This summary overview report of Phase One of the SURVIVE: Suburban, Urban, Rural Violence: Investigating Victim Experiences lays out the project purpose, subjects, design and methodology, data analysis, project findings and outcomes, and implications for criminal justice policy and practice.
This document is a summary overview report of the Understanding Violent Victimization of Young Men of Color, with the public title of SURVIVE: Suburban, Urban, Rural Violence: Investigating Victim Experiences. The report describes Phase One of a nationwide, mixed-methods, two-phase project that addresses a gap in knowledge about the violent victimization experiences, and related outcomes, of young Black males, ages 18 to 24. Phase One included the conduct of focus groups and key informant meetings; the review of related instrumentation literature; and the completion of a draft of the instrument. The information obtained from focus groups and key informant meetings, combined with information gathered after reviewing related instruments, were used in the creation of items used in the final violent victimization instrument (YBM: SURVIVE). The document suggests that policy guidelines should be enshrined and moved towards the legislation of sentencing guidelines that require victimization experiences to be considered during adjudication and disposition as extenuating and influential circumstances. It also suggests that increased knowledge should influence how funding dollars are allocated for the provision of mental health and healthcare services which are made available and accessible for that population.