JUNE 2014, VOLUME 4, NUMBER 6
 

IN THIS ISSUE 

Centers for Disease Control Offer New Resources 

for Preventing Youth Violence 

Night Walkers Sooth Salinas's Meanest Streets 

Announcements and Upcoming Events 

• Funding Opportunities 

• Training Opportunities 

News and Views 

• Reports, Guidelines, and Briefs 

• News 

• Other Resources 

PREVENTING YOUTH 

VIOLENCE IS POSSIBLE— 

AND NEW CDC 

RESOURCES CAN HELP 

by Dr. Corrine Ferdon and Dave Marsden 

Atlanta, Ga.—The four strategies of the 

National Forum on Youth Violence Prevention 

have worked remarkably well. Prevention, 

intervention, law enforcement, and reentry— 

which are ingrained in the strategic plans of 

the 10 Forum cities—are the pillars of the 

work that we do. But in a sense, as all of us 

recognize, the power of prevention is foremost 

of these strategies. 

If we do a great job in prevention, the need for 

other strategies will begin to fade. That is why 

SALINAS WALKS FOR LIFE 

by Carrie Nathans and Marcia Cohen 

Community and faith leaders refuse to turn their backs on the 

most dangerous neighborhoods of Salinas, Calif. These 

residents are standing up—walking, in fact—for parts of the 

city that many others have dismissed. They are fighting gang 

violence without weapons, without patrol cars or prison bars. 

And they're doing it after sundown, when crime is at its peak. 

Night Walkers have become a strong presence in 

communities struggling with poverty, drugs, and violence. 

Cities such as Boston, Mass., and Sacramento, Calif., have 

led these "walks for peace," a crucial part of the Ceasefire 

antiviolence effort, for years. So when the number of fatal 

shootings rose in Salinas's eastside neighborhoods, reaching 

the state's highest homicide rates among 16- to 24-year-olds, 

the city decided to tackle the problem with partnership and 

good will. 

Night Walks are a widely supported effort, led by Salinas's 

Community Safety Manager José Arreola and Julia Nix, who 

help facilitate the Community Alliance for Safety and 

Peace (CASP), and other faith and nonprofit community 

members. Together, they have joined with the Monterey 

Institute of International Studies, the Naval Postgraduate 

School, and California State University of Monterey Bay in a 

"collaboration between business, the faith community, 

education, and government," said Dick Renard, ministry 

coordinator at Marketplace Meets Mission in Salinas. 

Friendly Faces Appear From Six to Midnight

The walkers are small groups of churchgoers, pastors, 

deacons, families, and community members (see picture 

below)—with at least one fluent Spanish speaker—who meet 

three or more times a week. From about 6 p.m. to 12 a.m., 

they walk through known hot spots such as Acosta Plaza, Del 

Monte Avenue, and Hebbron Heights (where violence rates 

have dipped), talking to residents in an effort to build trust and 

relationships. Walkers wear white windbreakers and carry 

cards with a list of services available to the community by 

dialing 2–1–1. Each group is trained so they know how to 

best interact with community members and police as they 
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

the Centers for Disease Control and 

Prevention (the CDC) are concentrating on 

this key component of the Forum strategies. 

Prevention is the foundation of the public 

health approach, and ultimately our best way 

forward is to stop the violence before it starts. 

How often do you hear people in your 

community say, "Youth violence is always 

going to happen, and we can't stop it"? Or 

"Violence is just too big of a problem to try to 

solve"? Youth violence is truly a significant 

public health problem. But it is also true that 

preventing youth violence is possible. 

Research and experience show that youth 

violence can be prevented. CDC data indicate 

the national youth homicide rate is at the 

lowest level in the last 30 years.1 CDC's Youth 

Risk Behavior Survey also offers encouraging 

news, showing the proportion of high school 

students who report having been in a physical 

fight at least once in the past year has 

decreased significantly, from 42 percent in 

1991 to 25 percent in 2013.2 Even with these 

encouraging trends, the levels of youth 

violence remain unacceptably high. 

