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.