Reducing Youth Gun Violence. Part One--An Overview [and] Part Two--Prevention and Intervention Programs.

Abstract

This document contains two issues of a journal on reducing youth gun violence, reprinted from a report by the U.S. Department of Justice. The first issue, part one, provides an overview of programs and initiatives. The second issue, part two, describes prevention and intervention programs. To reduce violence and build healthy communities requires a two-pronged assault on juvenile delinquency and youth gun violence. Legal measures that limit access to firearms are a first step. Recent Federal legislation, including the Youth Handgun Safety Act and the Gun-Free Schools Act, makes a strong statement that guns in the hands of young people will not be tolerated. With a fuller understanding of the factors contributing to gun violence, it is possible to design ways to prevent youth gun use. Part one concludes with "Making Schools Safe: The Importance of Empathy and Service Learning" by Alan McEvoy, which discusses an approach to violence reduction. At the end of part one, a resource bibliography is also included. Part two addresses individual programs that seek to incorporate the information from part one by broadly summarizing the various violence reduction strategies that have been implemented by organizations across the country. Preventative programs discussed include: (1) curriculums; (2) trauma prevention; (3) gun buy-back programs; and (4) public education campaigns. The intervention programs discussed include: (1) community law enforcement; (2) gun market disruption and interception; (3) diversion and treatment programs; (4) gun courts; and (5) alternative schools. A complete resource of youth gun violence reduction programs and prevention organization sis included. (SLD)