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##  Focus on After-School Time for Violence Prevention. ERIC Digest.             

An estimated eight million school-age children are home alone after             school (U.S. Department of Education, 2001). These are the hours                when violent juvenile crime peaks and when youth are most likely to             experiment with alcohol, tobacco, drugs, and sex (Snyder & Sickmund,            1999). Although many older children care for themselves after school            for an hour or two until a parent comes home, research suggests that            some of these children are at risk for poor grades and risky                    behavior (Pettit et al., 1997, p. 517; National Institute on                    Out-of-School Time, 2001, p. 2; Dwyer, et al., 1990). This Digest               discusses the role of after-school programs, adult-child                        relationships, and parental monitoring in violence prevention for               middle and high school youth. AFTER-SCHOOL PROGRAMS AND CRIME                 REDUCTIONAfter-school programs help to reduce juvenile crime and            violence because they offer alternative activities for children and             youth during their out-of-school time. Several studies support the              hypothesis that participation in youth development programs                     decreases involvement in unhealthy and high-risk activities (Quinn,             1999, pp. 111-112). Fight Crime: Invest in Kids, a national                     organization of police chiefs, sheriffs, police association                     presidents, prosecutors, and crime survivors, draws on outcome data             from high-quality youth development programs to encourage public                investment in high-quality after-school and summer programs for                 youth. This anti-crime organization reports that high-quality youth             development programs provide "responsible adult supervision,                    constructive activities, and insulation from deleterious pressure               from peers and older children during high-risk hours" (Fox & Newman,            1997, p. 4). ADULT-CHILD RELATIONSHIPS AND CRIME REDUCTIONIn              addition to helping youth make constructive use of after-school                 hours, after-school programs provide teens with opportunities to                develop caring relationships with adults. Supportive adult-child                relationships are a central component of high-quality after-school              programs (Roth et al., 1998, pp. 435-436). Research on                          resilience (often defined as the ability to face, overcome, and be              strengthened by adversity) in children identifies "protective                   factors" in the family, school, and community environments that can             help reverse or minimize what otherwise might be poor outcomes for              children (Bushweller, 1995). Caring and supportive relationships are            cited as a critical protective factor for youth (Masten &                       Coatsworth, 1998). 
Other research has found similar effects of                constructive adult-child relationships. In surveys of more than                 100,000 youth in 200 communities, the SEARCH Institute found that               high-quality relationships with parents and other adults,                       accompanied by constructive uses of time, are critical for healthy              youth development. Relationships were among the 40 critical factors,            or "assets," identified by SEARCH in its surveys, that appeared to              help prevent risky behaviors among youth (Benson et al., 1998;                  Roehlkepartain, 1998). A study of Chicago neighborhoods also showed             benefits of reduced overall violence, even in poor neighborhoods,               when community residents increased their level of positive                      involvement with children (Sampson & Morenoff, 1997). OPTIONS FOR             AFTER-SCHOOL PROGRAMMINGAfter-school programming can range from             a group of teens hanging out at a friend's house and playing                    basketball when a parent or other responsible adult is home, to more            formal after-school activities, including "drop-in" programs that               are provided by community organizations, licensed programs with                 highly structured curricula offered through schools, and                        neighborhood programs that integrate school and community                       resources (Gootman, 2000). Increased federal support for                        after-school programs through the U.S. Department of Education's                21st Century Community Learning Centers initiative has greatly                  expanded the number of after-school programs in public school                   settings around the country (U.S. Department of Education,                      2001). 
