Street violence and
violent crime are equal opportunity destroyers: they reach into rural
communities like Nickel Mines, Pennsylvania, where five Amish school girls lost
their lives to gun violence; into downtown Los Angeles, where gang violence
occurs daily; and into the suburbs of Littleton, Colorado, home of Columbine
High.
While more than 80
children and adults die from gun violence each day in the United States, the
threat of street violence also holds millions of people captive and fearful in
their homes in communities large and small. Parents ask themselves:
- Is it too dangerous for my children
to walk to school?
- Will it ever be safe for my children
to play outside?
- How can I be sure gun violence won't
erupt in my child's school?
Adults are also afraid
for their own safety. Fear of gun violence and violent crime prevent many
adults, especially women and older people, from going out alone or at night,
which limits their ability to work, seek medical care, socialize, and buy
groceries. In a country that values freedom, millions of Americans do not feel
free to safely walk in their own neighborhoods.
Programs to reduce
street and gun violence and promote safe neighborhoods are underway, and their
success depends on the participation of citizens in every community. They
include:
- after-school events that engage young
people in creative activities like hip-hop dance, sports, karate, art, and
yoga
- citizen neighborhood watch groups
that patrol their streets to discourage street violence and crime
- enlistment of former gang members to
interact with current gang members to help quell gang violence
- mentor programs to provide positive
role models or peer support
- job programs to help young people and
adults learn marketable skills and how to enter the job market
- counseling programs for anger
management, drug abuse, parenting skills, building self-esteem
- religious or spiritually based
programs to help foster moral and ethical values
Gun violence in the
United States is getting worse, according to the
Coalition to Stop Gun Violence. This fact is mobilizing citizens in large
cities to farm regions to tackle violent crime and take back their communities.
Programs such as
CeaseFire are showing great success in reducing street violence and gang
violence. You can help.
In some cases,
volunteer and/or mentor programs may require
participants to complete orientation or training
sessions, after which they can volunteer on their
own schedule. You should discuss these possibilities
with program leaders.
- Become a
mentor to an at-risk young person. There is a
critical lack of mentors who can serve as
positive role models for millions of young men
and women who want to steer clear of violent
crime and make their lives better.
Mentor is a national partnership
organization that helps match potential mentors
with mentees based on interests, goals, and time
availability.
-
Participate in or start a neighborhood watch
organization. The National Sheriffs' Association
has a program called
USAonWatch that helps concerned citizens
start or participate in neighborhood watch
groups.
- Offer to
teach skills that reduce stress and anger and
help promote self-esteem, self-control, and
inner balance, such as yoga, meditation, karate,
or tai chi. Programs such as the
Mind Body Awareness Project, which provides
these opportunities to at-risk and incarcerated
youth, have found that these skills help reduce
violence in young people and help improve
self-awareness and calm.
- Help
organize neighborhood events that allow
neighbors to meet, know, and better understand
each other, such as a block party, sporting
event, or picnic. Such events can be facilitated
by a religious organization, law enforcement
organization, civic group, or neighborhood
organization.
-
Participate in a neighborhood policing program
(if there is one in your area) or help start
one. Neighborhood policing models operate in
many cities across the United States and involve
a close working relationship between police and
the community. For example, police partner with
clergy, business leaders, youth, and other
citizens to solve problems such as gang and gun
violence before they escalate. Beat policing is
also a hallmark of the program, and voluntary
citizen attendance and participation at regular
beat meetings held in the community are another
way you can help reduce street violence. You can
read about
Boston's neighborhood policing program to
reduce street violence online.
- Be a
positive role model and share your skills or
experiences with young people. Schools often
invite community members to speak to students on
topics such as self-esteem, career choices, gang
violence, bullying, and similar subjects. You
can share your expertise with one or more
classes or an entire school, depending on the
topic and needs of the school. One exceptional
example of this effort is the
Tariq Khamisa Foundation, started by Azim
Khamisa after his 20-year-old son was a victim
of gang violence. Azim contacted the guardian of
his son's assailant, Ples Felix, and together
the men speak to youths and help end street and
gang violence through peace building.
- Offer an
internship or job training opportunity to one or
more at-risk youth, if you are in a position to
do so; or if you work for a company or
organization, talk to them about making such an
offer. Recent research shows that "Job training
has been identified as a powerful strategy to
reduce youth
gang violence," as well as improve school
attendance and increase community involvement.
- Show
anti-violence videos and DVDs. Videos such
as Ending the Cycle of Violence, or
Gangs: It's Your Life, both of which are
specifically for young people ages 11 to 17, can
be shown at community libraries, neighborhood
centers, churches, schools, and civic
organizations (with permission, of course).
For more
information about how to reduce street and gun
violence and other violent crime, the
Center for the Study and Prevention of Violence
offers free, searchable databases and publications
online.
