#159-160 Fall/Winter 2009-10

A New Approach to Youth Violence

Heightened awareness, new school programs, and increased police presence are only some of the methods used to curb youth violence, but a new study underway at the University of Chicago […]

Heightened awareness, new school programs, and increased police presence are only some of the methods used to curb youth violence, but a new study underway at the University of Chicago that looks at different ways to tackle the issue is also looking at whether the public and private monies are, in fact, cost-effective.

The program, Becoming a Man — Sports Edition, headed up by World Sports Chicago and the University of Chicago Crime Lab includes a group-based youth intervention program spearheaded by Youth Guidance, a private counseling organization, as well as training in Olympic sports like fencing, judo, and archery. Then, university evaluators will use a research model similar to a clinical trial in medicine to gauge the efficacy of the program.

In 2008, Shelterforce took a look at various programs geared toward at-risk youth around the country (Trading Bullets for a Better Future Shelterforce #155), including a look at the clinical approach to crime prevention as the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention regards violence as a public health issue as it relates to physical and psychological harm.

OTHER ARTICLES IN THIS ISSUE

  • Slipping Away

    February 12, 2010

    As a wave of HUD mortgages expires in the next four years, an already dwindling supply of affordable units may nosedive with owners making windfall profits -- unless the right mix of federal legislation and local organizing can save the day.

  • HUD’s New Team

    February 12, 2010

    The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development under the Obama administration is equipped with an impressive list of housing experts at the top.

  • Heard and Not Forgotten

    February 12, 2010

    What started out as a "weird art project" in Toronto is providing aural illustrations into a northern New Jersey community's past, and, organizers hope, laying the groundwork for the future.