NCJ Number
156579
Date Published
1994
Length
96 pages
Annotation
This document describes some of the efforts being undertaken in three cities -- Oakland, California; Pine Bluff, Arkansas; and Washington, D.C. -- to prevent and stop youth violence, particularly that which arises among African American youth.
Abstract
The first section describes three programs operated by young people who take various approaches to violence prevention, encompassing some of the basic elements of successful programs. The second section outlines community-based programs that offer a wide variety of alternatives to the options that black children see on the streets. These programs help young people connect to values and experiences that are not easily attainable in their neighborhoods. Two programs that address girls' special needs are based on the realization that young women are as involved in and degraded by violence as are young men. This document also describes several programs that have pulled troubled youth off the path of violence and drugs and back into the community, and other programs that offer alternatives to suspension, detention, and incarceration for adolescents who have become involved more deeply in gang activities and crime.