Fortunately, we have a growing set of youth 

violence prevention strategies that have been 

evaluated and proven to lower the risk for 

violence or the occurrence of violence. These 

include 

1. School-based programs that build
 

youths' skills to solve problems
 

nonviolently
 

2. Family approaches that help caregivers 

set age-appropriate rules and effectively 

monitor youths' activities and 

relationships 

3. Economic, policy, environmental, and 

other community approaches that 

enhance safety and increase 

opportunities for positive social 

interaction3 

Research shows that, for every dollar invested 

in evidence-based prevention programs, 

communities can save several dollars in future 

costs for justice, medical, and educational 

systems.4 

Bridging What We Know and Community

Action 

Communities often find it hard to access and 

thus use the knowledge that exists about 

youth violence and effective prevention 

strategies. CDC's Preventing Youth 

determine what resources are needed.
 

"We're very confident that it's strengthening the community," 

Salinas Police Chief Kelly McMillin told the Monterey Herald. 

"And stronger communities are better able to withstand 

violence." 

Youths are responding in a positive way, expressing gratitude 

for the outreach. Although not everyone is on board with the 

Night Walks, most feel they are a heartfelt effort to turn the 

violence around—a first step in a process to increase 

interaction and build strong community relationships. 

Neighborhood residents see the familiar faces of walkers who 

come back week after week and month after month, and 

understand this isn't just about charity. 

"The walks are not about conversion," said Renard. "It's 

about building a community of peace. We're hoping 

neighbors feel they live in peace and are not trapped in their 

circumstances." 

There are other efforts to revive Salinas, such as Tatum's 

Garden, the first Monterey County playground designed 

specifically for children with disabilities. And city officials 

continue to attend biweekly meetings with CASP, where they 

discuss sustainable antiviolence strategies with law 

enforcement leaders and department heads. 

Walkers Return Even After a Shooting

"We are seeing a reduction in violent crime," said Renard. 

"Aggressive behavior is going down, there are fewer kids in 

juvenile [detention centers]... and we've seen a change in 

atmosphere. In summer, kids are out playing, families are 

talking on the front stoop. People's friendly attitudes are on 

display as we pass by." 

Nothing deters the walkers, who keep the faith, even after a 

shooting. They often return the following day, with more 

volunteers in tow. 

Soon, Night Walks will begin in nearby San Jose, California's 

third-largest city. "We've got to collaborate," said Renard, "to 

become each other's cheerleaders for best practices." 
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Violence: Opportunities for Action and its 

companion guide Taking Action to Prevent 

Youth Violence make youth violence 

prevention information more accessible to all 

members of a community. 

These new resources summarize what we 

currently know about youth violence—the 

burden, health consequences, trends, 

disparities, causes, costs, and prevention 

strategies. Community leaders and public 

health professionals, who have experience 

thinking about prevention and are ready to 

dive a little deeper, will find detailed 

information and suggestions in Opportunities 

for Action to help them work with partners to 

select and put in place a comprehensive youth 

violence prevention strategy that is based on 

the best available evidence. Community 

members, who are thinking for the first time 

about what they can do to prevent youth 

violence, can get started with the companion 

guide. It provides concrete examples of the 

burden of youth violence, contributing risk 

factors, and action steps that community 

members can take. 

Everyone Has a Role in Preventing Youth

Violence 

All members of a community can take steps 

that will make real and lasting differences to 

reduce youth violence. CDC's Opportunities 

for Action and its companion guide offer 

evidence-based action steps that community 

leaders and members, public health 

professionals, families, adults who work with 

youths, and young people can take today that 

can stop youth violence before it starts. 

Community leaders and members can take 

steps to enhance skills of young people and 

increase the use of evidence-based youth 

violence prevention strategies. Public health 

professionals can strengthen their 

communities' ability to understand and prevent 

youth violence by sharing information, using 

data, and continuing research. Families and 

other adults who work with youths can be 

nonviolent role models, closely monitor youths' 

activities, and seek out help when needed. 

Youths can make safe choices and help others 

be violence free. 

