You may ask yourself – what can I do to prevent youth violence? Join thousands of youth and community members for National Youth Violence Prevention Week to take action and make a difference.
Community outreach and youth empowerment are two cornerstones of preventing youth violence. Start by understanding the causes. Then, below you will find specific actions you can take to address the main causes of youth and teenage violence.
According to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC)1, 13 youth die every day due to violence. Further, 1 in 5 high school students report that they have been victims of bullying. While the individual causes of teen and youth violence are varied, there are key risk factors. Social isolation, being a victim of violence, and emotional distress can all be risk factors for youth acting out violently.
The good news is, there are protective measures you can take to reduce those risks. The first thing is – know the signs. These can be learned through our no-cost educational programs and our top warning signs of violence.
Next, get your community involved. Studies show community organizing to prevent youth violence works. In fact, one study by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) showed that students in high-risk communities with violence prevention programs were less likely to engage in violence than the general population.2
Violence is preventable when you know the signs and organize your community. No matter what your role is in the community, there are actions you can take to have safer schools and neighborhoods. What’s more, you’re helping the future of your community by lifting up local teens and youth. So join us for National Youth Violence Prevention Week. Together, we can prevent youth violence!
1. Centers for Disease Control: https://www.cdc.gov/violenceprevention/youthviolence/index.html
2. National Institutes of Health: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4824830
