NCJ Number
168971
Date Published
1997
Length
41 pages
Annotation
In light of compelling statistics on youth violence and drugs, support is offered for stricter limitations on who can own a gun, for other strategies that restrict gun availability, and for taking a harder look at the role of the media in youth violence.
Abstract
Homicide was the second leading cause of death in 1992 for young people between 15 and 24 years of age. The lifetime cost of firearm-related injuries totaled $20.4 billion in 1990, $1.4 billion in health care and related goods, $1.6 billion in lost productivity from injury-related illnesses and disabilities, and $17.4 billion in lost productivity from premature death. The adolescent homicide rate has more than doubled since 1988, and teenagers are now more than 2.5 times as likely to be violent crime victims as persons 20 years of age and older. Guns appear to be the weapon of choice in violent incidents, and young people appear to have increasingly easy access to deadly weapons. Statistics indicate 22 percent of inner-city youth own a gun and 9 percent of 8th graders carry a gun, knife, or club to school at least once a month. The problem of youth violence is not limited to urban areas. Domestic violence, hate crimes, sexual violence, and violence among peers pose threats to children and teenagers in every community. Roots of violence and the need for appropriate solutions are discussed. A program in California that focuses on school-based conflict resolution, mediation, and intergroup relations, a program in New York City that trains young people to become peacemakers and role models in their schools and neighborhoods, and a program in New Orleans that involves community planning for violence prevention are described. Photographs