The new CDC resources explain these and 

many, many other opportunities for action. 

Getting to Information About Prevention

Strategies That Work

There are many free, online tools that provide 

NEWS & 

VIEWS 

Reports 

The Case Against Juvenile Incarceration 

Nell Bernstein, 2014 

The United States' rate of juvenile incarceration is 7 times as 

high as Great Britain's and 18 times that of France. It costs 

American taxpayers an average of $88,000 a year to keep a 

single youth locked up — far more than the government 

spends on a child's education. But the biggest problem with 

juvenile incarceration, according to juvenile justice system 

reporter Nell Bernstein, is that it separates the detained from 

the people they need—family, teachers, and other role 

models—and sets them in the direction of more crime and 

self-destructive behavior. In Burning Down the House: The 

End of Juvenile Prison, Bernstein describes juvenile 

facilities throughout the land, and the fear, punishment, 

sexual abuse, and therapeutic treatment they may 

experience there. Not sure you want to buy the book, or don't 

have time to read it? Check out the Fresh Air interview with 

the author from early this month. 

OJJDP Bulletin Weighs Behavioral Health Problems,

Treatment, Outcomes in Young Offenders 

Carol A. Schubert and Edward P. Mulvey, June 2014 

"Behavioral Health Problems, Treatment, and Outcomes 

in Serious Youthful Offenders" is an OJJDP bulletin that 

assesses the overlap between behavioral health problems 

and the risk of offending behavior in a sample of serious 

offenders, the delivery of mental health and substance abuse 

treatment in juvenile justice settings, and continuation of care 

after reentry to the community. 

Justice Bureau, Education Center Report on School

Crime, Safety

Rachel E. Morgan, Jana Kemp, Amy Rathbun, Simone 

Robers, and Thomas D. Snyder, June 2014 

The Bureau of Justice Statistics and the National Center for 

Education Statistics have released their annual report on the 

most current detailed statistical information on the nature of 

crime in schools, Indicators of School Crime and Safety 

2013. 

School Discipline Consensus Report Released

Council of State Governments, June 2014 

The Council of State Governments Justice Center this month 

released the School Discipline Consensus Report, a 

comprehensive set of policy statements and 

recommendations that public schools and others can use to 

move beyond discipline and law enforcement responses that 
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

in-depth information about effective prevention 

strategies. CDC's Opportunities for Action and 

its companion guide describe each of these 

tools, discussing how they vary in their focus 

on youth violence or other outcomes and the 

criteria used to determine whether to suggest 

a particular prevention activity. 

One of the latest tools described is CDC's 

Striving to Reduce Youth Violence Everywhere 

(STRYVE) Strategies Selector Tool. As part of 

the many STRYVE Online tools, it will help 

communities connect their unique risks and 

needs to specific evidence-based prevention 

activities. The content for the STRYVE 

Strategies Selector Tool is available as a 

downloadable pdf. In the coming months, the 

content will be converted into an interactive 

tool that communities can use to help select 

evidence-based prevention activities. 

Where You Can Learn More 

CDC's Division of Violence Prevention 

works with Forum cities and other 

communities to better understand and prevent 

youth violence. CDC examines trends in youth 

violence, studies what increases or decreases 

risk for violence, tests prevention strategies, 

and builds community capacity to use 

prevention strategies that work. Opportunities 

for Action and its companion guide are just 

two examples of CDC's prevention support. 

CDC's Violence Education Tools Online 

(VetoViolence) is an innovative portal that 

provides additional tools and training about 

preventing violence. 

Where This Leads Us 

All of us in the Forum effort must rely on data 

and information about best practices that are 

based on research. Using the science that 

drives the public health approach to violence 

prevention will provide the best results. While 

we must continue to pull young people 

engaged in violence in better directions 

(intervention), continue to police our 

communities through thoughtful and effective 

means (law enforcement), and recognize that 

offenders returning to the community must be 

given every chance to break the cycle of 

offending (reentry), it is prevention that holds 

the promise of stemming the tide of youth 

violence. 

