May 27, 1998 Clinical psychologists in the University of Virginia's Youth Violence Project have posted on the Web actions that parents, educators, community leaders and the police can undertake to reduce the potential for gun violence at schools. The web site is http://curry.edschool.virginia.edu/curry/centers/youthvio/ As leaders of the Virginia Youth Violence Project and the Youth Gang Project in Virginia, the psychologists work with schools and communities to increase school safety and reduce the potential for youth violence. Following is a brief summary of the information the psychologists have written and compiled from their work in preventing youth violence. Immediate Actions The psychologists recommend a comprehensive approach addressing the individual, the family and society. They outline the following as part of a comprehensive effort. Immediate Actions at School ¥ Talk to students about gun violence. ¥ Identify youth at risk for gun violence at school. ¥ Take all threats seriously. Evaluate threatening students, following procedures similar to those for suicidal students. What Schools Can Do ¥ Review and maintain clear written policies on school discipline, building security and crisis response. ¥ Initiate schoolwide programs starting in elementary grades to teach students social competence skills in resolving conflict. Implement programs to identify and stop bullying. ¥ Promote student involvement in projects, organizations and activities that emphasize non violence, person-to-person responsibility and service to others. MORE 2 What Parents Can Do ¥ Talk to children about their fears, problems and concerns. Take them seriously and give them your attention. ¥ Lock up guns and ammunition. ¥ Limit children's exposure to media violence as a form of entertainment. Discuss with children how such exposure desensitizes viewers to violence and portrays violence unrealistically as a glamorous and effective solution to problems. What Community Agencies, Law Enforcement Can Do ¥ Work collaboratively with schools to provide well-trained school-resource officers. ¥ Support after-school programs, supervised recreation, youth employment and community service activities. Establish a mentoring program. ¥ Provide comprehensive family services programs, including Head Start and family therapy. Programs That Work Dewey G. Cornell, a nationally recognized expert on juvenile homicide and director of the Virginia Youth Violence Project, describes on the Web site selected programs that have been found effective in reducing youth violence. He describes a variety of efforts, including community oriented, parent-focused and school-based training programs, and discusses treatment of juvenile offenders. A few notes from those descriptions follow. Community-Oriented Programs Mentoring, a relatively inexpensive program in which adult volunteers spend time weekly with young people in recreational activities, has been shown to be effective in reducing youth violence. For example, a controlled experiment with 959 youth in eight cities found that the Big Brothers/Big Sisters program resulted in a 46 percent reduction in drug use, a 32 percent reduction in hitting people and a 52 percent reduction in truancy. Several studies have found that well-supervised after-school recreational programs substantially reduce juvenile crime, drug use and vandalism. Law Enforcement Aggressive law enforcement leading to the arrest and incarceration of youth gang leaders has been found to be successful in reducing the criminal activity of youth gangs. Strict enforcement of laws against illegal gun carrying has also been found to be one of the most effective means of preventing firearm-related juvenile crimes. MORE 3 Among the most effective policing strategies are: ¥ increased patrolling of high-crime street corners; ¥ arrests of serious repeat offenders; ¥ arrests of drunk drivers; Notably ineffective policing practices are: ¥ neighborhood block watches; ¥ arrests of juveniles for minor offenses; ¥ drug market arrests. Several studies indicate that curfews are effective in substantially reducing juvenile crime and victimization. School-Improvement Programs A study has found that schools experience improved student and staff safety and morale and reduced delinquent behavior, drug use, school rule violations and suspensions after engaging in Program Development Evaluation, a structured method for planning and undertaking changes in organization and management. Schools improve student discipline and classroom behavior through such multiple efforts as increasing the clarity of rules and consistency of enforcement, training teachers in classroom behavior management, increasing communication with parents. Schoolwide campaigns that condemn bullying can dramatically reduce bullying and lower the likelihood of aggression and delinquency. School-Based Training Programs Studies indicate that many drug education programs, such as DARE, have disappointing effects on drug use. However, some programs, such as Life Skills Training that have a broad approach to social competency and skills development, have been found successful. Violence-prevention training can help aggressive youth cope with their frustration and hostility and resolve conflicts without fighting. For example, the Duke University "Coping Power" program has been shown to help youth correct distortions in their perceptions and choose non-violent courses of action. Conflict resolution and peer mediation programs appear to help students learn how to resolve conflicts in both school and family settings. Treatment of Juvenile Offenders Institutional treatment programs for juveniles appear to reduce recidivism. The most effective treatment programs reduced recidivism by up to 40 percent. MORE 4 Some popular programs, such as wilderness/challenge programs and boot camps, have not been found effective. For More Information To gain more information on effective methods for reducing youth violence, especially in school settings, contact the staff of U.Va.'s Virginia Youth Violence Project: Dewey Cornell, director of the Virginia Youth Violence Project and associate professor in U.Va.'s Curry School of Education, (804) 924-0793, dgc2f@virginia.edu. Cornell, who lectures regularly on juvenile violence at the FBI National Academy, conducts research on juvenile homicide, psychological characteristics of violent youth, psychopathy, school violence and youth gangs. He has extensive clinical and forensic experience working with juvenile violent offenders. Ann B. Loper, associate director of research of the Youth Violence Project and associate professor in U.Va.'s Curry School of Education, (804) 924-0807, abl2x@virginia.edu. Loper, who is particularly interested in violence committed by girls, has conducted research on the differences of homicide patterns of girls, boys and women. She is conducting several investigations into the personality characteristics of violent and aggressive girls. Peter Sheras, associate director for instruction in the Virginia Youth Violence Project and associate professor in U.Va.'s Curry School of Education, (804) 924-0795, pls@virginia.edu. A former member of the Virginia State Department of Education Task Force on Crime and Violence in School Settings, Sheras is a regional coordinator of the joint program for disaster relief of the American Psychological Association and the American Red Cross. He is author of books and articles on adolescent behavior and youth violence. Elizabeth Saft, project coordinator of the Virginia Youth Violence Project and assistant professor in U.Va.'s Curry School of Education, (804) 924-0593, ews6v@virginia.edu. A staff psychologist at U.Va.'s Center for Clinical Psychology Services, Saft has worked in numerous intervention programs for high-risk preschoolers and their parents. She is most interested in community approaches to psycho-social problems. The Virginia Youth Violence Project office can be reached at (804) 924-8929. ### Television reporters should contact the TV News Office at (804) 924-7550.