CSPV
School Violence Fact Sheets
Urban
After School Programs
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- To help prevent violence, youth need safe places
to go and positive activities to do after school.
- Children, ages nine to 14, typically spend about
60% of the time they are awake outside the school
setting.
- Violent juvenile crimes are typically committed
during after school hours between 2:30 in the afternoon
and 8:30 at night.
- Currently there are more than 500 organizations
receiving federal funds to prevent youth violence.
About the same number of privately funded organizations
also provide activities during non-school hours.
- The most destitute urban neighborhoods have in the
past been under served by most youth organizations.
- New urban initiatives instituted by national organizations
with proven ability to work with children and teens
include:
- Boys and Girls Clubs of America,
- Boy Scouts of America,
- Girls Incorporated,
- Girl Scouts of the U.S.A.,
- National Association of Police Athletic Leagues,
- National 4-H Council, and
- YMCA of the U.S.A.
- Traditional youth organizations are well equipped
to help troubled inner-city children and teens. These
organizations provide enjoyable and educational recreation
and other necessary resources these youth fail to
find elsewhere.
- In recent years, many of these organizations have
been focusing their attention and resources on the
needs of inner-city youth.
- Approaches by national youth organizations typically
embody the characteristics known to prevent youth
violence and delinquency and promote wholesome development.
- They are comprehensive. They attempt to alleviate
more than a single factor associated with delinquency
and simultaneously focus on multiple problem behaviors.
- They are appropriate for children of specific
ages and development stages.
- They continue over the long term.
- Effective after-school initiatives include the following
program ingredients:
- High standards for children and assistance in
meeting these standards are provided;
- Rules are clearly stated and consequences are
explicitly defined;
- Activities are varied, challenging, goal-directed,
and humorous;
- Activities engaging teens are based on current
knowledge of adolescent development;
- Strategies for teens with "normal"
adolescent development are recognized as essential
or adolescents already in trouble;
- Partnerships are created to meet the multiple
needs of youth; and
- Organizations collaborate with local police
departments.
- At a minimum a viable program requires an adequate
and safe meeting space, funding, well-trained leaders
who understand children's needs, challenging, age-graded
activities, and community support.
- Finding the resources needed to establish after-school
programs in economically depressed areas is a major
challenge.
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