aspx?ID=31339 Year: 2011 Country: United Kingdom URL: http://moderngov.lambeth.gov.uk/mgConvert2PDF.aspx?ID=31339 Shelf Number: 133547 Keywords: Delinquency PreventionInterventionsJuvenile Offenders (U.K.)Serious Juvenile OffendersViolence PreventionYouth GangsYouth Violence |
Author: Violence Policy Center Title: Lost Youth: A County-by-County Analysis of 2012 California Homicide Victims Ages 10 to 24 Summary: Homicide is the second leading cause of death for California youth and young adults ages 10 to 24 years old. In 2011, the most recent year for which complete data is available from the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), homicides in California were outpaced only by unintentional injuries-the majority of which were motor vehicle fatalities-as the leading cause of death for this age group. Of the 633 homicides reported, 83 percent were committed with firearms. Nationally in 2011, California had the 15th highest homicide rate for youth and young adults ages 10 to 24. Broken out by gender, homicide retains its number-two ranking for males and drops to number four for females for this age group in California. For males, of the 581 homicides reported, firearms were the weapon used in 84 percent of the killings. For females, of the 52 homicides reported, firearms were the weapon used in 67 percent of the killings. When analyzed by race and ethnicity, however, the rankings become less uniform and the severe effects of homicide on specific segments of this age group increasingly stark. For blacks ages 10 to 24 in California in 2011, homicide was the leading cause of death. For Hispanics it was the second leading cause of death. For Asian/Pacific Islanders it was the third leading cause of death. For whites it was the fourth leading cause of death, and for American Indian and Alaska Natives it was the fifth leading cause of death. Details: Washington, DC: Violence Policy Center, 2014. 61p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed October 23, 2014 at: https://www.vpc.org/studies/cayouth2014.pdf Year: 2014 Country: United States URL: https://www.vpc.org/studies/cayouth2014.pdf Shelf Number: 133806 Keywords: Crime StatisticsGang ViolenceHomicides (California)MurdersViolent CrimeYouth Violence |
Author: World Health Organization Title: Global Status Report on Violence Prevention 2014 Summary: Despite indications that homicide rates decreased by 16% globally between 2000 and 2012, violence remains widespread. Released today, the "Global status report on violence prevention 2014" reveals that 475 000 people were murdered in 2012. Homicide is the third leading cause of death globally for males aged 15-44 years. These facts highlight the importance of creating more decisive action to prevent violence. Jointly published today by WHO, the United Nations Development Programme, and the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, the report indicates that: only one third of the 133 countries surveyed are implementing large-scale initiatives to prevent violence, such as bullying prevention programmes, visits by nurses to families at risk, and support to those who care for older people; just over half the countries are fully enforcing a set of 12 laws generally acknowledged to prevent violence, although 80% of countries have enacted them; only half of all countries have services in place to protect and support victims of violence The "Global status report on violence prevention 2014" is the first report of its kind to assess national efforts to address interpersonal violence, namely child maltreatment, youth violence, intimate partner and sexual violence, and elder abuse. Individual country profiles reflect the extent to which key violence prevention programmes and laws and selected services for victims of violence are being implemented. Details: Geneva, SWIT: WHO, 2014. 292p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed December 10, 2014 at: http://www.who.int/violence_injury_prevention/violence/status_report/2014/en/ Year: 2014 Country: International URL: http://www.who.int/violence_injury_prevention/violence/status_report/2014/en/ Shelf Number: 134305 Keywords: Child Abuse and NeglectChild MaltreatmentElder AbuseHomicidesInterpersonal ViolenceSexual ViolenceViolenceViolence PreventionViolent CrimeYouth Violence |
Author: Campie, Patricia E. Title: A Comparative Study Using Propensity Score Matching to Predict Incarceration Likelihoods Among SSYI and non-SSYI Youth from 2011-2013 Summary: A team led by the American Institutes of Research (AIR) and WestEd was commissioned by the Massachusetts Executive Office of Health and Human Services (EOHHS) to conduct a series of studies to evaluate the Safe and Successful Youth Initiative (SSYI). To address serious youth violence, particularly that involving guns, Massachusetts launched SSYI in 2011, providing a comprehensive public health approach to addressing young men, between the ages of 14-24, believed to be at "proven risk" for being involved in firearms. Young men deemed as "proven risk" are those with one or more of the following characteristics: committed a violent crime using a gun or knife, victimized by violent crime and prone to retaliation, or being a known gang member. Eleven cities with the highest violent offenses reported to the police in 2010 were selected for SSYI funding beginning in 2011 and then started implementing the program. This report presents findings from a comparative analysis of incarceration status of SSYI and non-SSYI youth living in nine of the eleven SSYI cities, from 2011 to 2013: Boston, Brockton, Chelsea, Fall River, Holyoke, New Bedford, Lowell, Springfield, and Worcester. Details: Boston: Massachusetts Executive Office of Health and Human Services, 2014. 31p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed January 30, 2015 at: http://www.air.org/sites/default/files/downloads/report/A%20Comparative%20Study%20Using%20Propensity%20Score%20Matching%20to%20Predict%20Incarceration%20Likelihoods%20Among%20SSYI%20and%20non-SSYI%20Youth%20from%202011-2013_rev.pdf Year: 2014 Country: United States URL: http://www.air.org/sites/default/files/downloads/report/A%20Comparative%20Study%20Using%20Propensity%20Score%20Matching%20to%20Predict%20Incarceration%20Likelihoods%20Among%20SSYI%20and%20non-SSYI%20Youth%20from%202011-2013_r Shelf Number: 134504 Keywords: Gun CrimesJuvenile OffendersViolent Crime (Massachusetts)Youth Violence |
Author: Petrosino, Anthony Title: The Impact of the Safe and Successful Youth Initiative (SSYI) on City-Level Youth Crime Victimization Rates. An Interrupted Time Series Analysis with Comparison Groups Summary: The physical, emotional and financial costs on individuals and neighborhoods resulting from youth violence are well documented. According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control (2013), the third leading cause of death for young people between the ages of 10-24 is homicide; for black males, it is the leading cause of death. To address serious youth violence, particularly that involving guns, Massachusetts initiated the Safe and Successful Youth Initiative (SSYI) in 2011, providing a comprehensive public health approach to addressing young men, between the ages of 14-24, believed to be at "proven risk" for being involved in firearms. Eleven cities with the highest violent offenses reported to the police in 2010 were selected for SSYI funding in 2011 and started implementing the program. Although there are variations across sites, there are some components that are mandatory and must be included in each SSYI program at the city level: - Specific identification of young men, 14-24, at highest risk for being involved in firearms violence - Use of street outreach workers to find these young men, assess their current needs, and act as brokers for services to address unmet needs - The provision of a continuum of comprehensive services including education, employment, and intensive supervision Details: Boston: Massachusetts Executive Office of Health and Human Services, 2014. 63p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed February 5, 2015 at: http://www.air.org/sites/default/files/downloads/report/SSYI%20-%20Interrupted%20Time%20Series%20Study%20of%20Community%20Victimization%20Outcomes%202011-2013_0.pdf Year: 2014 Country: United States URL: http://www.air.org/sites/default/files/downloads/report/SSYI%20-%20Interrupted%20Time%20Series%20Study%20of%20Community%20Victimization%20Outcomes%202011-2013_0.pdf Shelf Number: 134553 Keywords: Gun ViolenceGun Violence (Massachusetts)Juvenile Offenders Street Outreach Workers Treatment Programs Violent CrimesYouth ViolenceYouthful Offenders |
Author: Great Britain. House of Commons. Home Affairs Committee Title: Gangs and youth crime. Thirteenth Report of Session 2014-15 Summary: - Prompted by the summer 2011 riots, the Government conducted a review assessing the scale and causes of gang and youth violence. The 'Ending Gang and Youth Violence' strategy, which aims to match a robust enforcement response with robust support to exit gang life and an intensive prevention strategy, has been running for three years. - The Home Office has spent over L10 million on its Ending Gang and Youth Violence programme, but has failed to effectively evaluate the project. The Home Office must undertake high-quality comparative evaluation in order to assess what works best in combating gang and youth crime and in identifying areas for improvement. - It is vital that a unified gang definition is used across the Home Office and police forces to ensure greater understanding of the scale of this issue both locally and nationally. - Every Chief Constable should appoint a lead officer responsible for combating gangs, including mentoring and training officers and addressing the needs of gang-associated individuals at risk of sexual exploitation. - The Home Office should produce a league table of gang injunctions on a six monthly basis. The lead officer on gangs in every police force should be responsible for a continuing programme of peer reviews to ensure the efficacy and increased uptake of gang injunctions. - The Committee welcomes the launch of the national voluntary scheme to reduce the number of no-suspicion stop and search powers. It is vital that forces undertake local consultation work to ensure that complaints processes are accessible to young people of all backgrounds, to help restore young people's confidence in the complaints system. - It is clear that young people feel that their experiences are not taken into account. The Home Office's annual evaluation of the gangs programme should also include statements from local lead police officers stating what work they have completed on gangs and stop and search alongside young people's responses. - We should accept that children as young as seven are at risk of gang involvement. The Committee believes that the primary school anti-gang education programme should be expanded. In every school where there is local knowledge of gangs, a senior teacher should be nominated to ensure mentoring to assist young people at risk of gang involvement. - The Committee recommends that the existing work of local organisations that are well supported and have grown from the resident communities, such as Gangsline and the SOS project, should be expanded. The Home Office should ensure that detailed evaluation is undertaken of projects deemed to be examples of best practice, in order to create models that can work for communities across the country. - Programmes with records of turning around the lives of young people in gangs and with entrenched behavioural difficulties need to be commissioned more consistently. The Government should expand support for mentoring programmes that focus on gang-affected young people. Details: London: The Stationery Office, 2015. 27p. Source: Internet Resource: HC 199: http://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm201415/cmselect/cmhaff/199/199.pdf Year: 2015 Country: United Kingdom URL: http://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm201415/cmselect/cmhaff/199/199.pdf Shelf Number: 135382 Keywords: GangsJuvenile OffendersYouth Gangs (U.K.)Youth Violence |
Author: Simmons, Krista Title: The State and Youth Violence:A Socio-Political Approach to Understanding Youth Violence in Rio de Janeiro's Favelas Summary: Drug trafficking has drastically increased levels of violence in Rio de Janeiro since the arrival of the cocaine trade in the early 1980's. The rate of homicides in Rio de Janeiro in the late 1990's and early 2000's marked the city as one of the most violent urban centers in the world. Even today, there is an average of 20 homicides each day in Rio de Janeiro, a city of just under 12,000,000 people. The rate of death as a result of violence and other demographic factors such as an overabundance of male recorded deaths between the ages of 15-24, a deficit of young men, an imbalanced sex ratio, and a rise in youth mortality since the 1980's more closely mirror warzone demographics than those of a city in a modern, stable state such as Brazil. For example, between 1998 and 2000 there were between 2,000 and 5,000 violent deaths, in Yugoslavia, and roughly 11,000 in Angola. In the same period, Rio de Janeiro saw 7,465 citizens die as a result of violence. Of grave concern to children's rights activists has been the accompanying spike in violence against and among children and youth. Deaths by external causes among individuals under 18 years of age in Rio de Janeiro have increased from 8.1% in 1979 to 26.4% in 2002, with violent causes predominating external causes of death increasingly with time. The increased involvement of children in violent drug gangs is reflected in the testimony of local favela dwellers (or favelados), as well as Rio de Janeiro crime statistics. In 1980, there were 110 registered convictions of minors for drug related crime. By 2001, there were 1,584 convictions of minors for drug related crimes: a number shocking, although decreased from a high of 3,211 in 1998. This translates to a 1340% increase in drug related convictions among minors in Rio de Janeiro between 1980 and 2001. It is estimated that 5,000-6,000 children are currently working for drug factions within Rio de Janeiro's favelas (poor shanty towns). The realities faced by youth involved in organized drug violence in Rio de Janeiro are similar to those of child soldiers elsewhere in the world, with whom they share the dynamics of "voluntary" recruitment, a hierarchical structure of orders and punishment, access to and use of firearms and other weapons, kill-or-be-killed surroundings, and involvement in large-scale armed confrontations. Despite the similarities, however, the children of Rio's drug gangs cannot be classified as child soldiers because the drug factions for which they work have no political objectives or desire to replace the state. Furthermore, labeling them child soldiers runs the risk of legitimizing lethal state force against them. However, these children are clearly more than "delinquents." A call for a category all their own has grown in recent years, with Brazilian NGO, Viva Rio, developing a working definition for these children which can be applied in similar circumstances around the world: "Children and Youth in Organized Armed Violence (COAV) - Children and Youth employed or otherwise participating in Organized Armed Violence where there are elements of command structure and power over territory, local population, or resources." Details: Washington, DC: American University, 2010. 35p. Source: Internet Resource: Thesis: Accessed May 26, 2015 at: http://auislandora-dev.wrlc.org/islandora/object/0910capstones%3A108 Year: 2010 Country: Brazil URL: http://auislandora-dev.wrlc.org/islandora/object/0910capstones%3A108 Shelf Number: 129786 Keywords: Drug TraffickingDrug-Related ViolenceFavelasHomicidesUrban AreasViolenceViolent CrimeYouth GangsYouth Violence |
Author: Southgate, Jessica Title: Seeing differently: Working with girls affected by gangs Summary: While concern has grown in recent years about the extent of gang activity in Britain, the ways in which girls and young women are affected tends to be overlooked, simplified or distorted. Where attention is given to girls' involvement they tend to be depicted either as violent, out of control perpetrators or as vulnerable victims; reflective of a wider tendency to cast girls who offend in a 'false dichotomy' between the extremes of 'autonomous actors' or 'passive subjects' (Batchelor, 2009a). Through experience of working in organisations delivering gender-specific services to young women, I know these representations to be simplistic and rarely reflective of the complexity or reality of girls' lives. One pertinent example of the representation of gang-associated girls is the case of Samantha Joseph, dubbed the "honeytrap killer" for her involvement in the murder of Shakilus Townsend in 2008. Media coverage of the trial fixated primarily on her involvement and responsibility for "luring" Townsend to the place of his death at the hands of seven gang-associated boys. As has been noted in other media representations of women involved in murder cases (Jones & Wardle, 2008), Joseph's picture was shown more regularly and prominently than those of her male co-defendants, suggesting her ultimate responsibility. Despite some coverage which reported Joseph's boyfriend Danny McLean (for whom she had agreed to 'get Shak set' (Clements, 2009)) to have been neglectful and abusive towards her (Bird, 2009), little critical analysis was given to her role, motivation or potentially constrained choices. Both the current and previous Governments have taken a range of actions in an attempt to reduce gang activity and serious youth violence, including the "Tackling Knives and Serious Youth Violence Action Programme" (TKAP), the introduction of gang injunctions, specific funding to tackle "knife, gun and gang" related violence, and a cross-sector Ending Gang Violence team. These measures tended to have been developed without consideration of girls' and women's experiences, however, resulting in a context where they 'fall straight through the gaps at best, and at worst have their situations exacerbated, or their risk increased, due to a lack of consideration for their experiences' (ROTA, 2010:17). The recently published "Ending Gang and Youth Violence" report (HM Government, 2011b) makes a number of references to girls, and when published the Home Secretary was keen to stress that the strategy would have a "new focus" on girls and young women "caught up in gang-related rape and abuse" (Hansard, 2011). The strategy committed money to specialist sexual abuse services for gang-affected young women, and referenced positive outcomes specific to girls and young women, including increased self-esteem, early referral to support services, and reduced sexual assault, exploitation and forced miscarriage. Alongside other indications that policy-makers are considering girls' needs more, this is a step to be welcomed, however, the degree to which this translates to a shift in public discourse or enhanced local service provision remains to be seen. In comparison to the priorities outlined by practitioners I spoke to for this research, gaps in delivering appropriate support to girls and young women remain unaddressed, including having sufficient staff support or expertise, an appropriate balance between prevention, intervention and support services, and addressing attitudes that enable a culture in which violence against girls and women is permissible. Details: London: The Griffins Society, 2011. 57p. Source: Internet Resource: Research Paper 2011/02: Accessed May 27, 2015 at: http://www.thegriffinssociety.org/Research_Paper_2011_02_(updated_May_2012).pdf Year: 2011 Country: United Kingdom URL: http://www.thegriffinssociety.org/Research_Paper_2011_02_(updated_May_2012).pdf Shelf Number: 129824 Keywords: Female Gang MembersGang ViolenceGang-Related ViolenceGangsGender-Specific ProgramsYouth Violence |
Author: Teplin, Linda A. Title: Violent Death in Delinquent Youth After Detention Summary: This bulletin examines the results of the Northwestern Juvenile Project - a longitudinal study of youth detained at the Cook County Juvenile Temporary Detention Center in Chicago, IL. Among the issues under examination, the authors looked at mortality rates among the youth enrolled in the project. Some findings include the following: - The standardized mortality rate for delinquent youth is more than four times the rate for youth in the general population. - The mortality rate for delinquent female youth is nearly eight times the rate in the general population. - The vast majority of deaths among delinquent youth were homicides from gunshot wounds. - African American youth continue to experience the highest mortality rate. Details: Washington, DC: U.S. Department of Justice, Office of Justice Programs, Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention, 2015. 14p. Source: Internet Resource: OJJDP Juvenile Justice Bulletin: Accessed July 20, 2015 at: http://www.ojjdp.gov/pubs/248408.pdf Year: 2015 Country: United States URL: http://www.ojjdp.gov/pubs/248408.pdf Shelf Number: 136113 Keywords: Gun-Related ViolenceHomicidesJuvenile OffendersRacial DisparitiesViolent CrimeYouth Violence |
