Youth Violence
Violence: What do we mean?
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violent crime (homicide, etc.)
suicide
fighting
bullying
sexual harassment
child/adolescent abuse
date/relationship violence
gang-related violence
Status Offenses
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truancy from school
underage drinking
buying cigarettes
running away
Violent Crime
Violent Crime Index Offenses
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murder
rape
aggravated assault
armed robbery
arson
Data Sources
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Youth Risk Behavior Survey
National Youth Gang Survey
Uniform Crime Reports (UCR), FBI
National Crime Victimization Survey, DOJ
Health Behavior of School-aged Children Survey, National
Institute for Child Health & Development & WHO (bullying)
• National School Climate Survey, 2001
Leading Causes of Mortality, Ages 15-19, 2000
Other
19%
Motor Vehicle Accidents
38%
Malignant Neoplasms
6%
Homicide
14%
Suicide
12%
Other Unintentional Injuries
11%
Biggest problem facing teens, 13-17 year olds
40%
35%
37%
31%
30%
25%
20%
15%
21%
8%
10%
5%
0%
drugs
peer pressure
New York Times/CBS News Poll October 1999
22%
1994
1999
9%
violence/crime
% 13-17 year olds who worry about
being a crime victim, 1999
46
50
39
40
30
20
10
30
28
22
18
1999
12
6
0
a lot
N.Y. Times/CBS News, October 1999
some
1994
hardly ever
never
School Safety
Violent Schools: Myth or Reality?
• schools among the safest places for children
• homicides in school rare: of 2,000 killings of children/year, 10 in or
near schools
• 300 youth killed by guns elsewhere for one killed by gun at school
• % carrying gun/weapon to school declined 1996-2001
• most school crime is theft, not violent: 1% report being victim of a
“serious” school crime
Mortality by Race/Ethnicity and Gender, Ages 15-19, 2000
American Indian
148.5
61.5
Black, non-Hispanic
136.6
46.4
Hispanic
103.3
31
White, non-Hispanic
40.7
54.8
21.6
Asian Pacific Islander
0
50
Males
Females
84.5
100
Deaths per 100,000
150
200
160
140
120
100
80
60
40
20
0
White, nonHispanic
2000
1999
1998
1997
1996
1995
1994
1993
1992
1991
Asian/Pacific
Islander, nonHispanic
1990
Deaths per 100,000
Male Homicide Trends by Race/Ethnicity, Ages 15-19, 1990-2000
American
Indian/Alaskan
Native, nonHispanic
Hispanic
Year
Black,
Risk Behaviors, 2001 YRBS
33.2%
35.0%
30.0%
25.0%
19%
20.0%
12.5%
15.0%
10.0%
5.7%
6.4%
6.6%
8.9%
8.8%
5.0%
0.0%
carried a gun
carried a involved in a involved in a seriously
felt too threatened or attempted
weapon on physical fight physical fight considered unsafe to go injured with a suicide
school
on school
suicide
to school weapon on
property
property
school
property
Violence-Related Behavior by Gender, High School Students, 2001
45.00%
40.00%
35.00%
30.00%
25.00%
20.00%
15.00%
10.00%
5.00%
0.00%
43.10%
29.30%
23.90%
6.20%
10.30%
1.30%
In a Physical
Fight
Carried a
Weapon
Carried a Gun
Males
Females
Violent Crime Index Offenses by Sex, 1981-1998
1000
900
Arrests per 100,000 males,
age 10-17
800
700
600
500
400
300
200
Arrests per 100,000 females,
age 10-17
100
0
98
19
97
19
96
19
95
19
94
19
93
19
92
19
91
19
90
19
89
19
88
19
87
19
86
19
85
19
84
19
83
19
82
19
81
19
Youth Gangs
Gangs: “a group of
youths or young adults
in your jurisdiction that
you or other responsible
persons in your
community are willing
to identify or classify as
a ‘gang’”…National
Youth Gang Center,
OJJDP
Youth Gangs
• National Youth Gang Survey- surveys 5,000 law
enforcement agencies nationwide
• 40% jurisdictions report active youth gangs in
2000
• prevalence of active youth gangs varies by
region: West (74% of jurisdictions) vs
Northeast (31%)
• 42% youth gangs involved in street sale of
drugs
% jurisdictions reporting active youth
gangs, 1996 & 2000
60%
53%
40%
40%
20%
0%
1996
2000
Gender of Gang Members
100%
94%
80%
60%
40%
20%
6%
0%
male
female
Age of gang members
80%
60%
63%
50% 50%
37%
40%
20%
0%
1996
1999
18 and older
younger than 18
Race/ethnicity of gang members, 1999
50%
45%
40%
35%
30%
25%
20%
15%
10%
5%
0%
47%
31%
13%
7%
2%
Hispanic
African
American
White
Asian
Other
Relationship/Dating
Violence
Dating Violence
the perpetration or threat of an act of violence by
at least one member of an unmarried couple on
the other member within the context of dating.
This violence encompasses any form of sexual
assault, physical violence, and verbal or
emotional abuse.
Dating Violence
• Estimated prevalence of nonsexual dating violence:
– 22% among male & female h.s. students
– 32% among college students
• females more likely victims
• 80-90% of rapes on college campuses committed by
someone victim knows
• characteristics of perpetrators: sexually aggressive
male peers, heavy alcohol or drug use, dating violence
normative, traditional sex roles, rape myths, family
history of observing or experiencing abuse
Safe Dates
Foshee etal, AJPH 1998
• primary & secondary prevention
• 8th & 9th graders in rural North Carolina
• school: student theater; 10 session curriculum; poster contest to:
– change dating violence norms
– teach conflict management skills
– normalize seeking help
• community: train professionals, crisis lines, support groups
• outcomes:
– program students report less verbal, psychological, physical
abuse than controls
– program students more likely to endorse non-violence norms,
have better communication skills & more favorable attitude
towards seeking help
Incarcerated Youth
Health Link, Hunter College
Rikers Island
Connect to community
services
upon release
Long-term case-management (“wrap around services”)
Bullying
A specific type of aggressive
behavior:
•intended to harm or disturb
•occurring repeatedly, over time
•powerful attacking less powerful
Takes many forms:
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threats
physical harm
rejection
name calling
teasing
rumors
take belongings
• 30% US middle school students “involved”:
– 13% bullying
– 11% being bullied
– 6% both bullying & being bullied
• males bully/bullied more than females
• peaks in middle school
• bullying/being bullied associated with adjustment
problems
• differences between those bullying & bullied
• successful interventions in Norway, England, South
Carolina
Critical Elements of Violence Prevention Programs
Dusenbury etal, Jnl of School Health, 1997
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family, peer, community components
begin early, then reinforce (“no quick fixes”)
developmentally tailored
promote personal & social competencies
interactive teaching techniques
culturally competent
staff training/supervision (fidelity)
positive school climate, starting in classroom
promote norms vs. violence, bullying
Early Childhood Interventions
• Nurse Home Visitation Program (Olds,
1998)
• High/Scope Perry Preschool Project
(Schweinhart & Weikart, 1993)
• Seattle Social Development Project
(Hawkins & Catalano, 1999)
Multisystemic Therapy
• youth “nested” in interconnected systems
• violent behavior maintained by problem transactions
within/between systems (e.g. school & home)
• builds on strengths
• help parents deal with child’s behavior problems
• help parents build support network/access services they need
• masters level staff
• low caseloads
• 24/7 availability x 4 months
• 50 hours face-face
• effective reducing antisocial behavior of violent & chronic juvenile
offenders