Corinne "Cory" Ferdon is acting deputy 

director for science at CDC's Division of 

Violence Prevention. 

inappropriately remove students from the classroom. The 

report addresses how to improve conditions for learning and 

use graduated responses to address misbehavior. 

The council's Justice Center worked with more than a 

hundred experts over the past 3 years to identify evidencebased recommendations to reform disciplinary systems in 

public schools. Researchers interviewed more than 700 

persons, including school administrators, justice officials, 

educational organizations, advocates, students, and parents 

to develop this comprehensive national roadmap for school 

discipline reform. The report was developed with financial 

support from OJJDP, the Atlantic Philanthropies, the 

California Endowment, the Novo Foundation, and the Open 

Society Foundations. 

National Academies Release Victim and Support Guide

on Commercial Sexual Exploitation and Trafficking of

Children 

The Institute of Medicine and the National Research Council 

have released a guide for victim and support service

providers summarizing their report Confronting 

Commercial Sexual Exploitation and Sex Trafficking of Minors 

in the United States. The report, sponsored by the Office of 

Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention, examines 

current approaches to addressing commercial sexual 

exploitation and sex trafficking of children. The guide 

highlights information relevant for providers of victim and 

support services and includes key terms, risk factors, 

emerging service strategies, challenges of providing services, 

and recommendations for preventing, identifying, and 

responding to these crimes. 

Brief Explores Supervision Strategies for JusticeInvolved Youth 

The National Council on Crime and Delinquency has 

released "Supervision Strategies for Justice-Involved 

Youth," a policy brief describing strategies to improve 

supervision of low- and moderate-risk youths on probation, 

on parole, or under community supervision to keep them out 

of the juvenile justice system. Key strategies explored include 

reducing supervision of youth who do not need it, avoiding 

unnecessary revocations, and engaging youth with families 

and service providers. 

News 

Administrator Listenbee Testifies at Senate Hearing on

Reauthorization 

OJJDP Administrator Robert L. Listenbee testified June 9 

before a field hearing of the Subcommittee on Crime and 

Terrorism of the U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee, chaired by 

Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse (R.I.) in Pawtucket, R.I., that dealt 

with reauthorization of the Juvenile Justice and Delinquency 

Prevention (JJDP) Act. Listenbee emphasized the U.S. 

Department of Justice's support for reauthorization of the 

JJDP Act and outlined four OJJDP priorities to address 

juvenile justice reform: 
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

ANNOUNCEMENTS 

& UPCOMING EVENTS
 

Funding Opportunities 

Interior Department to Grant $6.7M to Hire

Young People to Work on Public Lands

Nationwide 

The U.S. Department of the Interior will 

release up to $6.7 million in grants to support 

conservation employment and mentoring 

opportunities at 43 projects on public lands

across the United States. This amount 

represents a 60 percent increase over last 

year's funding. Learn more. 

The National Institute of Justice (NIJ) is 

accepting applications for its Developing

Knowledge About What Works to Make

Schools Safe funding opportunity. Under the 

Comprehensive School Safety Initiative, the 

Institute will fund projects that discover more 

about how personnel, programs, and activities 

contribute to school safety. Applications are 

due July 10, 2014. 

Training Opportunities 

Families in Recovery for Reunification

Webinar 

The National Training and Technical 

Assistance Center (NTTAC) is leading a 

Webinar beginning at 11 a.m. (EDT) July 10, 

So How Do You Know They Are Really

Ready? Key Considerations for Assessing

Families in Recovery for Reunification. 

Registration, though free, has not yet been 

posted, so check the above link daily. 

NCJFCJ Annual Conference 

The National Council of Juvenile and Family 

Court Judges will hold its 77th Annual 

Conference "From Surviving to Thriving: 

Healthy Families, Healthy Courts" in Chicago, 

Ill., on July 13–16, 2014. Topics include child 

abuse and neglect, trauma, custody and 

visitation, judicial leadership, juvenile justice, 

sex trafficking of minors, family violence, and 

drug courts. A preconference workshop will be 

offered to professionals working with juvenile 

justice–involved youth who have mental 

health, trauma, or substance abuse issues. 