Author: Haque, Raheem Ul Title: Youth Radicalization in Pakistan Summary: Amid the serious threat of extremism within Pakistan's large young adult population, author Raheem ul Haque explores the process of youth radicalization and recommends how policymakers can best confront the growing challenge. Summary -- - Pakistani leaders face serious domestic extremism challenges; more than 47,000 thousand lives have been lost in terrorism-related violence in Pakistan over the past decade. - Effective counter-radicalization processes must take into account Pakistan's large young adult population (ages 15-29), which collectively accounts for at least 30 percent of the overall population. - Youth radicalization in Pakistan can be understood as the product of an exclusively Islamic identity - meaning a majority of youth identify primarily through their religion over nationality - combined with a broader reactive movement comprised of militant, political and missionary organizations. - A variety of religious, political and militant organizations operating within Pakistan, some with the tacit or active support of the state, have fostered an enabling environment for radicalization and at times violent action. Some groups provide forums for interaction and connections with more militant actors, while others carry out the whole range of social, political and violent activity. - When radical groups can popularize an exclusive Islamic or sectarian identity, even nonviolent organizations can become connected or aligned with more radical organizations and concepts. - Confronting youth radicalization in Pakistan requires a holistic approach that supports political, social and educational alternatives to exclusionary Islamic identities, reducing the space for groups that espouse violence in the name of an exclusive Islamic identity. Details: Washington, DC: United States Institute of Peace, 2014. 5p. Source: Internet Resource: Peace Brief 167: Accessed September 21, 2015 at: http://www.usip.org/sites/default/files/PB%20167_Youth_Radicalization_in_Pakistan.pdf Year: 2014 Country: Pakistan URL: http://www.usip.org/sites/default/files/PB%20167_Youth_Radicalization_in_Pakistan.pdf Shelf Number: 136849 Keywords: ExtremismExtremist GroupsRadical GroupsRadicalizationYouth Violence |
Author: Langley, Marty Title: Lost Youth: A County-by-County Analysis of 2013 California Homicide Victims Ages 10 to 24 Summary: Homicide is the second leading cause of death for California youth and young adults ages 10 to 24 years old. In 2013, the most recent year for which complete data is available from the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), homicides in California were outpaced only by unintentional injuries-the majority of which were motor vehicle fatalities-as the leading cause of death for this age group. Of the 613 homicides reported, 86 percent were committed with firearms. Nationally in 2013, California had the 17th highest homicide rate for youth and young adults ages 10 to 24. Broken out by gender, homicide retains its number-two ranking for males and drops to number four for females for this age group in California. For males, of the 553 homicides reported, firearms were the weapon used in 87 percent of the killings. For females, of the 60 homicides reported, firearms were the weapon used in 72 percent of the killings. When analyzed by race and ethnicity, however, the rankings become less uniform and the severe effects of homicide on specific segments of this age group increasingly stark. For blacks ages 10 to 24 in California in 2013, homicide was the leading cause of death. For Hispanics it was the second leading cause of death. For American Indian and Alaskan Natives it was the third leading cause of death. For whites and Asian/Pacific Islanders it was the fourth leading cause of death. Details: Washington, DC: Violence Policy Center, 2015. 36p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed November 24, 2015 at: http://www.vpc.org/studies/cayouth2015.pdf Year: 2015 Country: United States URL: http://www.vpc.org/studies/cayouth2015.pdf Shelf Number: 137332 Keywords: Crime Statistics Gang Violence Homicides Murders Violent Crime Youth Violence |
Author: Cannon, Ashley Title: Responding to Social Media Norms: Development a Comprehensive Strategy to Promote Digital Citizenship Summary: Social media has become a part of everyday life. All types of real-world behavior are now showcased online-including criminal behavior, bullying, threats and the glorification of violence. Increasingly, youth associated with antisocial peer groups-such as neighborhood-based "crews" engaging in violent rivalries-use social media as a tool to create criminal opportunities and amplify conflicts. Unfortunately, in many cases, this type of social media usage can lead to real-life violence or other serious ramifications, such as arrest. The Crime Commission is engaged in several initiatives that seek to provide social media users with tools and information to help them stay safe both on- and off-line, including the development of an innovative new program that trains antiviolence professionals as "E-Responders" to intervene and deescalate violence provoked on social media. As part of this work, this series, "Social Media & Real-World Consequences", provides readers with an overview of the ways youth are communicating on social media, the associated risks of these communications turning into real-world violence, and the range of legal, educational and professional consequences youth may face in the real-world. High-risk youth engage in numerous types of dangerous communication on social media, including threatening and taunting others (often those from rival crews), promoting their self-image and crew, mobilizing others for disorderly or criminal activity, and recruiting other youth to join their crew. These types of communication are highly visible and exist beyond private messages and chats. Status updates, comments, photos, and videos often contain content prohibited by platform providers; however, they remain on the sites, fueling conflict. Moreover, youth often use social media to acquire weapons for attacks and protection. These dangerous communications have an extremely high risk of going from virtual to violent, and often result in very serious consequences in the real-world. When these consequences include violence, such as fights and shootings, they are often immediately documented and discussed online, increasing the likelihood of retaliation and further perpetuating the cycle of street violence. Taunts, threats, and intimidation on social media often lead to in-person fights, which can have deadly consequences. Youth often post continuous information about their ongoing conflicts, including violent intentions prior to carrying out shootings. This was the case in the Bryant Park skating rink shooting in November 2013, as well as in a shooting that occurred at a house party in Brownsville in January 2014, in which a 16-year-old was killed. The Bedford-Stuyvesant bus shooting in March 2014, which led to the death of a straphanger, was instigated by months of taunting on social media between two rival crews. Beyond violence and victimization, these harmful behaviors can lead to a wide range of legal, educational and professional consequences in the real-world. For example, police use social media to help identify, track, and build cases against individuals, culminating in indictments, such as the June 2014 takedown of 103 youth in West Harlem. Schools, financial aid providers, and employers also use social media profiles as a form of background check when considering an individual for admission, scholarship, or employment, and to inform disciplinary actions-something many people are not aware of when they post recklessly on social media. Details: New York: Citizens Crime Commission on New York City, 2015. 19p. Source: Internet Resource: Social Media & Real World Consequences, Volume II: Accessed January 25, 2016 at: http://www.nycrimecommission.org/pdfs/CCC-Social-Media-Vol2-Responding-To-Norms.pdf Year: 2015 Country: United States URL: http://www.nycrimecommission.org/pdfs/CCC-Social-Media-Vol2-Responding-To-Norms.pdf Shelf Number: 137653 Keywords: At-Risk Youth Delinquency Prevention Online Communications Online Victimization Social Media Violence Violence-Prevention Violent Crime Youth Violence |
Author: Ueberall, Stephanie Title: Assessing New York City's Youth Gun Violence Crisis: Crews. Volume 1: Defining the Problem Summary: The success or failure of community strategies to address the youth gun violence crisis is often attributed in part to how well the problem is understood and diagnosed. With support from The New York Community Trust, the Crime Commission has undertaken an analysis of youth gun violence and crew activity - violent turf rivalries among less-organized, smaller and normally younger groups than traditional gangs - in select New York City communities. Our initial findings from available data, existing research, and interviews with stakeholders are presented in a series of papers titled, "Assessing New York City's Youth Gun Violence Crisis: Crews". This research and fieldwork demonstrated that crews - and not traditional, hierarchical gangs - are a major part of violent crime statistics and analysis. Crews actually account for a great deal of youth criminal activity, especially violent crime - and without proper interventions for this type of activity, we will not be able to adequately address what has been a persistent public safety and criminal justice issue for New York City. In order to develop more effective responses to crews it is essential for stakeholders to acknowledge the victimization of those involved, understand their underlying needs, and identify the neighborhood conditions that impact them. New York City has famously experienced unprecedented, sustained reductions in crime over the last 25 years. Areas once so dangerous that they resembled foreign war zones now are home to some of the most desirable real estate in the country. We proudly and rightfully point to our success, calling ourselves the "safest big city in America". But there are places and people that have been left behind. There are areas which have not seen violent crime rates drop to nearly zero - as others have - or anywhere close. Certain races and age groups are also still far more likely to become victims and be responsible for violent crime than others. The root causes of violent crime have not changed either - and the circumstances under which crime is committed sound eerily familiar to the high-crime New York of 25 years ago that we now refer to as the "bad old days". Therefore, in order to make real strides in improving the quality of life amongst these persistently hardest-hit groups, we must address the root causes of why youth become involved in gun violence and crews. The NYPD publically acknowledged that youth "gangs" are becoming more organized and more violent, finding that more than a third of all shootings in New York City now involve what the NYPD calls "crews". In order to truly identify how youth are involved in organized activity (gangs, crews, etc.) and gun violence, the Crime Commission researched legal and intelligence definitions and conducted fieldwork with community residents, service providers, and policymakers which revealed three broad categories of organization: traditional gangs, crews, and groups. This research and fieldwork demonstrated that crews - (Fluid groups formed based on where members live, such as a building or block, creating violent turf rivalries. Crews generally do not have clear hierarchy, structure, or rules, and are usually not profit-motivated)- and not traditional, hierarchical gangs - are a major part of violent crime statistics and analysis. Crews actually account for a great deal of youth criminal activity, especially violent crime - and without proper interventions for this type of activity, we will not be able to adequately address what has been a persistent public safety and criminal justice issue for New York City. Details: New York: Citizens Crime Commission of New York City, 2015. 13p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed January 27, 2016 at: http://www.nycrimecommission.org/pdfs/CCC-Crews-Vol1-DefiningTheProblem.pdf Year: 2015 Country: United States URL: http://www.nycrimecommission.org/pdfs/CCC-Crews-Vol1-DefiningTheProblem.pdf Shelf Number: 137681 Keywords: Gang ViolenceGangsGun ViolenceGun-Related ViolenceViolent CrimeYouth Violence |
Author: Ueberall, Stephanie Title: Assessing New York City's Youth Gun Violence Crisis: Crews. Volume 2: CompStat for Violence Prevention Programs Summary: Although there have been significant recent investments by policymakers and funders - ranging from organizing task forces and work groups, to deploying new law enforcement strategies, to implementing programmatic interventions - New York City's ability to fully understand and diagnose its crew problem is hindered by a lack of data and coordination. While the NYPD collects data on crew members and related criminal activity, law enforcement data are typically insufficient to inform comprehensive responses because it is collected for the purpose of informing suppression and investigation strategies. At the same time, community-based organizations collect a range of data about the underlying needs of the individuals involved, but often lack the capacity to analyze and communicate these data to inform policy and programming decisions. Further, the City lacks a collaborative effort among stakeholders dedicated to addressing this problem. Preventing crew violence cannot be accomplished by a single agency or organization. Effective solutions require the combination of insight, hard work, and dedication from a wide variety of organizations and stakeholders. New York City should immediately mobilize stakeholders to take steps toward developing a comprehensive strategy to address the city's crew violence problem. Details: New York: Citizens Crime Commission of New York City, 2015. 23p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed January 27, 2016 at: http://www.nycrimecommission.org/pdfs/CCC-Crews-Vol2-Compstat.pdf Year: 2015 Country: United States URL: http://www.nycrimecommission.org/pdfs/CCC-Crews-Vol2-Compstat.pdf Shelf Number: 137682 Keywords: CompstatCrime AnalysisGang Violence Gangs Gun Violence Gun-Related Violence Violence CrimeViolent CrimeYouth Violence |
Author: Ueberall, Stephanie Title: Assessing New York City's Youth Gun Violence Crisis: Crews. Volume 3: Responding to the Problem Summary: The success or failure of community strategies to address the youth gun violence crisis is often attributed in part to how well the problem is understood and diagnosed. With support from The New York Community Trust, the Crime Commission has undertaken an analysis of youth gun violence and crew activity - violent turf rivalries among less-organized, smaller and normally younger groups than traditional gangs - in select New York City communities. Our initial findings from available data, existing research, and interviews with stakeholders are presented in a series of papers titled, "Assessing New York City's Youth Gun Violence Crisis: Crews". This research and fieldwork demonstrated that crews - and not traditional, hierarchical gangs - are a major part of violent crime statistics and analysis. Crews actually account for a great deal of youth criminal activity, especially violent crime - and without proper interventions for this type of activity, we will not be able to adequately address what has been a persistent public safety and criminal justice issue for New York City. In order to develop more effective responses to crews it is essential for stakeholders to acknowledge the victimization of those involved, understand their underlying needs, and identify the neighborhood conditions that impact them. Executive Summary New York City has famously experienced unprecedented, sustained reductions in crime over the last 25 years. Areas once so dangerous that they resembled foreign war zones now are home to some of the most desirable real estate in the country. We proudly and rightfully point to our success, calling ourselves the "safest big city in America". But there are places and people that have been left behind. There are areas which have not seen violent crime rates drop to nearly zero - as others have - or anywhere close. Certain races and age groups are also still far more likely to become victims and be responsible for violent crime than others. The root causes of violent crime have not changed either - and the circumstances under which crime is committed sound eerily familiar to the high-crime New York of 25 years ago that we now refer to as the "bad old days". Therefore, in order to make real strides in improving the quality of life amongst these persistently hardest-hit groups, we must address the root causes of why youth become involved in gun violence and crews. The NYPD publically acknowledged that youth "gangs" are becoming more organized and more violent, finding that more than a third of all shootings in New York City now involve what the NYPD calls "crews". In order to truly identify how youth are involved in organized activity (gangs, crews, etc.) and gun violence, the Crime Commission researched legal and intelligence definitions and conducted fieldwork with community residents, service providers, and policymakers. Although there have been significant recent investments by policymakers and funders - ranging from organizing task forces and work groups, to deploying new law enforcement strategies, to implementing programmatic interventions - New York City's ability to fully understand and diagnose its crew problem is hindered by a lack of data and coordination. While the NYPD collects data on crew members and related criminal activity, law enforcement data are typically insufficient to inform comprehensive responses because it is collected for the purpose of informing suppression and investigation strategies. At the same time, community-based organizations collect a range of data about the underlying needs of the individuals involved, but often lack the capacity to analyze and communicate these data to inform policy and programming decisions. Further, the City lacks a collaborative effort among stakeholders dedicated to addressing this problem. Preventing crew violence cannot be accomplished by a single agency or organization. Effective solutions require the combination of insight, hard work, and dedication from a wide variety of organizations and stakeholders. New York City should immediately mobilize stakeholders to take steps toward developing a comprehensive strategy to address the city's crew violence problem. The Crime Commission's Assessment offers the following recommendation: 1. Implement a cooperative approach 2. Better collect and share data 3. Coordinate a continuum of interventions Details: New York: Citizens Crime Commission of New York City, 2015. 20p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed January 27, 2016 at: http://www.nycrimecommission.org/pdfs/CCC-Crews-Vol3-RespondingToTheProblem.pdf Year: 2015 Country: United States URL: http://www.nycrimecommission.org/pdfs/CCC-Crews-Vol3-RespondingToTheProblem.pdf Shelf Number: 137683 Keywords: Gang Violence Gangs Gun Violence Gun-Related Violence Neighborhoods and CrimeViolent CrimeYouth Violence |
