An example of a multidisciplinary, integrated approach to reducing youth gang involvement and violence is the Youth & Police Initiative (YPI) developed by the North American Family Institute (NAFI) in which groups of community law enforcement agents are paired with at-risk teens from high-crime neighborhoods to discuss drug use, violence, gang activity, and youth-police interactions.
Through structured presentations, group learning, and problem-solving activities, the teens and the police officers explore their values and their attitudes about race, violence, respect, and law enforcement. Role-playing, de-escalation techniques, effective communication strategies, and team-building exercises are incorporated into the curriculum and aid in the development of new initiatives to enhance community policing.
Each training ends with a celebration attended by the teens and the police officers, as well as family members, political and religious leaders, and members of the community. Teen participants are offered follow-up leadership training by NAFI.
To date, the YPI initiative has been implemented in Boston, Baltimore, and White Plains and Yonkers, N.Y., and has been associated with significant increases in police officers' understanding of adolescent development and knowledge of urban socialization issues. The initiative also has improved the use of effective communication strategies between at-risk teens and police officers, according to Frank Straub, Ph.D., former commissioner of the White Plains Department of Public Safety, who credits that city's decrease in gang-related crime to the success of the program.
When it comes to the allocation of “gang-prevention dollars,” the most judicious spending should focus on “investments in proven programs that equip young people with life skills and alternative opportunities for engagement,” Mr. Ogletree stated in his testimony. “Additionally, programs and policies that treat problems related to conditions of poverty, educational failure, and isolation – all of which make gang membership attractive to youths living in communities of extreme disadvantage – have demonstrated their effectiveness and efficiency.” The most promising programs, he noted, are those that begin in preschool and are sustained over time through middle school and high school; provide a web of support by including families, schools, and communities; and focus on individual, social, and cultural development.
By Diana Mahoney. Share your thoughts and suggestions at cpnews@elsevier.com