After-school programs for youth are sponsored by a diverse             array of organizations and may be difficult for parents to find.                Public libraries, YMCAs, Boys and Girls Clubs, and local child care             resource and referral agencies (CCR&Rs) can help parents find                   after-school options in their community. CCR&Rs also often have                 information on how to know when a child is ready for self-care and              can suggest resources to prepare a child to be on his or her own. To            find local CCR&Rs, parents can call Child Care Aware at                         1-800-424-2246. PARENTAL MONITORING AND CRIME REDUCTIONDespite            the potential benefits of after-school programs, there are many                 reasons why parents do not use them. Programs may be unavailable,               unaffordable, or of poor quality (Larner et al., 1999). Older                   children and young teens may refuse to attend programs that resemble            child care. Parents may feel uncertain about how much freedom is                appropriate for children and youth who are beyond the traditional               child care years. The Research Institute on Addictions suggests that            children raised in a family that is emotionally supportive and that             actively monitors its children will have lower levels of problem                behaviors (Barnes, 1995, p. 1). High levels of parental                         monitoring-defined as "parents' knowledge of their child's                      whereabouts, activities, and friends" (Jacobson & Crockett, 2000, p.            66)-are associated with greater academic achievement, lower levels              of depression, lower levels of antisocial or delinquent behavior,               and lower levels of sexual behavior (Jacobson & Crockett, 2000, p.              90). In situations where older children are home alone, studies                 indicate that when parental monitoring is provided, children in                 self-care are less likely to participate in risk-taking                         behaviors (Roth & Brooks-Gunn, 2000, p. 6). Parental monitoring does            not mean that parents have to be a constant physical presence in                their child's world. Consistent, firm control and monitoring can                occur from a distance (Roth & Brooks-Gunn, 2000, p. 6). If older                children are at home alone after school, it is important that a                 parent is available to provide remote supervision with phone calls              or regular discussions of after-school plans (Steinberg & Levine,               1997). 
Although middle and high school youth may think they are               autonomous and rebel at times against parental monitoring, parents              remain responsible for supervising their teenagers (Roth &                      Brooks-Gunn, 2000, p. 6). In a series of group interviews                       commissioned by the Carnegie Council on Adolescent Development,                 young people reported wanting safe places to be with caring adults              and other young people (Quinn, 1999, p. 97). This preference                    for "learning, growth, structure, and safety" was also voiced by 800            teens in the Community Counts Project, a study of 120 youth-based               organizations in 34 cities (DeAngelis, 2001, p.                                 61). CONCLUSIONAfter-school hours are prime times for youth to            be victims or perpetrators of juvenile crime and to experiment with             health-compromising behaviors such as tobacco, alcohol, and                     marijuana use, and early sexual activity (Snyder & Sickmund, 1999;              Fox & Newman, 1997). Supervised after-school programs can reduce                juvenile crime and involvement in risk-taking behaviors by providing            youth with constructive activities and opportunities to develop                 healthy relationships with adults. It is especially helpful when                parents remain psychologically available to monitor their teenagers'            activities and friends even when older youth are ready to be home               alone after school hours (Jacobson & Crockett, 2000). Beneath the               cool veneer of many adolescents is the need to feel connected to and            cared about by their parents and other significant adults. Research             supports the effectiveness of these strategies in protecting middle             and high school youth from risk and from harm (Roth & Brooks-Gunn,              2000). FOR MORE INFORMATIONBarnes, G. (1995). Parents can help            prevent teen alcohol, drug use. Support, monitoring key to                      prevention, study finds. RESEARCH IN BRIEF [Online]. Available:                 http://www.ria.org/ summaries/rib/rib955.html. 
Benson, P. L.,                 Galbraith, J., & Espeland, P. (1998). WHAT KIDS NEED TO SUCCEED:                PROVEN, PRACTICAL WAYS TO RAISE GOOD KIDS. Minneapolis, MN: Free                Spirit. ED 423 076. 
Bushweller, K. (1995). The resilient child.               AMERICAN SCHOOL BOARD JOURNAL, 182(5), 18-23. EJ 502                            924. 
DeAngelis, T. (2001). What makes a good afterschool program?             MONITOR ON PSYCHOLOGY, 32(3), 60-62. 
Dwyer, K. M., Richardson, J.             L., Danley, K. L., Hansen, W. B., Sussman, S. Y., Brannon, B., Dent,            C. W., Johnson, C. A., & Flay, B. R. (1990). Characteristics of                 eighth-grade students who initiate self-care in elementary and                  junior high school. PEDIATRICS, 86(3), 448-454. 
Fox, J. A., &                 Newman, S. A. (1997). AFTER-SCHOOL CRIME OR AFTER-SCHOOL PROGRAMS:              TUNING INTO THE PRIME TIME FOR VIOLENT JUVENILE CRIME AND                       IMPLICATIONS FOR NATIONAL POLICY. A REPORT TO THE UNITED STATES                 ATTORNEY GENERAL. Washington, DC: Fight Crime: Invest in Kids. ED               412 319. 
Gootman, J. A. (Ed.). (2000). AFTER-SCHOOL PROGRAMS TO               PROMOTE CHILD AND ADOLESCENT DEVELOPMENT: SUMMARY OF A WORKSHOP.                Washington, DC: National Academy. ED 446 849. 