Author: O'Connor, Robyn M. Title: What Works to Prevent Gang Involvement, Youth Violence and Crime: A Rapid Review of Interventions Delivered in the UK and Abroad Summary: This report was commissioned by the Home Office to further our understanding of what works to prevent gang involvement and youth violence. Since the Government's Ending Gang and Youth Violence programme began in 2011, it has had a strong emphasis on the importance of intervening at the earliest opportunity to prevent children and young people from getting involved in gangs and youth violence, and helping them to find ways out if they do become involved (HM Government, 2011). Our goal was to provide a brief overview of the international literature on effective and ineffective approaches aiming to prevent gang involvement and youth violence, and to identify specific preventative programmes with a good evidence base through a rapid assessment of previous programme evaluations conducted by other "what works" clearinghouses. From this, we sought to summarise some common features - or "key principles" - associated with what does and doesn't work. We leave to the next stage the task of assessing the specific costs and impacts of those programmes available in the UK, and assessing and recommending specific programmes. Overall, we identified 67 well-evidenced programmes, all implemented in the USA and nearly half in the UK, which aimed to prevent gang involvement, youth violence or associated problems such as youth offending, conduct disorder and delinquency. 54 of these programmes had been assessed as effective by the clearinghouses searched, whilst 13 were classified as ineffective. The features and activities associated with these programmes were largely consistent with the findings of the key systematic reviews and evidence assessments identified through our literature review. To maximise transparency, a list of the 67 programmes identified through our search is available in Appendix 3. At the time of publication, 18 programmes are also included in EIF's online Guidebook. Some of these are discussed in more detail in Section 3 as case studies, illustrating how the key principles we have identified are implemented in practice. A rating and detailed description are not provided for every programme, because we have not yet done our own assessment of their effectiveness and input costs. Whilst the clearinghouses searched provide very useful information about specific programmes, each presents different types of information that are not always strictly comparable, and not always fully up to date. Evidence and programmes change, so until we have tested the evidence in more detail we cannot provide an explicit assessment of all the programmes in this review. In the second phase of this work, the relevant programmes identified through this report will undergo detailed scrutiny and provider consultation to enable us to confirm an EIF rating and include information about these programmes in our online Guidebook. Details: London: Home Office, 2015. 70p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed February 1, 2016 at: http://www.eif.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2015/11/Final-R2-WW-Prevent-Gang-Youth-Violence-final.pdf Year: 2015 Country: United Kingdom URL: http://www.eif.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2015/11/Final-R2-WW-Prevent-Gang-Youth-Violence-final.pdf Shelf Number: 137723 Keywords: At-Risk YouthDelinquency PreventionGangsInterventionsYouth GangsYouth Violence |
Author: Cordis Bright Consulting Title: Preventing Gang and Youth Violence: A Review of Risk and Protective Factors Summary: The Early Intervention Foundation (EIF) asked Cordis Bright to report on which risk and protective factors practitioners working with children and young adults should look out for when assessing the likelihood of young people becoming involved in youth violence and gangs. This report is based on the findings of academic research concerned with young people living in community settings, with a focus on risk/protective factors in relation to youth violence and gang involvement. The studies reviewed were those that repeatedly measured the risk/protective factors of the same group of young people over a long period of time. The advantage of these studies is that they are able to measure risk/protective factors before youth violence or gang involvement has taken place, meaning that we can be more confident about the association between risk/protective factors and these behaviours. Therefore this review considers the question of the risk of future outcomes rather than the question of whether someone is currently in a gang or committing offences of youth violence. The majority of findings presented in this review are from longitudinal studies based in the USA. However, these are complemented by longitudinal studies in the UK. Cross national comparisons of the findings of these longitudinal studies suggest that there are more similarities than differences in risk/protective factors for serious youth violence and gang involvement identified by studies in different national contexts. This suggests that we can have confidence in the generalisability of the findings presented in this review (see, for example, Farrington and Loeber, 1999). There is also a growing body of evidence that as well as risk/protective factors being similar between nations for offending behaviour, they are also similar across generations, i.e. there are intergenerational similarities in risk factors for offending (see, for example, Farrington, Ttofi, Crago and Coid, 2015). Details: London: Home Office, 2015. 108p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed February 1, 2016 at: http://www.eif.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2015/11/R4-Risk-and-protective-factors-final.pdf Year: 2015 Country: United Kingdom URL: http://www.eif.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2015/11/R4-Risk-and-protective-factors-final.pdf Shelf Number: 137724 Keywords: At-Risk Youth Delinquency Prevention Youth Gangs Youth Violence |
Author: Peirce, Jennifer Title: Gap Analysis Report: Citizen Security in Belize Summary: In the face of rising crime rates and increasingly complex transnational and local criminal dynamics, Belize's limited institutional resources are overstretched. Youth violence and gangs are of particular concern in urban areas, where lack of education and employment options converge with the prevalence of guns and trafficking networks. Despite some promising smaller-scale crime prevention initiatives, a comprehensive crime prevention strategy requires more significant institutional reforms. This Technical Note reviews the current trends in crime and violence in Belize and the government's existing policies and programs in the sector. It then proposes several short and medium-term actions to strengthen the government's ability to prevent and reduce crime and violence, such as consolidating strategic planning and information management efforts, designing prevention programs more tailored to specific at-risk groups, bolstering criminal investigation and community policing resources, and adapting the corrections system to the specific needs of juveniles and gang-involved youth. Details: Washington, DC: Inter-American Development Bank, 2013. 33p. Source: Internet Resource: Technical Note No. IDB -TN-572: Accessed March 21, 2016 at: http://www.vanderbilt.edu/lapop/news/102313.AB-Belize-IADB.pdf Year: 2013 Country: Belize URL: http://www.vanderbilt.edu/lapop/news/102313.AB-Belize-IADB.pdf Shelf Number: 138354 Keywords: CrimeCrime PreventionCrime RatesPublic SafetyUrban CrimeYouth GangsYouth Violence |
Author: McMurtry, Roy Title: The Review of the Roots of Youth Violence: Volume 1: Findings, Analysis and Conclusions Summary: Ontario is at a crossroads. While it is a safe place for most, our review identified deeply troubling trends in the nature of serious violent crime involving youth in Ontario and the impacts it is having on many communities. Those trends suggest that, unless the roots of this violence are identified and addressed in a coordinated, collaborative and sustained way, violence will get worse. More people will be killed, communities will become increasingly isolated and disadvantaged, an ever-accelerating downward cycle will ensue for far too many, and our social fabric as a province could be seriously damaged. To open the door for this kind of review required wisdom and foresight. We commend Premier Dalton McGuinty for asking the bold questions that led to these conclusions. In an era when many seek short-term political gain by simply calling for more law enforcement, despite chiefs of police stressing that "we cannot arrest our way out of this problem," the Premier took a different approach. He gave us a wide mandate and full independence to look at where the violence is coming from, and to identify ways to address its roots, in order to advance the health, safety and long-term prosperity of Ontario. This has been a most challenging assignment. Ontario is a large and diverse province. The issues are interconnected and controversial. Time was limited, and both the pressures and expectations have been high. We nonetheless thank the Premier for the opportunity he gave us to explore the deep and complex issues that lie behind the roots of violence involving youth. We describe in our report the process we followed to understand those issues. In a little over 10 months, we or our staff met with over 750 people, whether in their individual capacities or as representatives of organizations. We met with more than a dozen Ontario deputy ministers, several on more than one occasion. We met with Ontario's Poverty Reduction Committee and its political and public service staff, and separately with certain Cabinet ministers. And, as directed in our mandate, we established a strong working relationship with the City of Toronto and the United Way, whose leadership on these kinds of issues is well-known. We also commissioned a youth-led neighbourhood insight process to delve, as deeply as time permitted, into the issues facing eight neighbourhoods in the province. We engaged the Grassroots Youth Collaborative, a consortium of highly diverse youth-led organizations, to help us hear youth voices in Toronto that might otherwise not have come to our attention. We also engaged the Ontario Federation of Indian Friendship Centres to bring us the views of urban Aboriginal youth from across the province. As well, we commissioned five major research papers and two comprehensive literature reviews, obtained 11 background papers from Ontario ministries, provided provincewide access to our work via a website, an online survey and a 1-800 number, and travelled to England to better understand some particularly relevant approaches there. Nonetheless, we do not profess to have studied all that could have been studied, nor to have met with all who could have helped us with our task. We have almost certainly not done full justice to the work of all who shared their ideas and insights with us and may have failed to fully credit everyone whose ideas inspired us. In all of our work, we joined a conversation rather than started one. We have been encouraged by the large number of people, most certainly including youth, who are bringing expertise and energy to bear on the issue of violence in Ontario. They include people within all orders of government, in community agencies and organizations, and in communities themselves. We have also been encouraged by the commitment the Premier has shown to addressing some key aspects of this issue in recent initiatives such as full-day learning for four- and five-year-olds and the appointment of a Cabinet committee to develop "a focused poverty reduction strategy with measures, indicators and reasonable targets by the end of 2008." For reasons we discuss in our report, we focused on the most serious violence involving youth. We also address the other forms of violence that can be its precursors, but consider the heart of the matter to be those youth who are so alienated and disconnected from our society that they carry guns and often use them in impulsive ways, demonstrating indifference to the consequences and placing no value on human life. We inquired into the mindset of those youth and, from that analysis, we identified the immediate risk factors for their behaviour. This then led us to the roots of those factors and to actions to address those roots. We found the roots to be extensive and pervasive. They permeate society, but are intertwined and particularly virulent in certain neighbourhoods, and made worse everywhere when they include racism. Our core finding can be simply stated: neither the breadth nor the depth of the roots is taken into account in shaping public policy in Ontario. The initiatives underway to address various aspects of them are largely inadequate for the task, and there is no structure to give coherence to those initiatives. Overall, Ontario has not recognized how vital it is to the health of this province to put an aligned and sustained approach to the roots of violence involving youth at the heart of the government's agenda. In reaching these conclusions, we did not adopt a rigid definition of youth. The roots of the immediate risk factors can take hold even before birth and continue to pose threats all through a child's life. Similarly, there is no accepted upper limit on who should be considered a youth, and we do not propose to create one. Certainly, the definition should go beyond the age limit for the Youth Criminal Justice Act (18), up to some point in a youth's early to mid-20s, but there is no benefit in trying to be more precise than that in looking at violence involving youth and considering actions to address its roots. In approaching our work, we were asked not to reinvent the wheel. We found little need to do so. Good work and good ideas abound. To work with that metaphor, we found many excellent "wheels." The problem, however, is that they are not all connected to the same vehicle, and those that are on the same vehicle frequently have separate steering systems and often separate drivers with different ideas of what the destination is and how to get there. That is why we give the highest priority to governance, and otherwise tend to provide more advice than recommendations. What matters most is getting the wheels onto vehicles that are following an agreed-upon map to a shared destination. We are confident that the destination we describe in our report is the right one. It focuses on repairing a social context that is broken for many youth; strengthening neighbourhoods and community agencies; establishing clear outcome goals for initiatives for youth; providing youth with engagement, hope and opportunity; and aligning the provincial ministries to deliver a coordinated, collaborative agenda of change over the long term, including by working effectively with other orders of government and community residents. Having described that destination, we are largely content to leave the details to the planning process we describe in the balance of this report. We do not make a lot of detailed recommendations because so doing would suggest that there are neat, discrete solutions to problems that are deep and intertwined. In our view, only an integrated, collaborative and sustained approach to the roots will succeed. That is why we propose a body at the centre of government with the mandate and resources to consider our advice, situate it within the context of the balance of the government"s agenda, determine priorities, make linkages among ministries and with other governments, and manage a process of both building and being responsive to communities across the province. Only this kind of body and approach will be able to produce a coherent, long-range plan for the province, set agendas for ministries individually and collectively, establish overall and interim targets and monitor work towards them to ensure an aligned and sustained response. We are confident that, with this kind of strong coordination and leadership, we can rely upon Ontario's ministries and their partners to do the detailed planning required to respond to the advice we offer throughout our report. This need not be a lengthy exercise, but it will call for a major focus from many ministries. Given that focus and the leadership structure we propose, we believe that the planning exercise can be completed, and the plans made public, by May 2009. In the result, the recommendations we make to the Premier emphasize the need to recognize the breadth of the issues and to address them by creating significant new governance mechanisms to coordinate the energy and capacity that are waiting and eager to take on the work that must be done. Details: Ottawa: Queen's Printer for Ontario, 2008. 458p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed April 1, 2016 at: http://www.children.gov.on.ca/htdocs/English/topics/youthandthelaw/roots/volume1/chapter01_intro.aspx Year: 2008 Country: Canada URL: http://www.children.gov.on.ca/htdocs/English/topics/youthandthelaw/roots/volume1/chapter01_intro.aspx Shelf Number: 138524 Keywords: Juvenile Delinquents Juvenile Offenders Neighborhoods and Crime Violent CrimeYouth Violence |
Author: Inter-American Commission on Human Rights Title: Violence, Children and Organized Crime Summary: The Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (IACHR) presents a regional report on violence and other violations of rights to which children and adolescents fall victim in contexts in which organized crime and violent or criminal groups operate. The report identifies the leading factors that make the Americas the region with the highest rates of violence in the world, and focuses primarily on analyzing how children and adolescents are affected by different forms of violence in their communities, especially acts committed by members of armed groups but also by agents of the State. Conditions of insecurity and violence in the region are significant factors of concern which involve serious violations of people's human rights. The public often associates these situations with adolescents, who are blamed to a large extent for the climate of insecurity experienced by many communities. The focus tends to be on male adolescents from poor and marginal neighborhoods who belong to groups that have traditionally been excluded and discriminated against and who are stigmatized on a daily basis and singled out as "potential dangers to society" who must be brought under control. However, as the IACHR explains in the report, the reality is different from these perceptions and much more complex. Children and adolescents, in fact, represent one of the groups most affected by different forms of violence and rights violations, as well as by the actions of criminal groups and by repressive citizen security policies. The inhabitants of some communities suffer the scourge of violence more intensely. The areas that are particularly hard-hit are the least developed neighborhoods where there is limited access to basic services, a lack of opportunities, and little State presence. These are areas with populations living in vulnerable conditions, in which their rights are not guaranteed due to structural situations of marginalization and social exclusion. These factors facilitate the emergence and expansion of criminal groups and organized crime. In addition, the enormous financial revenues associated with the illegal drug market have contributed significantly to the expansion of criminal groups that compete for this market and its benefits, unleashing spiraling violence due to clashes between criminal groups and State security forces. Easy access to firearms and the large number of guns in the hands of private individuals exacerbate the existing climate of insecurity and violence. In the report, the IACHR observes with concern that the conditions for children and adolescents living in these contexts can be daunting. Many of them experience situations of violence, abuse, and neglect in their homes, communities, and schools, at the hands of adults, their peers, and even the police. The quality of education is poor, and there are many barriers to accessing higher education and access to job opportunities and decent employment. Children and adolescents are often subjected to pressure, threats, or trickery to get them to join these organizations; other adolescents seek out these groups in search of opportunities, recognition, protection, and a sense of belonging, aspects that they would otherwise not be able to find. Once they are within these structures, they are used and exploited by the adults for a broad range of activities, including surveillance, the transport and sale of drugs, robberies, extortions, kidnappings, and other violent activities related to maintaining the interests of criminal groups. Girls and adolescents in particular are the primary victims of sexual violence and human trafficking for sexual exploitation. Adults use them as disposable, interchangeable parts of criminal structures - the last link in the chain - with the average age of recruitment 13 years old. State responses to these challenges are primarily based on policies that are strongly focused on aspects of coercive control by security forces and punitive repression through the criminal justice system. The common denominator of security strategies in the region has been the allocation of greater responsibilities to State security forces, along with a progressive militarization of the police and their operations and the participation of the army in citizen security tasks. However, these strategies have not significantly eased the climate of insecurity; on the contrary, many countries have experienced a resurgence of violence, in addition to reported abuses, arbitrary practices, and human rights violations carried out by State security forces. In this report, the IACHR expresses its concern regarding the