Why Youth Violence Prevention?
We value the health and well-being of young people and believe in empowering them to be leaders in their communities. Youth violence is a serious public health issue that has long-term impacts on health and well-being. We know that youth violence is connected to other forms of violence, including teen dating violence and bullying. We believe that by working with youth, schools, parents, and other community members, we can prevent youth violence.
How does it work?
We know there are some experiences youth face that increases their risk of acting violently. We also know that other experiences prevent or protect youth from choosing violence. We call these risk and protective factors. By working to decrease the number of risk factors and increase the number of protective factors that youth experience, we can create a more supportive community for our teens.
Youth Violence Prevention Programs
Violence Prevention Classroom Lessons
- 5-8 Sessions
- Aligns with Michigan Merit Curriculum Health Education Guidelines
- Training for teachers impelementing Violence Prevention curricula
Professional Development
- Training for staff Professional Development days
- Ongoing support and training for integrating violence prevention initiatives throughout the district.
Policy Support
- Assessment of school policies
- Strengths-based recommendations for policy updates
- Support and training for school staff in implementing updated policies.
Parent Engagement
- Parent skill-building events
- Topics can include:
- Basics of teen dating violence
- Core components of healthy relationships
- Boundaries and communication
- Basics of technology safety
Community Education
- Understanding local resources
- Building a supportive community
What do we do?
We work with youth in the classroom to build their social and emotional skills and empower them to be community leaders; we train school staff to be partners in youth violence prevention and work with school administration to evaluate and update school policies, and; we engage parents and community members in the work of violence prevention by offering opportunities to build their own skills.
