Citation

Spivak H, Prothrow-Stith DB. Appl. Dev. Sci. 2005; 9(1): 2-4.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2005, Informa - Taylor and Francis Group)

DOI

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PMID

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Abstract

The authors discuss their approach to the issue of violence among youth, and describe the beginnings of a movement in Boston to establish violence prevention as a broad-based ownership of the problem and the solutions. The result was a steady start up of several hundred programs in the city addressing violence from a broad range of perspectives. The city experienced a slow but steady decline of juvenile homicides. The authors note the factors that contributed to this success. First was the substantial importance of the process itself. Second, the participation of community residents, youth, and survivors of violence was enlisted. Third, the status quo of the health and human service system was challenged. Fourth, a sympathetic view of youth, which ran counter to the popularized image of youth as demons, was promoted. And, finally, the movement and collaboration incorporated another perspective that has only recently been recognized, that of youth development meshed with risk reduction.

Language: en