high rates of arbitrary detentions; excessive use of force and lethal force; cruel, inhuman, and degrading treatment, even extrajudicial executions and forced disappearances, as well as sluggish investigations and high levels of impunity for these types of acts. Due to the social stigma they face, some adolescents from certain groups of society are often victims of these types of abuses and arbitrary practices. Among the situations it found, the IACHR has observed that the application of the crime of "unlawful assembly" or "conspiracy" or "belonging to a criminal group" has increased the number of arbitrary detentions of adolescents based on their appearance and on the belief that they may belong to a gang or a criminal group, without any evidence that a crime has been committed. Current drug policies have also contributed to an increase in the number of children and adolescents deprived of liberty for drug-related offenses such as micro-trafficking and possession of small quantities. In several countries of the region, adolescents who are poor, of African descent, or members of minorities are over-represented among those detained by the police. The prosecution of crimes of "unlawful assembly" and drug-related crimes has also led to an increase in pretrial detentions and for longer periods, due to an overextended criminal justice system. Meanwhile, States in the region tend to prioritize punitive and retributive responses to adolescent offenders, with incarceration the most widespread measure used. State responses have focused on proposals to reduce the age of criminal responsibility for adolescents, in some cases starting at age 12, and to lengthen prison sentences. In practice, this might mean that they would be locked up for their entire adolescence - a crucial phase for their personal development, growth, and education. Added to this is the fact that detention centers, where conditions are generally alarming in terms of safety, health, and overcrowding, have become factors aggravating adolescents' vulnerability and exposure to violence and crime, which only worsens and reinforces the problem States are seeking to solve. The IACHR reiterates in the report that measures designed to hold adolescents accountable for their actions should be based primarily on a model of restorative justice and socio-educational measures, one whose purpose is to rehabilitate adolescents and reintegrate them into society. In the Inter-American Commission's judgment, current policies seek to show short-term results but do not adequately address structural causes or focus sufficiently on prevention or on social investment programs and promotion of rights. The current policies do not take into account the specific consequences of these environments for adolescents who are in an especially vulnerable and unprotected situation which puts them at risk of being captured and used by organized crime, becoming involved in violent and criminal activities, or becoming victims of such activities. The report concludes with a series of recommendations to the States to address violence and insecurity through comprehensive, holistic public policies that take into account the centrality of human rights and effectively ensure the exercise of rights by children and adolescents. Details: Washington, DC: Inter-American Commission on Human Rights, 2016. 227p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed April 7, 2016 at: http://www.oas.org/en/iachr/reports/pdfs/ViolenceChildren2016.pdf Year: 2016 Country: South America URL: http://www.oas.org/en/iachr/reports/pdfs/ViolenceChildren2016.pdf Shelf Number: 138593 Keywords: Children and ViolenceCriminal NetworksOrganized CrimeViolenceYouth GangsYouth Violence |
Author: Preciado, Luis E. Title: State approaches toward reducing youth violence in Honduras and Nicaragua Summary: Nicaragua and Honduras are neighbor countries situated in one of the most violent regions of the world. As such, they share many similarities, including geopolitics, a history of political violence and insurgency, as well as a repressive authoritarian past. In spite of the two countries' similarities, their divergent policing and public security policies have led to equally divergent outcomes in crime and homicide rates. What factors explain this divergence? How effective are their respective policing and security policies in confronting the proliferation of violence among the youth of their nations? Analysis of these questions helps U.S. policy-makers gain greater understanding of the critical factors that are contributing to Central America's escalating youth violence. By way of a most-similar systems approach, this thesis analyzes the aspects that either enable or degrade state efforts to address their youth gang crisis. In sum, building strong and accountable criminal justice institutions as well as addressing the socioeconomic challenges that confront youth populations are necessary preconditions for reducing youth violence. To assist our regional partners in restoring security to their nations, U.S. policymakers need to promote programs that help strengthen institutional capacities and expand social programs that assist at-risk youth. Details: Monterey, CA: Naval Postgraduate School, 2015. 100p. Source: Internet Resource: Thesis: Accessed April 11, 2016 at: http://calhoun.nps.edu/bitstream/handle/10945/47317/15Sep_Preciado_Luis.pdf?sequence=3 Year: 2015 Country: Central America URL: http://calhoun.nps.edu/bitstream/handle/10945/47317/15Sep_Preciado_Luis.pdf?sequence=3 Shelf Number: 138626 Keywords: At-Risk YouthGang ViolenceGangsSocioeconomic Conditions and CrimeViolent CrimeYouth GangsYouth Violence |
Author: Hamilton, Mark D. Title: The young and the restless: Dynamics of violent youth mobilization in Sri Lanka and Nicaragua, 1960--2010 Summary: What are the factors that motivate youth to take up arms and mobilize in organized violence? That is the central question of this project, applied to two case contexts, Sri Lanka and Nicaragua. The project's integrative system dynamics methodology synthesizes competing causal explanations that are often considered in isolation within the literature. Three mechanisms are hypothesized to influence the "attractiveness" of armed mobilization for at-risk youth sectors: (1) Groups and Identity; (2) Grievances and (Perceived) Injustice; and (3) Greed and Incentives, with expected shifts across time and institutional context. Causal loop diagrams communicate the model's conceptual framework, key variable relationships, and interactive feedback effects across mechanisms. For purposes of testing, the model is contextualized to initial values for both cases, simulated across time (1960-2010), and then examined against the available empirical data for Sri Lanka and Nicaragua. Case illustrative narratives link quantitative and qualitative analysis of violent mobilization (and demobilization) for targeted historical periods. In Sri Lanka, analysis highlights the relative "attractiveness" for Sinhalese young people joining armed insurrections of the JVP (the "People's Liberation Front", a radical Maoist group with Buddhist roots), or for young Tamils joining ethno-nationalist armed groups such as the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam. In Nicaragua, model analysis traces the "attractiveness" of youth joining Marxist-nationalist Sandinista revolutionaries in the 1970s, with counter-revolutionary Contra forces in the 1980s, and fragmented neighborhood gangs from 1990. Project results show strong correspondence between the applied model simulations and the case historical record, for estimating the number of youth militants and their period-specific causal factor explanations. Model "leverage points" are highlighted across both cases, and then applied to a shadow case study (Israel-Palestine) as a proof-of-concept model extension (without simulation). From there, the text offers critical discussion of model limitations and potential extensions, and delineates key implications for policymaking, programming, and peace-building applications. The project concludes by highlighting the necessity of considering multiple causal explanations for a comprehensive understanding of armed youth mobilization. Moreover, it provides a systematic and rigorous framework to test these explanations' relative strength and their variance across time. Details: Washington, DC: American University, 2012. Source: Internet Resource: Dissertation: Accessed April 12, 2016 at: http://auislandora.wrlc.org/islandora/object/thesesdissertations%3A241 Year: 2012 Country: Nicaragua URL: http://auislandora.wrlc.org/islandora/object/thesesdissertations%3A241 Shelf Number: 138634 Keywords: At-Risk YouthGang ViolenceYouth GangsYouth Violence |
Author: London. Mayor's Office for Policing and Crime Title: Identifying the Strategic Ambitions for London: Gangs and Serious Youth Violence: findings from the literature review and consultation Summary: To inform the development of the Strategic Ambitions document, MOPAC facilitated the following consultation: - A literature review; - An online survey which was available between 13 February 2014 and the 28 March 2014; - A youth engagement session led by the Greater London Authority (GLA) Peer Outreach Workers and supported by young people from One Big Community, LEAP, the Black Police Associations Charitable Trust project Voyage and a number of other youth organisations; - A focused session on gang exit in partnership with the Safer London Foundation, St Giles Trust and the Department of Work and Pensions; - A dedicated session on the importance of early intervention and prevention in deterring gang involvement in partnership with the London Borough of Islington; LEAP and Edmonton County School; - A roundtable discussion led by Health practitioners to explore mental and public health concerns in regards to gangs; - Sessions with London Crime Reduction Board (LCRB) Gang Strategy Local Authority and Criminal Justice System subgroups, and the LCRB Gangs Panel - A specific session for Voluntary and Community Sector organisations; - A review session with Council Leaders and the MPS Commissioner; and finally, - A wrap up session led by the Deputy Mayor of Policing and Crime, which highlighted the key findings to date, and proposed priorities. This document summarises the findings of literature review and consultation undertaken to inform the development of the Strategic Ambitions for London: Gangs and Serious Youth Violence. Details: London: Mayor's Office, 2015. 24p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed April 14, 2016 at: https://www.london.gov.uk/sites/default/files/gla_migrate_files_destination/Strategic%20Ambitions%20for%20Gangs%20and%20SYV%202014_Consultation%20findings.pdf Year: 2015 Country: United Kingdom URL: https://www.london.gov.uk/sites/default/files/gla_migrate_files_destination/Strategic%20Ambitions%20for%20Gangs%20and%20SYV%202014_Consultation%20findings.pdf Shelf Number: 138666 Keywords: Gang ViolenceGangsYouth GangsYouth Violence |
Author: McMurtry, Roy Title: The Review of the Roots of Youth Violence: Volume 2: Executive Summary Summary: When Ontario Premier Dalton McGuinty asked us to undertake this review in the aftermath of the fatal shooting of a high school student at school, he had the wisdom not to simply ask for short-term ideas about how to deploy yet more law enforcement resources to try to suppress this kind of violence. Instead, he asked us to spend a year seeking to find out where it is coming from - its roots - and what might be done to address them to make Ontario safer in the long term. This turned out to be a most challenging assignment. Ontario is a large and diverse province. The issues are complex and controversial. Time was limited, and both the pressures and expectations have been high. We nonetheless thank the Premier for this opportunity and commend him for the initiative he took in placing the focus on the long-term well-being of Ontario and its residents. In undertaking this work, we joined a conversation rather than starting one. Our work, although focusing on a more fundamental analysis than has often been the case, did not begin in a vacuum. In provincial and other governments and, perhaps most importantly, in communities across this province, many individuals have combined compassion with passion to help address the violence in our society. However, we found no overall policy in place to guide this work and no structures to coordinate the efforts of those doing it. We found a focus on problems rather than on the roots of problems, and on interventions once the roots had taken hold rather than on actions to prevent that happening. Overall, our analysis brought to light a number of underlying issues that call for attention in a structured and sustained way. While this "roots" analysis has by definition caused us to focus on often very deep and sometimes divisive problems and has perhaps in some areas given our report a negative tone, we believe that our plan for the future is positive. With good communications and sustained and visible commitment, it will earn and receive significant public support. Details: Ottawa: Queen's Printer for Ontario, 2008. 52p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed May 4, 2016 at: http://www.children.gov.on.ca/htdocs/english/documents/topics/youthandthelaw/rootsofyouthviolence-vol2.pdf Year: 2008 Country: Canada URL: http://www.children.gov.on.ca/htdocs/english/documents/topics/youthandthelaw/rootsofyouthviolence-vol2.pdf Shelf Number: 138926 Keywords: Juvenile Delinquents Juvenile Offenders Neighborhoods and Crime Violent Crime Youth Violence |
Author: Cohan, Lorena M. Title: Honduras Cross-Sectoral Youth Violence Prevention Assessment: Final Report Summary: With 85.5 homicides per 100,000 inhabitants in 2012, Honduras has the highest homicide rate of any country in the world (IUDPAS, 2013a), making crime and violence one of the most complex challenges currently facing the Government of Honduras (GoH), as well as a key priority for USAID Honduras. Violence in Honduras predominantly affects male youth from poor urban areas, with 65 percent of homicides in Honduras occurring in 5 percent of municipalities and the vast majority of homicide victims being males (94 percent) - in particular male youth between 15 and 34 years of age (63 percent) (Observatorio de la Violencia, 2012). This report addresses the violence issue in Honduras by presenting key findings and recommendations from the Honduras Cross-Sectoral Youth Violence Prevention Assessment, carried out by Education Development Center, Inc. (EDC) in response to a request by USAID/Honduras within the context of the METAS Project. The ultimate objective of this assessment was to identify strategies to reduce youth violence in order to inform the future youth violence prevention strategy of USAID/Honduras and other stakeholders. METAS conducted the assessment between February and May 2013 to examine the causes and extent of youth violence in Honduras. This report presents information about the assessment; an understanding of the social context in which this work must be developed; findings, analysis, and a synthesis of programming recommendations derived from that analysis, along with extensive annex documents. The following objectives guided the research questions of the assessment: Objective 1: To develop a comprehensive understanding of the at-risk youth population in Honduras. Objective 2: To develop a comprehensive understanding of youth crime and violence in urban areas. Objective 3:hTo identify multi-sectoral strategic investment options for USAID that address contextual youth challenges within the parameters of the Central American Security Initiative, Goal 3 of USAID's Global Education Strategy. To identify the most promising youth violence prevention strategies, METAS' assessment team examined youth aspirations and assets; challenges faced by youth within at-risk communities to ascertain how these communities either support or impede youth aspirations and ways in which programs might build on such assets or address the challenges; potential modifications that could be made to existing youth programming; and recommendations for future programs that could potentially reduce youth violence. Details: Washington, DC: U.S. Agency for International Development, 2013. 305p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed July 22, 2016 at: http://pdf.usaid.gov/pdf_docs/PA00K2H3.pdf Year: 2013 Country: Honduras URL: http://pdf.usaid.gov/pdf_docs/PA00K2H3.pdf Shelf Number: 139795 Keywords: At-Risk YouthHomicidesJuvenile GangsViolence PreventionViolent CrimeYouth GangsYouth Violence |
Author: Edwards, Phil Title: Mediation, Mentoring and Peer Support to Reduce Youth Violence: A Systematic Review Summary: Background - After road traffic collisions and suicide, violence is the greatest threat to life of young people. In England and Wales, 43 young people aged 15 - 24 years died from assault in 2012. These premature deaths are a fraction of the thousands of young people who attend hospital each year with violence - related injuries and who survive to live with scars and psychological trauma. Public health approaches that address attitudinal causes of youth violence, and that intervene early on with at - risk youth, may be effective at reducing youth violence. Objectives - To systematically review violence prevention programmes for young people involved in, or at risk of violence that include a mentoring, mediation or peer - support component. Search methods - To identify eligible studies for inclusion in the review searches were made of: 15 electronic bibliographic databases for published work; grey literature for unpublished work; trials registers for ongoing and recently completed trials; reference lists of the included studies. Selection criteria - Broad inclusion criteria were used to identify eligible studies including any interventions that included contact and interaction with a positive role model. The role model might be a peer (of similar age and/or background), a mentor (someone with more experience, skills and abilities), or a peer mediator who intervenes between youth to prevent retaliation. Study designs included randomised controlled trials (RCT), cluster randomised trials (CRT), controlled before - after (CBA) studies, cohort studies and case - con trol (CC) studies. Participants included perpetrators of violence and those at risk of violence who were aged less than 25 years. Outcomes were carrying a weapon, violence, offending, and health service use due to injury. Crime and self - reported outcomes were included. Data collection and analysis - All studies identified through the search process were imported into EPPI - Reviewer 4 software where screening, full text coding and data extraction took place. Two review authors independently conducted an initi al screening to identify all potentially relevant reports of studies. Full - text reports were obtained and assessed by each review author in EPPI - Reviewer 4 for final inclusion in the review. Disagreements were resolved by discussion with a third review aut hor. Data extracted from included studies were summarised using the 'EMMIE' framework , developed by researchers at the UCL Jill Dando Institute of Security and Crime Science: Effect size (how effective is the intervention?), Mechanism (how does the interve ntion work?), Moderators (in which contexts does the intervention work?), Implementation (what is needed to implement the intervention?), and Economics (how much might the intervention cost?). Results - Sixteen studies were identified for inclusion with ni ne evaluating mentoring interventions (2 RCTs, 3 CBA, 3 Cohort/CC, 1 economic evaluation); two evaluating mediation interventions (2 CRT); and five evaluating peer - led interventions (1 CRT, 3 CBA, 1 Cohort). Most studies were conducted in the USA, with one in the UK. Studies were heterogeneous in terms of participants, interventions and outcomes so a meta - analysis was not considered to be appropriate. Mentoring - one RCT found a reduction in numbers of fights and fight injuries after 6 months in assault injured youth (not statistically significant). An analysis of a national cohort found mentored youth were less likely t o report hurting anyone in a fight. Another RCT found no effect on reconviction rates after 2 - year period in persistent offenders. One CBA study found more re - arrests in mentored youth (statistically significant). Another CBA study found fewer criminal con tacts 6 months following release in youth offenders (statistically significant). Mediation - One RCT of mediation in a school - based violence prevention programme found violent behaviours were halved (not statistically significant). One CRT of peer - mediation in schools found no evidence for a reduction in aggressive behaviours (fighting and injuries due to fighting). Peer - support - In schools a CRT found a reduction (not statistically significant) in physically violent acts 2 years following a multi - component programme with a peer - led component. A CBA study found a reduction in aggressive behaviour when a violence prevention curriculum was administered by a teacher with a peer - leader. In a detention facility a CBA study found increased reoffending among high - ri sk youth receiving a multi - component intervention with peer - support (53% intervention vs. 29% of controls; p=0.08); there was no violence outcome. Details: London: College of Policing, 2015. 69p. Source: Internet Resource: What Works: Crime Reduction Systematic Review Series, No. 2: Accessed August 1, 2016 at: http://whatworks.college.police.uk/About/Systematic_Review_Series/Documents/SR2%20Youth_Violence_15Nov15.pdf Year: 2015 Country: International URL: http://whatworks.college.police.uk/About/Systematic_Review_Series/Documents/SR2%20Youth_Violence_15Nov15.pdf Shelf Number: 139928 Keywords: Mediation ProgramsPeer RelationsYouth MentoringYouth ViolenceYouth Violence Prevention |
