NCJ Number
109698
Journal
Annals of the American Academy of Political and Social Science Volume: 494 Dated: (November 1987) Pages: 111-118
Date Published
1987
Length
8 pages
Annotation
Efforts focusing on neighborhood, family, and jobs may be necessary to prevent or reduce youth violence, but these alone are insufficient because they fail to address the education and training that are preconditions for employment and also fail to address the preconditions for well-run grassroots organizations.
Abstract
Thus, supporting only family-substitute networks whose members are employed in neighborhood services does not address all the issues. High-risk youth often experience several problems, including low self-esteem, poor school performance, drug and alcohol use, early sexual activity, teen pregnancy, and dropping out of school. The financial resources for addressing these problems flow through the States, which lack the needed program coordination or monitoring of grant outcomes. However, the experience of the Mott Foundation suggests that varied well-managed and well-monitored community programs can have a positive influence on high-risk youths. While the role of foundations is to support research and demonstration projects, a larger source of program support is the government, whose policymakers need to be aware of all conditions necessary for programs that may favorably affect young lives. 33 footnotes. (Author abstract modified)