Jacobson, K. C., &              Crockett, L. J. (2000). Parental monitoring and adolescent                      adjustment: An ecological perspective. JOURNAL OF RESEARCH ON                   ADOLESCENCE, 10(1), 65-97. EJ 599 939. 
Larner, M. B., Zippiroli,              L., & Behrman, R. E. (1999). When school is out: Analysis and                   recommendations. FUTURE OF CHILDREN, 9(2), 4-20. EJ 600                         557. 
Masten, A. S., & Coatsworth, D. J. (1998). The development of            competence in favorable and unfavorable environments. AMERICAN                  PSYCHOLOGIST, 53(2), 205-220. 
National Institute on Out-of-School             Time. (2001). FACT SHEET ON SCHOOL-AGE CHILDREN'S OUT-OF-SCHOOL                 TIME [Online]. Available:                                                       http://www.wellesley.edu/WCW/CRW/SAC/factsht.html. 
Pettit, G. S.,             Laird, R. D., Dodge, K. A., & Bates, J. E. (1997). Patterns of                  after-school care in middle childhood: Risk factors and                         developmental outcomes. MERRILL-PALMER QUARTERLY, 43(3), 515-538. EJ            554 329. 
Quinn, J. (1999). Where need meets opportunity: Youth                development programs for early teens. FUTURE OF CHILDREN, 9(2),                 96-116. EJ 600 565. 
Roehlkepartain, E. C. (1998). Building assets             in congregations. Minneapolis, MN: SEARCH Institute. 
Roth, J., &              Brooks-Gunn, J. (2000). What do adolescents need for healthy                    development? Implications for youth policy. SOCIAL POLICY REPORT,               14(1), 3-19. 
Roth, J., Brooks-Gunn, J., Murray, L., & Foster,                 W. (1998). Promoting healthy adolescents: Synthesis of youth                    development program evaluations. JOURNAL OF RESEARCH ON ADOLESCENCE,            8(4), 423-459. EJ 576 149. 
Sampson, R. J., & Morenoff, J.                     D. (1997). Ecological perspectives on the neighborhood context of               urban poverty: Past and present. In J. Brooks-Gunn, G. J. Duncan, &             J. L. Aber (Eds.), NEIGHBORHOOD POVERTY: VOL. 2. POLICY IMPLICATIONS            IN STUDYING NEIGHBORHOODS (pp. 1-22). New York: Russell Sage. ED 427            120. 
Snyder, H. N., & Sickmund, M. (1999). JUVENILE OFFENDERS AND             VICTIMS: 1999 NATIONAL REPORT. Washington, DC: Office of Juvenile               Justice and Delinquency Programs. ED 435 888. 
Steinberg, L., &                Levine, A. (1997). YOU AND YOUR ADOLESCENT: A PARENT'S GUIDE FOR                AGES 10-20. Dunmore, PA: HarperCollins. ED 408 108. 
U.S.                      Department of Education. (2001). 21st Century Community Learning                Centers [Online]. Available:                                                    http://www.ed.gov/21stcclc/. 
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ERIC Digests are in the                  public domain and may be freely reproduced. 
This project has been             funded at least in part with Federal Funds from the U.S. Department             of Education, Office of Educational Research and Improvement, under             contract number ED-99-CO-0020. The content of this publication does             not necessarily reflect the views or policies of the U.S. Department            of Education, nor does mention of trade names, commercial products,             or organizations imply endorsement by the U.S. Government.                   **Title:** Focus on After-School Time for Violence Prevention. ERIC Digest.             **Document Type:** Information Analyses---ERIC Information Analysis Products (IAPs) (071); Information Analyses---ERIC Digests (Selected) in Full Text (073); **Available From:** ERIC Clearinghouse on Elementary and Early Childhood Education,                 Children's Research Center, University of Illinois, 51 Gerty Dr.,               Champaign, IL 61820-7469. Tel: 800-583-4135 (Toll Free); Tel:                   217-333-1386; Fax: 217-333-3767; Web site: http://ericeece.org;                 e-mail: [email protected]. For full text:                                       http://ericeece.org/pubs/digests.html.                                       **Descriptors:** Adolescents, Adult Child Relationship,  After School Programs,                  Children, Delinquency, Delinquency Prevention,  Prevention,  Violence        **Identifiers:** ERIC Digests, Parental Supervision                                           
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