Author: Tomberg, Kathleen A. Title: Durable Collaborations: The National Forum on Youth Violence Prevention Summary: In 2012, the Research and Evaluation Center at John Jay College began to publish the results of an assessment conducted between Summer 2011 and Summer 2012. The project measured the effectiveness of the National Forum on Youth Violence Prevention. The findings suggested that the initiative was generating important changes in five communities participating in the National Forum (Boston, MA; Detroit, MI; Memphis, TN; Salinas, CA; and San Jose, CA). Survey respondents reported a number of potentially valuable outcomes, including expanded opportunities for youth, improvements in the extent of inter-agency and cross-sector collaborations, and successful efforts to draw upon the knowledge and expertise of a broad range of community members. According to survey respondents, the National Forum cities were developing stronger capacities to reduce youth violence. In 2016, with the support of the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention, the John Jay research team launched a new iteration of the same survey in all 15 cities then involved in the National Forum. The respondents in the new survey were positive about their growing collaborations and the effectiveness of their strategies for preventing youth violence. As with the previous surveys, the 2016 survey measured the perceptions of community leaders. It was not a direct measure of youth violence. Details: New York: John Jay College of Criminal Justice, Research and Evaluation Center, 2016. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed September 20, 2016 at: https://jjrec.files.wordpress.com/2016/06/durablecollaborations2.pdf Year: 2016 Country: United States URL: https://jjrec.files.wordpress.com/2016/06/durablecollaborations2.pdf Shelf Number: 145625 Keywords: Community-Based ProgramsJuvenile OffendersPartnershipsViolence PreventionViolent CrimeYouth Violence |
Author: Seattle. Human Services Department Title: Seattle Youth Violence Prevention Needs Assessment Summary: The Seattle Youth Violence Prevention Initiative (SYVPI) constitutes the City's core programming in youth violence prevention with an annual budget of approximately $5.8 million per year. SYVPI is intended to be a coordinated violence prevention and intervention program providing wrap-around services for youth between 12- 17 years who are involved in or thought to be at risk of becoming involved in violence. However, while SYVPI has been operating since 2009, it has been unable to clearly articulate how its program works to reduce youth violence. In 2013, the City Council asked the City Auditor to conduct an "Evaluability Assessment" of SYVPI with the goal of developing a rigorous evaluation of the program. In October 2014, the City Auditor issued a report by MEF Associates that concluded SYVPI could not be evaluated due to several operational and program design issues. MEF identified several issues that would need to be addressed before SYVPI could be evaluated (while MEF was asked to focus on an evaluation design for SYVPI, the problems it identified have broader implications for SYVPI's efficacy). MEF also recommended the City conduct a youth violence needs assessment. This report is in response to this recommendation. Findings A. City's current approach to youth violence lacks an overarching strategic vision The City's current approach to youth violence prevention lacks an overarching strategic vision that recognizes the complexity and multi-faceted nature of youth violence. A substantial body of research recommends viewing youth violence through a public health lens, which posits youth violence can be prevented before it occurs. Adopting a public health approach means viewing the problem from a systems perspective and recognizing the environments in which youth grow and develop have the ability to influence norms and behaviors. A public health perspective also acknowledges that no stand-alone program or entity can effectively address youth violence. Thus, an effective strategy will seek to identify the relative strengths and respective roles and responsibilities of different institutions and systems that play a role in youth violence prevention. Ideally, this will lead to more effective partnerships, the identification of shared goals, and improved service alignment and coordination across systems. B. SYVPI's programming is limited in scope SYVPI is largely focused on the provision of pro-social activities for individual youth between 12- 17 years. As noted in a recent City Auditor report on SYVPI, While these services are important for youth who might otherwise have barriers to these opportunities, this strategy does not address issues with the criminal justice system or schools. In addition, research has identified several risk factors. Details: Seattle: City of Seattle Human Services Department, 2015. 71p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed October 8, 2016 at: http://www.seattle.gov/Documents/Departments/HumanServices/Reports/Final_SYPVI_NeedsAssessment.pdf Year: 2015 Country: United States URL: http://www.seattle.gov/Documents/Departments/HumanServices/Reports/Final_SYPVI_NeedsAssessment.pdf Shelf Number: 145416 Keywords: At-Risk YouthDelinquency PreventionNeeds AssessmentViolence PreventionYouth HomicidesYouth Violence |
Author: Trajtenberg, Nico Title: Towards a more Effective Violence Prevention Policy in Uruguay Summary: This report presents the results of the Montevideo Project on the Social Development of Children and Youths (m-proso) study, a large representative school-based survey of young people on deviance and violence conducted in Montevideo. The study was funded by the UBS Optimus Foundation and the data was collected by the University of Cambridge and Universidad de la Republica del Uruguay in coordination with the directorial council of the Administracion Nacional de Educacion Publica (ANEP). The main empirical goal of this study was to describe levels of violent victimization and violent behaviour among adolescents in Montevideo. It also aimed to identify major individual, family, school and life-style risk factors associated with victimization and perpetration that can inform the development of a national policy for the prevention of youth violence. To achieve this goal a large representative survey of over 2202 adolescents in grade 9 (i.e. approximately age 15) from public and private high schools was conducted in 2013. The study results can be divided in two main areas: Victimization: - 25% of adolescents have been victims of one of the three types of violence in the past year. Robbery victimizations are most frequent, followed by assault and sexual assault. Most victimizations occur in public space or at school, and are committed by peers of the same age. Only about one out of ten incidents are reported to the police. - The risk of victimization was associated with a number of lifestyle characteristics. Adolescents who go out frequently, consume psychoactive substances, and who engage in delinquent activities are at a greater risk of violent victimization. Also, adolescents with a disability were at a higher risk of victimization, while socio-demographic characteristics were not found to be predictive of victimization. - 28% of adolescents reported experiences of corporal punishment by their parents. Socio-demographic characteristics did not predict the likelihood of corporal punishment. However, the likelihood of corporal punishment was more likely if there was more parental conflict. The experience of corporal punishment was associated with more depressive symptoms. - 20% of adolescents experienced bullying victimization at least once per month. Bullying victims differed from non-victims in several ways: they were more likely to have a poor relationship with classmates and more likely to have academic difficulties. At home they were more likely to experience erratic discipline and parental conflict. Also, adolescents with a disability were found to be more likely to be victimized. - The results of the present study supported findings from international research that different types of victimization tend to be correlated. For example, victims of corporal punishment by their parents were significantly more likely to also experience bullying and violent victimization. Perpetration - 17% of adolescents admitted to having committed at least one act of violence in the past year. 19% of adolescents reported to be involved in a group that threatens, robs or assaults other people. And 13% of adolescents reported that they bullied other adolescents at least once per month. - Different types of violence are strongly correlated in that, for example, adolescents who verbally bully others also tend to be involved in physical fights or robberies committed within a group of other adolescents. Male adolescents are overrepresented for all types of direct aggression, but their predominance is larger for aggression that entails physical force, is more serious, and committed in groups. - Involvement in violence is part of a wider syndrome of adolescent problem behaviours: Violent adolescents are much more likely to also be involvement in non-violent delinquent acts including theft in school, at home or in shops, vandalism and burglary, or drug dealing. They are also more likely to run away from home and to play truant at school. Finally, adolescents involved in violence are much more likely to use alcohol, cannabis, or hard drugs. - Adolescents with a higher involvement in violent acts differed in their personality characteristics from other youth. They were more riskseeking, impulsive, self-centred and short-sighted than non-violent youth; they were more likely to internalize delinquent norms and to reject conventional moral principles; they had lower conflict resolution skills in that they were more likely to react with anger and less likely to understand diferent sides of an argument; and they tend to believe that they are stronger and better fighters than others. - Adolescents involved in physical violence and bullying also differ on school-related characteristics: They were significantly more likely to have been retained at school, to play truant, to have a poor relationship to the teacher and to have a low commitment to do well at school. They were also less likely to accept the authority of teachers and directors. - More violent adolescents tend to live in families where parents were less likely to be involved in joint activities with the young person, that they were less able to efectively supervise the activities of their child, and that they were more likely to use physical punishment as a disciplining strategy. - Finally, aggressive adolescents tend to spend a lot more time playing violent computer games, they are out on the streets more often during night-time and weekends, and they spend this unsupervised time more often in the company of delinquent peers. Finally, based on the aforementioned results and following the WHO public health framework of violence prevention this report provides recommendations on five areas of intervention: enhance parenting support; improve school climate and behaviour management in schools; improve the legitimacy of the police; reduce early access to psychoactive substances and weapons; and reducing street violence and robbery. Details: Cambridge, UK: University of Cambridge, Institute of Criminology, Violence Research Centre, 2015. 162p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed October 13, 2016 at: http://www.vrc.crim.cam.ac.uk/vrcresearch/meuruguay/uruguayeng Year: 2015 Country: Uruguay URL: http://www.vrc.crim.cam.ac.uk/vrcresearch/meuruguay/uruguayeng Shelf Number: 145077 Keywords: Juvenile OffendersRobberyStreet ViolenceVictimizationViolenceViolence PreventionViolent CrimeYouth Violence |
Author: Great Britain. Home Office Title: Birmingham Ending Gang and Youth Violence Peer Review Summary: 1.1 As part of the Home Office Ending Gang and Youth Violence (EGYV) initiative, 29 areas have initially been identified and subsequently invited to participate in a programme of guided reviews designed to assist them with ensuring their partnerships have effective structures and responses in place to contribute to the shared aim of Ending Gang and Youth Violence. These areas have been selected based on identified levels of gang activity and serious youth violence, in accordance with the Dying to Belong1 and Association of Chief Police Officers (ACPO) definition of a gang, namely: A relatively durable, predominantly street-based group of young people who; (1) See themselves (and are seen by others) as a discernible group, and (2) Engage in a range of criminal activity and violence They may also have any or all of the following features: (3) Identify with or lay claim over territory (4) Have some form of identifying structural feature (5) Are in conflict with other, similar, gangs. 1.2 The Ending Gang and Youth Violence Team have worked with the Local Government Association to develop an ending gang and youth violence peer review model with an innovative community dimension. The model has been designed to help areas assess the robustness of their structures and processes in tackling this issue. 2. Key overall strengths 2.1 The Birmingham Community Safety Partnership benefits from holding and articulating a strong vision on ending gang and youth violence by the council, police, political leaders and community members and a good understanding of the principal strengths and challenges in addressing the gangs and youth violence agenda. This honesty and understanding bodes well for the future. Birmingham has long-standing, well-developed and firm foundations in place. For example: High level commitment to and engagement in ending gang and youth violence by strategic leaders across the city. Strong vision, governance and accountability arrangements across the community safety partnership, the Birmingham Reducing Gang Violence Executive Board and delivery groups. The Birmingham Community Safety Partnership and Birmingham Reducing Gang Violence (BRGV) Executive Group have a clear understanding of their principal strengths and challenges in addressing the ending gang and youth violence agenda. Well established Multi-Agency Gang Unit (MAGU). Community engagement with West Midlands Police and partner agencies on the ending gang and youth violence agenda. An open and transparent commissioning process that included voluntary sector and community representatives on the Commissioning Panel. Commissioning and delivery arrangements are gender specific. 3. Summary of recommendations 3.1 Further develop the use of the Family Common Assessment Framework (FCAF) with regard to young people at risk of engagement in gang and youth violence activities. 3.2 Following the meeting of the Department for Work and Pensions/Jobcentre Plus and partners within the peer review – Jobcentre Plus to continue further exchange with the community safety partnership and development work to build on the engagement with local employers. 3.3 Build strategic links between the BRGV and the new Health and Wellbeing Board. 3.4 Build on the police gang problem profile by incorporating data from a range of partnership organisations. 3.5 Schools, health and voluntary sector organisations could contribute to an improved understanding and picture of current gangs, emerging gangs, gang tensions and other emerging issues by sharing aggregate data where appropriate e.g. the use of knives and gang-related sexual offences. 3.6 Map and analyse gang offenders and crimes including mapping of gangassociated women and girls utilising partnership data. 3.7 The BRGV Executive to consider the outcomes of the academic research currently underway on why young people join gangs in Birmingham. 3.8 Maintain the open and transparent commissioning process through „Find It In Birmingham‟ local procurement website. 3.9 Build on the approach to resettlement of gang offenders by conducting a comprehensive mapping exercise to determine the nature and scope of need. 3.10 Further develop a range of effective engagement processes i.e. community forum/consortia that include voluntary, community, faith and grassroots groups. 3.1 The following recommendations are referenced within the cross-government report on ending gang and youth violence. Readers may wish to consider the below within the context of their local partnership strategy. Map all of the different agencies that offer interventions with violent gang members and their families in the local area. Map the symptoms of local gang or youth violence problems using partner and local council data to inform better understanding of the drivers (e.g. school exclusion data; accident and emergency [A&E] admissions data). Review procedures for identifying high risk gang offenders and potential victims to improve management of risk, threat and harm. Promote the roll-out of multi-agency safeguarding hubs (MASH). (Within the Birmingham context, MAGU [Multi-Agency Gangs Unit] fulfils this function and has been in operation for a number of years.) Produce a problem profile on gang and youth violence informed by all partner data to inform understanding of the drivers of gang and youth violence e.g. school exclusion data. Encourage the use of multi-agency reviews after every gang homicide to better inform the drivers of gang and youth violence and levers to mitigate risk through a serious case review or a multi-agency Gold Group. Details: London: Home Office, 2012. 24p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed December 15, 2016 at: http://birminghamcsp.org.uk/admin/resources/egyv-peer-review-report-february-2013.pdf Year: 2012 Country: United Kingdom URL: http://birminghamcsp.org.uk/admin/resources/egyv-peer-review-report-february-2013.pdf Shelf Number: 140483 Keywords: Gang Violence Gangs Youth Gangs Youth Violence |