Coalition for Juvenile Justice Youth 

Summit 

The Coalition for Juvenile Justice and the 

Maintain public safety; adopt a developmental 

approach to juvenile justice reform. 

Integrate evidence-based research in all programs, 

grants, and initiatives. 

Reduce youth violence; address trauma and traumainformed care. 

Reduce disproportionate minority contact; eliminate 

racial/ethnic disparities. 

Listenbee provided an overview of OJJDP's activities 

fostering juvenile justice reform and public safety, including 

support for the U.S. Atty. Gen. Eric Holder's Defending 

Childhood initiative, the National Forum on Youth Violence 

Prevention, the Supportive School Discipline Initiative, the 

Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force Program, and 

the Community-Based Violence Prevention Program. His full 

testimony is here. 

OJJDP to Participate in My Brother's Keeper Mentoring

Campaign

OJJDP Administrator Robert Listenbee has announced the 

agency's participation in the My Brother's Keeper Mentoring 

Campaign. The campaign supports the My Brother’s Keeper 

initiative, a national call to invest in collaborative, 

multidisciplinary approaches to expand educational and 

economic opportunities for young men and boys of color. The 

goal of the campaign is to recruit individuals, particularly men 

of color, to serve as mentors for at least 1 year. OJJDP is 

collaborating with the Corporation for National and 

Community Service and the Administration for Children and 

Families of the U.S. Department of Health and Human 

Services. 

Other Resources 

Vera Institute Creates Validated Tool to Identify Victims of

Human Trafficking 

The Vera Institute of Justice's Trafficking Victim 

Identification Tool has been tested with a diverse sample of 

potential victims of trafficking and found to be statistically 

reliable in predicting labor and sex trafficking. When used 

properly, the tool could give victim service providers, law 

enforcement, and legal, healthcare, and social service 

providers a standard means of identifying victims of human 

trafficking. The tool is divided into a long and short version. 

National Gang Center Explains Why Some Youths Join

Gangs

The National Gang Center, in conjunction with the Office of 

Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention and the Bureau 

of Justice Assistance, has released the online video "Why

Youth Join Gangs." The video goes over the family, school, 

peer, and community risk factors that may play a role in a 

youth's decision to join a gang. Gang researchers and 

practitioners give their perspectives on gang joining, and 

youths describe their gang experiences. It also addresses 

behaviors and circumstances that might be observed when 

interacting with youths at high risk of joining a gang. 
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency 

Prevention will cohost the 2014 Juvenile 

Justice Youth Summit Aug. 7–8, 2014, in 

Washington, D.C. The Youth Summit seeks to 

cultivate and empower a new generation of 

juvenile justice advocates. Youth participants 

will engage in skill-building, networking, and 

leadership development. Participants will learn 

the basics of juvenile justice and have the 

opportunity to delve into more detail on 

trending topics in juvenile justice reform. The 

event will also feature activities around the 

40th Anniversary of the passage of the 

Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention 

Act. 

Contact Us 

Send questions or feedback about the newsletter to 

NFYVP@dsgonline.com or subscribe. 

Children's Bureau Video Examines Tribal Child Welfare 

Programs 

The Children's Bureau, within the U.S. Department of Health 

and Human Services, has released a brief online video 

introducing concepts described in the report A Roadmap for 

Collaborative and Effective Evaluation in Tribal Communities. 

The video highlights the difficult history of evaluation and 

research in tribal communities and explores a new narrative 

for conducting culturally responsive and scientifically rigorous 

evaluations to support ongoing improvement in tribal child 

welfare programs. The Children's Bureau's Child Welfare 

Research & Evaluation Tribal Workgroup developed the 

roadmap. 

The National Forum on Youth Violence Prevention Newsletter 

is prepared under Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency 

Prevention (OJJDP) Cooperative Agreement No. 2012–MU– 

FX–K009 with Development Services Group, Inc. 

The views, opinions, and content of this newsletter do not 

necessarily reflect the views, opinions, or policies of OJJDP.