NCJ Number
218104
Journal
Youth Violence and Juvenile Justice Volume: 5 Issue: 2 Dated: April 2007 Pages: 168-187
Date Published
April 2007
Length
20 pages
Annotation
This study used implementation research and case study methodologies to evaluate the Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service’s (FMCS’s) initiative in four communities using the FMCS’s technology-based approach, Technology Assisted Group Solutions (TAGS) in the prevention of youth violence.
Abstract
What was learned from the experiences of the four community test sites in this technology-based youth violence program was that there is no quick fix to the youth violence epidemic. Based on the comparative analysis presented, several factors appear to influence the pilot sites’ institutional capacity to “pick up” and effectively implement the Technology Assisted Group Solutions (TAGS) program. These include stakeholder support, the availability of the Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service (FMCS) commissioners and their connection to the local community, the existing technology infrastructure, local stakeholders’ skill set, and adaptability of the TAGS program. The FMCS was created in 1947 as an independent agency of the United States Government. Its mission is to preserve and promote labor-management cooperation by providing dispute resolution assistance to employers and their unionized employees. The FMCS’s TAGS program uses information technology to facilitate conflict resolution and collaborative problem solving. As part of its Youth Conflict Resolution and Peer Mediation Project, the FMCS employed TAGS to help communities address youth violence issues by involving the community in developing school-based programs. Tables, references