Author: Irwin-Rogers, Keir Title: Social Media as a Catalyst and Trigger for Youth Violence Summary: Social media now plays a central role in the lives of young people in the UK, with the vast majority of teenagers using smartphones and tablets to access online platforms throughout their waking hours. The integration of social media into the daily lives of young people has left online - offline boundaries increasingly blurred. Whilst online activity offers huge potential to enhance the quantity and quality of communication between people across the world, it also raises some serious challenges. This report focuses on one of these challenges, namely, the links between young people's use of social media and youth violence. Whilst social media platforms are being used to glamorise, display and incite serious acts of violence, this content currently drifts under the radar of responsible adults and organisations which have the potential to respond to and challenge this behaviour. The report makes for uncomfortable reading, particularly for those who work with young people and recognise the daily challenges that many face. The attitudes and behaviour of the young people discussed in this report must be viewed within the wider social and economic context of their lives. Many will have grown up in areas of socioeconomic deprivation, may be struggling to cope with serious issues around trauma stemming from early childhood experiences and are therefore exhibiting attitudes and behaviours that are tragically understandable when considered in this context. All of the findings presented in this report are intended to be read in light of the above. By highlighting the ways in which social media is acting as a catalyst and trigger for serious incidents of violence between young people in real life, the report provides a springboard for action and collaborative exchanges between a full range of stakeholders as we move forward. It identifies a number of measures aimed at preventing young people harming, and being harmed by, other young people as a result of activity on social media. Its recommendations, however, should not be taken as a fixed blueprint, but as a means of kick-starting the development of appropriate and effective policy and practice in this area. 1.1 Key findings - No holds barred online: Because social media is commonly perceived to be hidden from adults, a virtual free-for-all space has emerged in which a small minority of young people share various forms of material that both display and incite serious incidents of violence in real life. - Impact of the smartphone: Whilst some of the online activities discussed in this report have been occurring for several years, they now pose far greater challenges because of the recent developments in smartphone technology, which have radically altered both the nature and prevalence of young people's use of social media. - Growing audience: By collapsing time and space, social media platforms are providing young people with unprecedented opportunities to disrespect one another. Before the advent of these platforms, incidents of violence, disrespect and provocation were typically confined to relatively small audiences, as well as a single location and point in time. Now, however, visceral displays of violence and disrespect are being captured via photographs and videos, and may be replayed at any time as the content spreads virally over multiple platforms. In addition, the enhanced audience size facilitated by social media makes violent retaliation more likely because of the unprecedented potential for disrespectful online activity to undermine young people's perceived status and reputation. - Threats and provocation in music videos: Young people and professionals reported concerns around what they referred to as drill music videos, which threaten and provoke individuals and groups from rival areas. A clear distinction must be made between the vast majority of music videos that simply provide a raw reflection of the realities of young people's lives (content that does not provoke real-life violence), and a much smaller number of videos that go well beyond this, through displays of young people brandishing weapons, incendiary remarks about recent incidents of young people being seriously injured and killed, and explicit threats to stab or shoot specific individuals and members of rival groups. - Violent intent is the exception rather than the norm: It is important to highlight that the vast majority of young people do not want to live the violent and risky lifestyles that are being glamorised in drill music videos. Many attempt to launch careers as music artists as a means of escaping life 'on road'. In addition, these videos should not be seen as a root cause of youth violence. According to young people and professionals, however, they are acting as a catalyst and trigger for serious incidents of face-to-face violence between young people. - Daily exposure to online violence: A small minority of young people are exposed daily to social media content that displays or incites serious violence in real life. This includes uploads of photos and videos of individuals and groups trespassing into areas associated with rival groups, and serious incidents of theft and violence perpetrated against young people. Some of the latter are being taken within prison settings 5 and broadcast live over social media by prisoners with access to smartphones. Some social media accounts are dedicated entirely to archiving and sharing material that displays young people being seriously harmed, disrespected and humiliated. - Social pressures: When young people are disrespected by content uploaded to social media, this can generate significant social pressure to retaliate in real life to protect their perceived status and reputation. Moreover, when young people witness graphic displays of real-life violence involving their friends and family, this can leave them suffering from significant levels of anxiety and trauma. Those who initially upload the content disrespecting a particular individual or group become prone to retaliatory acts of serious violence and theft, which in turn are often recorded and broadcast over social media, creating a vicious cycle of retaliation. - Vulnerability of young women: Professionals and young people reported cases of girls being violently attacked and sexually assaulted by members of rival groups after appearing in content uploaded online. In addition, professionals described cases in which young women who commented on content uploaded to social media were subsequently groomed and pressured into risky activities such as holding and storing weapons or drugs. - Negative implications for education and employment: The social media accounts of some people who self-identify as being part of a street gang are being followed by tens of thousands of young people. This continuous lens into a seemingly seductive and lucrative lifestyle that glamorises violence and the pursuit of money through illegal activities such as drug distribution further undermines the commitment of some young people to education and legitimate forms of employment. Details: London: Catch22, 2017. 40p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed February 6, 2017 at: http://eugangs.eu/pdf/05012017/Catch22-Report.pdf Year: 2017 Country: United Kingdom URL: http://eugangs.eu/pdf/05012017/Catch22-Report.pdf Shelf Number: 146029 Keywords: Media ViolenceOnline VictimizationSmartphonesSocial MediaViolenceViolent CrimeYouth Violence |
Author: Carlock, Arna L. Title: Live Fast, Die Young: Anticipated Early Death and Adolescent Violence and Gang Involvement Summary: Strategies employed by criminal justice agencies to reduce offending often focus on deterrence, with policies relying on the threat of punishment to discourage individuals from crime. However, such strategies will fail if individuals do not fear these consequences, or when potential rewards of offending outweigh the risks. According to life history theory, adolescents with a dangerous or unpredictable childhood environment discount the future and engage in risky behaviors because they have little to lose. Many adolescents embody this "live fast, die young" mentality, particularly those already at risk of delinquency due to other factors. The scientific literature refers to this mindset as fatalism, future discounting, or anticipated early death (AED). Despite the indication that AED is a crucial correlate of delinquent activity, only recently have criminologists begun to directly examine the relationship. To address this gap in the literature, this dissertation analyzes two longitudinal datasets. One dataset, the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health (Add Health), offers a nationally representative sample, while the Rochester Youth Development Study (RYDS) provides a sample of at-risk youth in Rochester, New York. Structural equation modeling quantifies adolescent AED in each dataset. The use of two data sources strengthens the reliability and validity of the latent variable's measurement. I study the effects of the latent AED measures on adolescent violence and gang activity, finding that higher levels of AED correspond to a greater likelihood of violence and gang activity, with the relationships often mediated by low self-control. In an attempt to determine the causal ordering of AED and risk-taking behaviors, I exploit the longitudinal nature of the RYDS data by estimating autoregressive cross-lagged panel models. Findings lend support to life history theory's assumption that AED predicts risk-taking behavior; I find little evidence that violence or gang activity cause AED. Details: Albany, NY: University at Albany, 2016. 184p. Source: Internet Resource: Dissertation: Accessed February 11, 2017 at: https://www.ncjrs.gov/pdffiles1/nij/grants/250425.pdf Year: 2016 Country: United States URL: https://www.ncjrs.gov/pdffiles1/nij/grants/250425.pdf Shelf Number: 144824 Keywords: At-Risk YouthGang-Related ViolenceGangsHomicidesYouth Violence |
Author: Butts, Jeffrey A. Title: Local Measures: The Need for Neighborhood-Level Data n Youth Violence Prevention Initiatives Summary: The data infrastructures available for tracking youth violence in the United States do not provide a clear view of neighborhood-level change. Effective strategies for dealing with youth violence inevitably focus on small areas like neighborhoods, and they involve partnerships with community organizations, local schools, hospitals, housing agencies, and organizations in the cultural and recreational sectors. This small-area focus makes it essential to measure the effects of violence prevention efforts at the neighborhood level. At best, however, national data systems track violence at the level of entire cities. Violent crime in the U.S. fell sharply after the mid-1990s and it remains at historically low levels. Some cities and specific neighborhoods within cities, however, are still beset with violence. In an attempt to assist local jurisdictions with violence prevention, the U.S. Department of Justice and a number of other federal agencies launched the National Forum on Youth Violence Prevention in 2010. More than a dozen cities participated in the National Forum, collaborating to increase the effectiveness of their local strategies for reducing youth violence. The Department of Justice asked John Jay College of Criminal Justice to monitor and assess the outcomes of the National Forum beginning in 2011. The assessment was not designed to attribute cause-and-effect relationships to activities undertaken by participating cities. The study mainly investigated the accomplishments and perceptions of the leadership networks in each city. Conducting a more rigorous evaluation of the National Forum was not feasible because a multi-city network of neighborhood-level data about youth violence and its correlates does not exist in the United States. Steps are being taken, however, that may eventually lead to better data resources. This report describes some of the most promising resources and suggests the type of work needed to provide communities with accurate, localized crime trend data with which to judge the effects of multi-jurisdictional violence prevention initiatives. Details: New York: John Jay College of Criminal Justice, Research and Evaluation Center, 2017. 22p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed February 18, 2017 at: https://www.ncjrs.gov/pdffiles1/ojjdp/grants/250534.pdf Year: 2017 Country: United States URL: https://www.ncjrs.gov/pdffiles1/ojjdp/grants/250534.pdf Shelf Number: 146681 Keywords: Crime StatisticsDelinquency PreventionNeighborhoods and CrimeViolence PreventionYouth ViolenceYouthful Offenders |
Author: Mutto, Milton Title: The Youth of Africa: A Threat to Security or a Force for Peace? Summary: In some countries the rapid growth of youth populations, combined with high levels of unemployment and rapid and uncontrolled urbanization, are seen by many observers to be correlated with violence. The likelihood of a violent onset is believed to be particularly acute in contexts where a large population of young people are coming of age in the face of unstable governments, insecurity and development challenges. In such circumstances youth are more likely to band together in search of solutions and in some cases resort to violent means. In countries at war this often translates into young people being more susceptible to recruitment into armed rebel groups, either by personal choice or are coercively forced to join. Even in countries that are not formally in conflict, many young people, in particular young men, are drawn into gang activity and predatory activity, partly in response to a sense of marginalization and social and economic exclusion. Although research on conflict and crime identifies the 'youth factor' as a crucial element in the generation or perpetuation of armed violence, it is important to recall that their participation reflects a broader societal crisis. Violence is a leading cause of death and injury in Africa, with small arms and light weapons posing a major threat to the lives of young people whether in situations of armed conflict, in countries emerging from war or in dense urban settings. Ultimately, the social and economic marginalization of youth aggravates their vulnerability, rendering them more susceptible to violent death. This paper examines the particular ways youth are affected by, and contribute to, armed violence. It reviews key risk factors that contribute to the phenomenon of youth violence, identifying examples of intervention programmes, and making suggestions for the way forward in addressing this very urgent and challenging problem. Details: Geneva, SWIT: Geneva Declaration on Armed Violence and Development, 2007. 8p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed April 28, 2017 at: http://www.genevadeclaration.org/fileadmin/docs/regional-publications/Youth-of-Africa-Threat-to-Security-or-Force-for-Peace.pdf Year: 2007 Country: Africa URL: http://www.genevadeclaration.org/fileadmin/docs/regional-publications/Youth-of-Africa-Threat-to-Security-or-Force-for-Peace.pdf Shelf Number: 145177 Keywords: At-Risk Youth Socioeconomic Conditions and Crime Violence Youth Violence |
Author: Silbernagl, Tina Title: Systemic Prevention of Youth Violence - a handbook to design and plan comprehensive violence prevention measures Summary: Poverty, the lack of future prospects and social, economical and political marginalization shape the daily lives of many young people and are important structural causes for violence. Overall, young peoples frustration too often results in a propensity for violence and unsafe behavior. As a consequence children and young people become not only victims but also perpetrators of violence. However, young people are also key agents for peace, security and sustainable development and the frame-conditions for their inclusion are created through the development of capacities of state and non-state actors. Youth violence is a complex phenomenon that cannot be addressed and sustainably prevented from a singular perspective. Effective strategies have to follow a systemic approach. This entails to think and act in networks and bring together stakeholders from diverse sectors and administrative levels with the aim to address the context-specific causes of youth violence. The handbook supports the planning, implementation and monitoring of systemic measures to prevent youth violence. Thus, it supports the inclusion of actors from the relevant sectors on all administrative levels. The young individual is perceived as being in the centre of a complex system of actors, who all impact on his/her behavior. Thus, the actors influencing the environment of young people - parents, teachers, the police and social workers, staff of municipal authorities and national ministries are activated as partners and target groups of the planned violence prevention measure. By systematically utilizing the handbook, a systemic approach to preventing youth violence can be designed and the positive potential of young people be enhanced. Details: Eschborn: German Agency for International Cooperation, GIZ, 2011. 84p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed April 28, 2017 at: http://www.saferspaces.org.za/uploads/files/GIZ-Systemic-Prevention-Youth-Violence-handbook_english_32.pdf Year: 2011 Country: International URL: http://www.saferspaces.org.za/uploads/files/GIZ-Systemic-Prevention-Youth-Violence-handbook_english_32.pdf Shelf Number: 145178 Keywords: Crime PreventionViolence PreventionViolent CrimeYouth Violence |
Author: Gaona, Tania Lucia Title: Crime and Violence in the Caribbean Summary: The Growth and Development in the Caribbean Practicum is a collaborative enterprise with the Caribbean Department of the Inter-American Development Bank (IADB) focusing on two sub-projects: Socio-Economic Profiles and Crime and Development. Four teams of two graduate students each completed one country economic and political analysis for their socio-economic practicum focusing on the Bahamas, Jamaica, Suriname, and Trinidad and Tobago. Each participant in the Crime and Development completed a literature review focusing on one of the five key areas of crime: crime trends, crime and business, violence in the home, gangs and gang violence, and youth violence and violence in schools. The reports serve as a capstone project for the completion of their Master's studies in the School of International Service and provide background and recommendations for the Caribbean Department of the IADB, as well as inputs into its work-program. The socio-economic reports (in a separate document) are focused on the analysis of the economic and political organizations of the countries and draw main findings and policy recommendations accordingly. A key message is that the four countries share certain similarities economically and politically, but have core dissimilarities as well. The similarities include small size of populations ranging from less than half a million to about 3 million people, proneness to natural disasters due to their geographic position, high rates of brain drain, a history of colonialism, closeness to the United States, and dependency on foreign markets. However, the countries also have differences including their economic growth and stability, external debt, and economic structure, i.e. service or commodity based. The summarized recommendations range from addressing internal fiscal and monetary imbalances, adopting policies that can lead to increasing employment in their main sectors of production (with an emphasis on addressing the shortcomings of the educational system and decreasing the administrative burden on private sector activity), and modernizing public sector institutions to increase revenue generating capacity, permit needed infrastructure public investments and reduce the burden of debt for the future generations. The recommendations in the reports are tailored to specific country circumstances. The crime and development literature reviews focused on accessing the problem of crime and violence and its adverse impact on development efforts in the Caribbean, identifying the factors associated with crime and violence, and possible solutions to ameliorating the high prevalence of criminal and violent acts in the region. While crime studies in the Caribbean have proven to be a difficult task because of inadequate data and reporting, the Practicum produced an in-depth analysis of the existing evidence with respect to five important topics: crime trends, crime and business, violence in the home, gangs and gang violence and youth violence and violence in school. The reports document a substantial increase in reported crime over time, and of associated economic and social costs. The categories of crime examined in this review are interlinked, and risks exist of self-reinforcing negative loops. The reports also looked at mitigation initiatives, both in the Caribbean as well as elsewhere in the world. While encouraging initiatives exist, there is need for considerably more formalized study of what can work, particularly in the Caribbean context. Details: Washington, DC: American University, 2015. 101p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed June 2, 2017 at: https://www.american.edu/sis/practica/upload/S15-IDB-Complete-Draft-Crime-and-Violence-Practicum-AU.pdf Year: 2014 Country: Caribbean URL: https://www.american.edu/sis/practica/upload/S15-IDB-Complete-Draft-Crime-and-Violence-Practicum-AU.pdf Shelf Number: 145901 Keywords: Crime Statistics Development and Crime Gang-Related Violence Socioeconomic Conditions and Crime Violence Violent Crime Youth Violence |
Author: Chicago Council on Global Affairs Title: Reducing Urban Violence and Improving Youth Outcomes in the Americas Summary: The world today has the largest population of young people in history, yet tragically, far too many of these youth are unlikely to live past the age of 30. Worldwide, youth aged 15 to 29 make up more than 40 percent of all homicides, while millions more fall victim to nonfatal violent crimes. Three organizations - the Chicago Council on Global Affairs, the University of Chicago Urban Labs, and the World Bank - convened approximately 30 leaders in Chicago from Argentina, Brazil, Colombia, Jamaica, and other Latin American and Caribbean countries and the United States working on the front lines of urban youth violence prevention. They discussed promising ways to strengthen urban public safety and improve the lives of youth in cities throughout the Americas. The action tour explored the importance of local context and the built environment to foster safer neighborhoods, how big data can shape safer cities, how to scale programs that work, and how to engage older youth. Participants also examined how violence prevention fits into a resilient cities agenda and what twenty-first century policing and security should look like. Participants identified several themes crucial to informing their existing efforts and shaping future initiatives, including: Create cross-sector partnerships. Cross-sector partnerships are vital to building sustainable violence-prevention programs. Tailor ideas to local contexts. Leaders need to tailor promising ideas to the local context, history, culture, and political system of each city, while also harnessing the power of best practices that transcend context. Maintain long-term continuity. Leaders must be mindful that programs can take many years to produce results. Develop detailed frameworks for community policing. Leaders interested in supporting community policing programs need detailed frameworks to guide them and their law enforcement partners. Fully engage the youth being served. It is essential to involve youth in all facets of urban violence prevention, from program design and research design to implementation. Participants agreed that relationships across different cities that often struggle with similar challenges can provide a framework for collaboration and sharing of best practices. Such relationships can help policymakers and practitioners move beyond ad hoc, local initiatives to truly begin to make widespread, sustainable progress and help any global city grappling with these issues. This report serves as a summary of their findings. Details: Chicago: The Council, 2016. 16p. Source: Internet Resource: Action Tour Report: Accessed September 14, 2017 at: https://www.thechicagocouncil.org/sites/default/files/reducing-urban-violence_161207.pdf Year: 2016 Country: International URL: https://www.thechicagocouncil.org/sites/default/files/reducing-urban-violence_161207.pdf Shelf Number: 147261 Keywords: Homicides Urban Areas and Crime Urban Violence Youth Violence |
Author: Koper, Christopher S. Title: The Impact of Policing and Other Criminal and Juvenile Justice Trends on Juvenile Violence in Large Cities, 1994-2000 Summary: This paper reports research that was conducted as part of the University of Pennsylvania's project on "Understanding the 'Whys' Behind Juvenile Crime Trends." The "Whys" project, which was funded by the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention of the U.S. Department of Justice, was conducted to develop a better understanding of the downturn in juvenile crime that occurred in the 1990s and to use this knowledge to help practitioners and policymakers understand potential leading indicators of turning points in local juvenile crime trends. The main volume of the Whys report (which is available online at https://www.ncjrs.gov/pdffiles1/ojjdp/grants/248954.pdf and at www.whysproject.org) discusses juvenile violence trends from the 1980s through the early 2000s and assesses evidence on a wide variety of community, developmental, cultural, and policy factors that have been hypothesized as possible causes of juvenile crime trends during this period. (Primary contributors to the main Whys report include Jeffrey Roth (project director), Reagan Daly, Christopher Koper, James Lynch, Howard Snyder, Monica Robbers, and other staff of CSR Incorporated.) The study reported in this paper was conducted as a complement to Chapter 5 of the Whys report, which examines national trends and research on public policies and practices, including those in the criminal and juvenile justice systems, that may have affected juvenile violence during the 1990s. (Readers interested in this background material, which is not reviewed here, should consult Chapter 5 of the Whys report.) As an extension of that work, this paper presents original research examining whether and how changes in criminal and juvenile justice practices and policies affected juvenile violence in urban areas during the 1990s. As discussed in the Whys report, there has been relatively little research directly testing the effects of changes in criminal and juvenile justice practices on the crime drop of the 1990s. Much of the evidence on these matters is indirect. This is particularly true with respect to the drop in juvenile violence. To address this gap in our understanding of the juvenile crime drop, we directly examine whether selected changes in policing, adult incarceration, juvenile detention, and juvenile waivers to adult court reduced juvenile violence in a sample of large U.S. cities from 1994 to 2000, controlling for changes in a variety of community characteristics. In sum, we find indications that police resources and strategies helped to reduce juvenile violence during the 1990s, but we find little or no evidence of beneficial effects from adult incarceration, juvenile detention, or waivers of juveniles to adult court. Details: Report to the U.S. Department of Justice, Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention , 2011. 25p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed February 6, 2018 at: https://pdfs.semanticscholar.org/f68c/54d6c45a27c2358f2a27e35c92894ce3f848.pdf Year: 2011 Country: United States URL: https://pdfs.semanticscholar.org/f68c/54d6c45a27c2358f2a27e35c92894ce3f848.pdf Shelf Number: 149007 Keywords: Crime TrendsJuvenile CrimeJuvenile OffendersUrban Areas and CrimeViolent CrimeYouth Violence |
Author: Muggah, Robert Title: Youth, Security and Peace: Brazil Revisited Summary: Brazil is not facing so much a conventional "armed conflict" as a systemic crisis of public security. Its high levels of insecurity are not due to a single cause but rather a combination of individual, household and societal factors; concentrated disadvantage and fragmented families together with limited access to quality education, employment and other opportunities all play a role. Yet there are also remarkable efforts underway to prevent and reduce violence at national, state and municipal levels. Brazil features a rich, if understudied, ecosystem of interventions to promote youth safety and security that offer lessons to the world. The following report is designed to offer insights for the Youth, Peace and Security review. It considers first the scope and scale of youth violence. It then turns to the key perpetrators. Next, it explores the underlying risks giving rise to youth insecurity. The report closes with a review of national, state, city and civil society animated measures to prevent and reduce violence. Details: Rio de Janeiro: Igarape Institute, 2018. 31p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed May 2, 2018 at: https://igarape.org.br/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/Youth-Security-and-Peace-Brazil-Revisited-Robert-Muggah.pdf Year: 2017 Country: Brazil URL: https://igarape.org.br/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/Youth-Security-and-Peace-Brazil-Revisited-Robert-Muggah.pdf Shelf Number: 150024 Keywords: At-Risk YouthDisadvantaged YouthPreventing Youth ViolencePublic SecuritySocioeconomic Conditions and CrimeYouth Violence |
Author: Waddell, Stephanie Title: Intervening Early to Prevent Gang and Youth Violence: The Role of Primary Schools Summary: This report explores the extent to which young children at risk of gang involvement or youth violence are supported through evidence-based early intervention, particularly within primary schools. It draws on qualitative interviews with schools, local government officials, police and voluntary sector organisations within the London boroughs of Lambeth and Wandsworth, and builds on earlier EIF research which indicates that risk factors for gang involvement and youth violence can be spotted as early as age seven. Our research paints a picture of primary school staff who know their children and local families well, and who go above and beyond to try to provide strong, positive role models and to support children's emotional wellbeing. However, there is also a strong sense that some school staff are intensely frustrated and feel unsupported in their efforts to work with vulnerable children. Some staff expressed anger and sadness as they told us that they feel unable to change children's outcomes in spite of their best efforts. The school staff and stakeholders we spoke to identified a range of concerns, including: the lack of a clear or shared understanding of the level of risk within a school a lack of clarity or confidence in identifying and accessing statutory and other services beyond the school walls a limited awareness of the range and quality of external support that is available to schools, and little evaluation of the external support that is commissioned the pressure on schools to focus on academic performance to the exclusion of children's wellbeing, a challenge which is often exacerbated in schools located in areas where the risk of gang and youth violence is likely to be higher. Our recommendations concentrate on four areas: improving the use of evidence in commissioning in-school support and programmes, including by providing improved information to schools and by calling on funders and commissioners at the national or regional level to make evidence-based decisions increasing the emphasis on and time available for developing children's social and emotional skills in primary schools, including by making PSHE compulsory in all schools and by requiring Ofsted to consider how well schools are supporting children's wellbeing alongside the academic performance improving the links between schools and the wider early help system in their area, so that school staff are clear about the options that are open to them and confident that referrals will result in support for children and families examining how the police can most effectively work within primary schools to help prevent gang and youth violence. This report is the first output of a three-year project that will explore and support the testing of evidence-informed approaches to early intervention to prevent gang involvement and youth violence. We will be working with the local authorities, police, participating schools and providers in Lambeth and Wandsworth over the next two years, with a view to co-designing, implementing and testing new approaches to preventing gang and youth violence through effective early intervention. Details: London: Early Intervention Foundation, 2018. 44p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed May 3, 2018 at: http://www.eif.org.uk/publication/intervening-early-to-prevent-gang-and-youth-violence-the-role-of-primary-schools/ Year: 2018 Country: United Kingdom URL: http://www.eif.org.uk/publication/intervening-early-to-prevent-gang-and-youth-violence-the-role-of-primary-schools/ Shelf Number: 150036 Keywords: Delinquency PreventionGangsIntervention ProgramsSchool-Based ProgramsYouth Violence |
Author: van Koppen, M.S. Title: Doorgroeiers in de misdaad: De criminele carrieres en achtergrondkenmerken van jonge daders van een zwaar delict Summary: Young perpetrators of a serious crime often face serious and diverse problems in the family and at school. Nevertheless, the combination of problems among these young people is not by definition a precursor to a growth in serious crime. Only a small part of this group actually grows into the serious crime. This is shown by research by the VU University Amsterdam among more than 1,000 young perpetrators. The research was carried out in collaboration with the Police Unit Amsterdam and Youth Protection Region Amsterdam on behalf of the Research Program Police and Science. There appears to be only a limited number of distinguishing characteristics between stoppers and career groups. The later growers have more debt and use more soft drugs than stoppers. The contact with Youth Protection is also difficult and involves a negative prognosis at the end of their treatment process. The reason for the research was the often-heard hypothesis that a new generation of young criminals in Amsterdam has grown into serious crime. They have been known for years by emergency services and police, but have nevertheless become serious criminals. In this study, the criminal careers of more than 1000 young perpetrators of a serious offense were studied, who were first suspected in 2000 of a serious violent crime or an offense for which a prison sentence of at least 9 years can be imposed. They are young people who were between 12 and 30 years old in 2000 and who lived in Amsterdam. Subsequently, all antecedents up to and including 2013 that preceded the serious offense were identified. The research shows that only a small part of this group actually grows into the serious crime. Which young perpetrators of a serious offense grow into serious crime and which do not? Some of the young people were accompanied by Youth Protection at a young age, because there were serious concerns about their development. Based on the Youth Protection Files, an exploratory analysis has been carried out into the distinguishing characteristics of 50 career groups and 49 stoppers. This shows that both groups are characterized by serious problems in the family and at school. Many of them grew up in families with financial problems in which little structure was offered and in which young people could not always count on loving involvement of their mother or father. At school, behavioral problems were often signaled and there was a lot of absenteeism. Relatively many of these young people left school prematurely. Although these problems do not in themselves predict whether a young perpetrator stops or continues to grow in crime, the combination of problems can. Early school leaving, soft drug use and having bad friends are together predictive of growing into serious crime. Young people in whom the supervision by Youth Protection Region Amsterdam was less flexible, could, as it were, be flagged as risky and had a greater chance of growing into serious crime. (Google Translation) Details: Apfeldoorn: Politie & Wetenschap, 2017. 60p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed June 26, 2018 at: https://www.politieenwetenschap.nl/cache/files/5b32816483e81PW100.pdf Year: 2017 Country: Netherlands URL: https://www.politieenwetenschap.nl/cache/files/5b32816483e81PW100.pdf Shelf Number: 150709 Keywords: Criminal CareersJuvenile OffendersYoung Adult OffendersYouth Violence |
Author: Leidland, Elisabeth Title: Staying Alive: Understanding Violent Life Choices of the 'Pesetas' in Honduras Summary: Since the gang culture emerged in Honduras more than two decades ago, the official discourse has hold marginalized youth and gang members responsible for the prevalence of violence in the Honduran society. The portrayal of them as the main perpetrators of violence have led them to become the prime targets of repressive security measures, and ultimately allowed for their lived realities of victimization to be omitted from the official discourse, while the lived realities of the former gang members, the pesetas, have been silenced all together. This thesis goes beyond the general perception and examines the lived realities of marginalized youth, gang members, and pesetas. It shows how they in the course of their lifetime move along a continuum of violence, constantly shifting between being victims and perpetrators of violence. The study uses the concepts of 'dehumanization' and 'social death' to show how the structural constraints of having limited opportunities of a worthy life, and not being recognized as fully human affect the marginalized youth' choice to take a violent life chance. It reveals the interplay between their structural suffering and victimization, and their active choice to resist oppression and to claim a position and a voice in the society. This study shows that violence is an important characteristic in the construction of subjectivity, and the main mechanism to reclaim a sense of humanness and respect for marginalized youth. Furthermore, it illustrates how joining a gang can be an active choice to stay alive socially and physically by escaping social marginalization and family negligence, in addition to generating a meaningful life. As gang members, however, they are still as much subjected to being victims as perpetrators of violence, and while they are able to reclaim a sense of humanness, they continue to be dehumanized. Lastly, the study reveals that becoming a peseta is to return to the path of social death characterized by insecurity, marginality, and exclusion. Even when the pesetas have a desire to change, they are often forced to reenter the violent life as a mean to survive. The marginalized youth, gang members, and pesetas continuously move between a violent life chance and the social death in a constant struggle to stay alive. Details: As, NO: Norwegian University of Life Sciences, 2016. 150p. Source: Internet Resource: Thesis: Accessed June 29, 2018 at: https://brage.bibsys.no/xmlui/bitstream/handle/11250/2421717/Leidland_MDS_2016.pdf?sequence=1 Year: 2016 Country: Honduras URL: https://brage.bibsys.no/xmlui/bitstream/handle/11250/2421717/Leidland_MDS_2016.pdf?sequence=1 Shelf Number: 150743 Keywords: Gang Violence Gang-Related Violence Gangs Youth Gangs Youth Violence |
Author: Bartley, Wm. Alan Title: The Role of Gun Supply in 1980s and 1900s Youth Violence Summary: Youth violence, particularly among young black males, particularly in urban areas, increased radically in the late 1980s and early 1990s and then began to fall. One explanation for this has been the expansion of crack markets in the 1980s; to the degree that increased gun access among young black males was believed to play a role, the implicit assumption was there was a demand shock in gun markets. Using a novel data set of handgun prices for 1980-2000, combined with ATF data on US rearm production quantities, we document that in fact the prices for cheaper "entry-level" guns fell in this period, suggesting a positive supply shock for the bottom end of the market. We argue that in substantial part this was due to a major reduction in the resources and activities of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms (BATF) in the 1980s. This allowed substantially greater freedom among licensed gun dealers, a pattern which was reversed in the early 1990s (changes in manufacturing also appear to have played a role in the initial expansion). We document that the positive supply shock increased the availability of guns to criminally active youth and led to higher rates of gun access for young black men, particularly for 25 ACP, 380 ACP and 9mm autoloaders. The increase and decrease in gun violence among young black men can be matched to changes along this causal chain. Details: Lexington, KY: Transylvania University, 2016. 60p. Source: Internet Resource: Conference Paper: Accessed August 27, 2018 at: www.aeaweb.org Year: 2016 Country: United States URL: www.aeaweb.org Shelf Number: 151263 Keywords: Gun ViolenceGun-Related ViolenceHomicidesNeighborhoods and CrimeUrban Areas and CrimeViolent CrimeYouth Violence |
Author: Canada. Public Safety Canada Title: Overview of Direct Intervention Approaches to Address Youth Gangs and Youth Violence Summary: Gang-involved youth are considered to be some of the main perpetrators (and victims) of crime and violence, and impose a high burden on society in terms of criminal justice system and other societal costs. For example, the negative outcomes of gang involvement for individuals can include: dropping out of school; lack of employment opportunities or success; exposure to and involvement in drugs and alcohol use; and teenage parenthood. Moreover, participation in gangs and violence can reduce youths' connections to other prosocial activities, and they may cut ties with family, friends, schools and religious communities (Pyrooz, Sweeten, & Piquero, 2013). In order to avert these negative consequences, it is critical to try and prevent at-risk youth from joining gangs, and to intervene in the lives of current youth gang members. In general, youth gang membership cuts across many demographic, geographic and socioeconomic contexts. However, certain groups are disproportionately vulnerable to gang recruitment and involvement. Below is a brief overview of some of these populations. For a more detailed review of some of these groups, see Youth Gangs in Canada: A Review of Current Topics and Issues. Details: Ottawa: Public Safety Canada, 2018. 24p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed August 30, 2018 at: http://youthactionnetwork.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/07/Overview-of-Direct-Intervention-Approaches-to-Address-Youth-Gangs-and-Yo....pdf Year: 2018 Country: Canada URL: http://youthactionnetwork.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/07/Overview-of-Direct-Intervention-Approaches-to-Address-Youth-Gangs-and-Yo....pdf Shelf Number: 151313 Keywords: Gang PreventionGang ViolenceGangsYouth GangsYouth Violence |
Author: Williams, Patrick Title: Being Matrixed: The (Over) Policing of Gang Suspects in London Summary: It is undeniable that the media, police and political focus on street crime, urban gangs and youth violence has become more prominent over recent years. This increased attention has an impact on the criminal justice system, policing practices and the communities being policed. With the racialised perception of a gangs normalised, it is little surprise there is an over policing of the black community. Black men are bearing the brunt and feeling oppressed as they are surveilled and their movements curtailed. Infringing people's rights, police intelligence tools and police conduct can often contribute to alienating people and fostering animosity. With stop and search a frequently used policing power and often the first point of contact many young people have with the law, it plays an integral role in the formation of an individual's attitudes toward the police. Without the confidence and trust of a community, effective community policing is near impracticable. Considering the intrusive and historically contentious nature of stop and search and recent misinformation which seeks to justify calls for an increase in stop and search, through conflating serious violence with gangs, it is timely to explore how being labelled a 'gang nominal', placed on the Gangs Matrix and subjected to an enhanced level of policing and multi-agency interventions impacts on individuals. Responding to the civil unrest that took place in 2011 across London and other cities in the country, the Metropolitan Police Service and former Mayor of London, Boris Johnson, introduced the Gangs Violence Matrix in 2012. The Gangs Matrix is a database, containing the names and personal information of people suspected to be "gang nominals". Underpinning the database is a set of algorithms that use an established scoring criterion to generate an automated violence ranking for individuals. Each person receives a ranking classification of either red, amber or green. Controversial at the time of its inception, the database was created as an intelligence tool that monitors and manages people identified to be involved in criminal activity. It has continued to gain notoriety over the years with critics highlighting its blatant racial disparity. In Amnesty International UK's recent report, Metropolitan Police data from October 2017 shows that there are 3,806 people on the Matrix, of which over three quarters (78%) are black. In contrast, according to other Metropolitan Police data only 27% of people accountable for serious youth violence are black. Critics also have grave concerns about the lack of transparency and oversight around the actual process of how people are added to and removed from the database. Alarmingly, the findings from the Amnesty report reveal that approximately 40% of the people on the Matrix are not recorded as being involved in violent crime yet are subject to enhanced police scrutiny. The seemingly unrestrained sharing of information between statutory agencies, education institutions, potential employers and voluntary and community organisations also poses problems as the gang member label acts as a red flag and results in detrimental consequences for the person that is meant to be receiving 'support' to cease criminality. Unfortunately, the overrepresentation of black men in the criminal justice system, as highlighted by The Lammy Review last year, is not a new phenomenon and key to addressing this issue is a need for recognition from the State and wider society that tools such as the Gangs Matrix play a role in preserving the current status quo. The research for this report was commissioned in a response to the anecdotal evidence StopWatch gathered though its community outreach engagement work with grassroots community organisations and individuals. For nearly a decade StopWatch has consistently raised concerns about the rate of ethnic disproportionality in stop and searches and the damaging effect that discriminatory over-policing has on an individual and a community. To address these concerns, politicians and police have advocated for an increase in targeted intelligence led stop and search. Details: London: StopWatch, 2018. 52p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed September 24, 2018 at: http://www.stop-watch.org/uploads/documents/Being_Matrixed.pdf Year: 2018 Country: United Kingdom URL: http://www.stop-watch.org/uploads/documents/Being_Matrixed.pdf Shelf Number: 151647 Keywords: Bias Disproportionate Minority Contact Gangs Minority Groups Police Intelligence Race/Ethnicity Racial Disparities Youth Violence |
Author: Circo, Giovanni Title: Detroit Ceasefire: Final Evaluation Report Summary: Detroit Ceasefire has been a cornerstone of Detroit's violence reduction strategies. Ceasefire involves a focused deterrence model aimed at gang- and group- related violence. It involves direct communication of a deterrence message to high-risk individuals and groups, targeted enforcement and response to violent incidents, outreach and services, community partnerships and youth prevention. Detroit Ceasefire was initially developed and implemented in two East side precincts (5th and 9th). As the Ceasefire team developed expertise in the model, associated project management capacity, shared understanding and training in the model, and initial signs of success, Ceasefire expanded to West side precincts (6th, 8th, 12th) and more recently to the 4th and 7th precincts. This report describes the planning, development, initial implementation, and full implementation of Ceasefire and places the initiative in the context of national trends. This is followed by evaluation results at both the community and individual levels. Key findings include: - Detroit has experienced a significant decline in fatal and non-fatal shootings since the implementation of Ceasefire in 2013 and particularly since 2015 when Ceasefire received the support of a project management team and associated capacity building that strengthened implementation of the Ceasefire focused deterrence model. - These trends are particularly impressive when contrasted with national trends in violent crime and with trends in other large Midwestern cities. - The evaluation employed a state-of-the-art "synthetic control" design that compares trends in the Ceasefire precincts with comparable parts of the city that have not participated in Ceasefire. For the original east side Ceasefire precincts, we estimate an overall 13-14 percent decline in fatal and non-fatal shootings. For the specific age group of 15-24, the primary target for Ceasefire, the decline was 22 percent. - The trends in the West side precincts are more difficult to interpret. Simply observing the trends suggest declines following the implementation of Ceasefire. Yet, when using the synthetic controls we do not find evidence of declines. We suggest continued monitoring of the West side precincts to provide a longer implementation and observation period (as well as assessment of trends in the more recent 4th and 7th Ceasefire precincts). - Although Ceasefire clients had a very similar time until re-arrest as a matched comparison group of probationers and parolees, the Ceasefire clients had 23 percent fewer overall arrests and 23 percent fewer arrests for a violent offense. Ceasefire clients did have more arrests for weapons offenses but this may reflect increased scrutiny and surveillance of Ceasefire clients, particularly when they or their associates are involved in violence. Details: East Lansing: Michigan Justice Statistics Center, Michigan State University, 2018. 39p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed February 21, 2019 at: https://cj.msu.edu/assets/MJSC-Detroit_Ceasefire_-Final_Report.pdf Year: 2018 Country: United States URL: https://cj.msu.edu/assets/MJSC-Detroit_Ceasefire_-Final_Report.pdf Shelf Number: 154684 Keywords: CeaseFire Crime PreventionGangs Gun Violence Gun-Related Violence Neighborhoods and Crime Operation CeasefireViolence Prevention Violent Crime Youth Violence |
Author: Davies, Tom Title: Group Violence Intervention London: An Evaluation of the Shield Pilot Summary: Gang, group and serious street orientated violence continue to be a significant problem in London, demanding innovative and collaborative solutions. In June 2014, at MOPAC's Policing Global Cities: Gangs Summit, Professor David Kennedy delivered a keynote speech outlining the Group Violence Intervention (GVI) approach he developed in Boston during the 1990's (known as 'Ceasefire'). Professor Kennedy was subsequently invited by MPS Trident to deliver a two day 'Ceasefire University' in the GVI model. As a result, the MOPAC Evidence and Insight team, with input from MPS central intelligence, undertook analysis using crime and social demographic data to develop a comprehensive borough level picture on gang and youth violence. The analysis was used to identify potential pilot boroughs with whom MOPAC initially engaged in dialogue, and this was followed up with senior level meetings with Lambeth, Haringey, Westminster, Hackney and Newham between August and October of 2014. Agreement followed from these meetings to proceed with Lambeth, Haringey, and Westminster. In selecting the three boroughs MOPAC recognised the strength of their community safety partnerships and willingness to trial the Group Violence Intervention approach. To this end, Shield - an adaptation of the Group Violence Intervention (GVI) strategy - was developed as a pilot programme and rolled out in three boroughs (Lambeth, Westminster and Haringey). This report presents learning from the evaluation covering performance, process (i.e. implementation challenges and benefits), and impact. Details: London: Mayor of London, Office for Policing and Crime, 2016. 36p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed March 13, 2019 at: https://www.london.gov.uk/sites/default/files/gvi_london_evaluation270117.pdf Year: 2016 Country: United Kingdom URL: https://www.london.gov.uk/sites/default/files/gvi_london_evaluation270117.pdf Shelf Number: 154949 Keywords: GangGang-Related ViolenceGroup ViolenceViolenceViolence PreventionViolent CrimeYouth Violence |
Author: Traynor, Peter Robert Title: Closing the 'security gap': Young people, 'street life' and knife crime Summary: This thesis explores the social meanings applied to the carrying and use of knives as a weapon, by young people living in areas with high rates of knife crime and violence. The thesis situates data, generated through interviews and focus groups, within a theoretical framework based around the concept of 'street life', as a place in which young people, often in groups, draw on street codes as a response to the extant violence and a 'security gap' in their neighbourhoods. This 'gap' was experienced to a greater or lesser extent by most of the young people who took part in the research, and was bound up in ongoing 'integrational difficulties' experienced in adolescence, and exacerbated by experiences of deprivation and marginality. Some participants responded to violence by adhering to a street code that exposed them to violence, and, reproduced the violence they sought to confront. Non-offending young people were able to draw on a 'civic code' as a means of sustaining collective resilience. Social integration is shown to provide a crucial form of resilience for participants. In the absence of sources of collective resilience, the knife represented for many participants a proxy form of resilience. Participants were sometimes able to cultivate more effective forms of integration and social resilience as they disengaged with 'street life' and, as a consequence, the knife as a source of protection became increasingly redundant. In this sense, the thesis is about how young people create and sustain identities, integration and resilience in difficult circumstances, and the sometimes-misguided ways in which they seek to do this. Thus, the thesis adds novel empirical and conceptual findings to normative and subcultural understandings, not just of knife carrying but of gangs, and other collective responses to violence. Details: Leeds, UK: University of Leeds, School of Law, 2016. 327p. Source: Internet Resource: Dissertation: Accessed March 14, 2019 at: http://etheses.whiterose.ac.uk/16687/ Year: 2016 Country: United Kingdom URL: http://etheses.whiterose.ac.uk/16687/ Shelf Number: 154974 Keywords: Code of the Street Gangs Knife Crime Street Culture Violence Violent Crime Youth Gangs Youth Violence |
Author: Spencer, Charlie Title: Vulnerable Adolescents Thematic Review Summary: The London Borough of Croydon is the southernmost borough of London. Approximately 93,435 children under the age of 18 years live in Croydon. This is 25% of the total population in the area, with approximately 23% of children living in low-income families. Children from minority ethnic groups account for 58% of all children, compared with 21% in the country as a whole. The largest minority ethnic groups of children in the area are African and Caribbean. 10,261 people in Croydon live in areas considered to be within the 10% most deprived in the country. Thematic Review design -- During a period of four weeks in the summer of 2017, three Croydon teenage boys died. One 16- year-old looked after child was riding a moped with two others on board, and crashed and died as a result of his injuries. A 15-year-old, subject to a child protection plan, died from multiple stab wounds in a gang related incident. The 17-year-old died after ingesting a highly toxic drug. All 3 children had been known to Childrens Social Care by the age of 2. These deaths were brought to the Croydon Safeguarding Children Board (CSCB) Serious Case Review (SCR) Sub-group and two Serious Case Reviews (SCRs) were agreed on the 15-year-old and 16-year-old. It was agreed that the 17-year-old would be included in a Thematic Review to be undertaken into a group of vulnerable adolescents, with either poor outcomes or of considerable concern. Police, Youth Offending, Children's Services and MASE1 panel, were each asked to identify their own list of young people. Some of the children were mentioned in more than one list. A list of 56 children was initially identified. Two further children were subsequently added, a 17- year-old male, who was stabbed to death in central Croydon, plus a 15-year-old female following presentation of her case to the January SCR sub-group due to grave concerns about child sexual exploitation and frequent missing incidents. The Thematic Review has considered 60 children in total, 58 from the identified list plus the two children who were the subject of the SCRs. In light of the fact that children were identified with poor outcomes or were children who agencies had considerable concern about, all agencies were requested to reassure themselves that the children identified were safe and adequate risk management arrangements were in place. Sadly, another hild who had been included in the cohort of 60 children, was stabbed and killed within weeks of this Thematic Review commencing. Five children were identified in the cohort because tragically they had lost their lives prematurely. Purpose -- The purpose of this Thematic Review was to determine whether there were any patterns in the children's experiences, which could inform and improve future planning. These were thought likely to be wide ranging including where they lived and went to school, their experiences of family care and the multi-agency services that were provided or offered. Details: London: Croydon Safeguarding Children Board, 2019. 101p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed march 15, 2019 at: http://croydonlcsb.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/CSCB-VA-Thematic-Review-Report-FINAL-25.02.19.pdf Year: 2019 Country: United Kingdom URL: http://croydonlcsb.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/CSCB-VA-Thematic-Review-Report-FINAL-25.02.19.pdf Shelf Number: 154983 Keywords: Adolescents At-Risk Youth Delinquency Prevention Disadvantaged Youth Vulnerable Adolescents Youth Gangs Youth Violence |
Author: Katz, Charles M. Title: Understanding and Preventing Gang Membership in Trinidad and Tobago Summary: The rising concern about gangs and their criminal activity in Trinidad and Tobago led to the country's official request for an examination of its emerging gang problem. This report draws upon data collected from school youth and adult arrestees from Trinidad and Tobago and the United States. By examining the similarities and differences between these two countries, we can better understand the prevalence, nature, and seriousness of the gang problem in Trinidad and Tobago. Below we present the major findings of our report. Details: S.L.: Crime and Justice Analysts, 2010. 32p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed May 21, 2019 at: https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Charles_Katz/publication/282981088_Understanding_and_Preventing_Gang_Membership_in_Trinidad_and_Tobago/links/5625852408aed3d3f137154e/Understanding-and-Preventing-Gang-Membership-in-Trinidad-and-Tobago.pdf Year: 2010 Country: Trinidad and Tobago URL: https://asu.pure.elsevier.com/en/publications/understanding-and-preventing-gang-membership-in-trinidad-and-toba Shelf Number: 155963 Keywords: Crime in Developing Countries Gang Activity Gang Membership Gang Violence Trinidad and Tobago Youth Violence |
Author: de Waegh, Frank Title: Unwilling Participants: The Coercion of Youth into Violent Criminal Groups in Central America's Northern Triangle Summary: The crisis of insecurity affecting Central America's Northern Triangle countries - Honduras, El Salvador, and Guatemala - has entered a new and advanced stage. Levels of generalized violence exceed those typically associated with open conflicts: targeted killings and rape, mass migration from conflict areas, and the forced recruitment of children into armed groups are worrisome parallel traits. This research is devoted to the little-studied practice of forced and coerced recruitment of youth by Northern Triangle street gangs, or maras. The coercive enlistment of children has become widespread and sustains a growing need for fresh recruits. A reevaluation of the concept of youth membership within Northern Triangle street gangs is called for - specifically, revaluating the participation of children in gangs in light of their own victimhood, is critical in addressing the complex root causes of the violence epidemic. Finally the research highlights the need for creative approaches to breaking cyclical youth violence, and the need to draw lessons from methods used to counter violent extremism and reintegration of child soldiers. Details: Washington, DC: Jesuit Conference of Canada and the United States, 2015. 15p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed August 11, 2019 at: https://jesuits.org/Assets/Publications/File/Report_UnwillingParticipants_v4.pdf Year: 2015 Country: Central America URL: https://jesuits.org/Assets/Publications/File/Report_UnwillingParticipants_v4.pdf Shelf Number: 156955 Keywords: Child Soldiers Forced Recruitment Gang Violence Gangs Mass Migration Violent Extremism Youth Violence |
Author: London Assembly. Police and Crime Committee Title: Serious Youth Violence Summary: The number of victims of serious youth violence has risen in the capital by over 20 per cent since 2012-13. In 2015-16, there were 6,290 victims - a four per cent rise on the previous year. The use of a knife is flagged in almost half of serious youth violence data. The London Assembly Police and Crime Committee has published its report 'Serious Youth Violence' which examines the detail behind the rise, the reasons why some young people find themselves victims or perpetrators of serious violence and how it might be better prevented. During a public meeting the Committee heard evidence from the Metropolitan Police, charity Redthread, Westminster City Council's Integrated Gangs Unit and the Chair of the Restorative Justice Council Board of Trustees about reasons for the increase and other emerging trends. Following an incident of serious violence some young people will carry a knife if they feel unsafe. An increasing number of young women are victims of serious violence. Females now make up almost a quarter of victims of serious youth violence. Gang activity is present in only a small proportion of serious youth violence. Details: London: London Assembly, Police and Crime Committee, 2016. 8p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed August 18, 2019 at: https://www.london.gov.uk/sites/default/files/serious_youth_violence_report_-_london_assembly.pdf Year: 2016 Country: United Kingdom URL: https://www.london.gov.uk/about-us/london-assembly/london-assembly-publications/serious-youth-violence Shelf Number: 157014 Keywords: Female Victims Juvenile Delinquency Juvenile Offenders Knife Serious Violence Violence Against Women Youth Violence |