Youth violence is a widespread problem that can have lasting harmful effects on victims and their families, friends and communities. It includes various behaviors. Some violent acts, such as bullying, slapping or hitting, can cause more emotional harm than physical. Others, such as robbery or assault (with or without weapons) can lead to serious injury or death. It is the second leading cause of death for youth ages 10 to 24 years of age, both nationally and in Illinois.

But, as Dr. LaMar Hasbrouck, director of the Illinois Department of Public Health has said: "Violence is preventable, not inevitable." Dr. Hasbrouck, a former medical epidemiologist for the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's (CDC) Division of Violence Prevention and co-author of the Surgeon General's Report on Youth Violence (2001), knows preventing youth violence is vital to promoting the health and safety of youth and communities.

As outlined by STRYVE (Striving to Reduce Youth Violence Everywhere), a national initiative by the CDC, the reasons why prevention of youth violence is so vital include:

• Young people cannot learn and succeed in life if they are afraid to go to school or work because of fear or harm.
• Children cannot play if their neighborhoods and playgrounds are unsafe.
• Violence increases health care costs, decreases property values, disrupts social services, and threatens the success of businesses.
• When youth violence occurs, quality of life diminishes, and communities cannot thrive.

Making youth violence prevention a top priority is thus critical to the short- and long-term health, safety, and viability of a community.

Dr. Hasbrouck understands there are no simple solutions, but encourages those interested in preventing youth violence to check out the numerous prevention programs and strategies that have been evaluated and found to be effective at preventing violence and related behaviors among youth. Some of those strategies can be found below at the websites listed under additional resources.

Youth Violence Statistics for Illinois - CDC

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Center for Injury Prevention and Control, Division of Violence Prevention, publishes state specific statistics on youth violence, including by homicide rates by race/ethnicity and sex, and trends in youth homicide rates.

Homicides of School-Aged Children and Adolescents (PDF) - Children's Memorial Hospital, Chicago

This data brief uses Illinois Violent Death Reporting System data to examine the circumstances of homicides in Cook, DuPage, Kane and Peoria counties where the victim is 5 to 18 years of age.

Myths and Facts

Common myths about youth violence are presented and debunked. Uncorrected, these myths lead to misguided public policies, inefficient use of public and private resources, and loss of traction in efforts to address the problem.

National Youth Violence Prevention Week - National SAVE (Students Against Violence Everywhere)

SAVE is a founding partner of the National Youth Violence Prevention Campaign, which is designed to raise awareness and to educate students, teachers, parents and the public on effective ways to prevent or reduce youth violence.

Youth Violence - CDC

Youth violence is a serious problem that can have lasting harmful effects on victims and their families, friends, and communities.

STRYVE (Striving to Reduce Youth Violence Everywhere) - CDC

STRYVE, a national initiative led by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, is an ever-evolving resource that community members, organizations, and leaders can use to develop, to implement and to evaluate youth violence prevention approaches.

Stop Bullying.gov - U.S. Department of Health and Human Services

This website lists information and resources on how to identify and prevent bullying in schools. Bullying is defined as unwanted, aggressive behavior among school-aged children that involves a real or perceived power imbalance. Both kids who are bullied and who bully others may have serious, lasting problems.

Find Youth Info - U.S. Government

This website helps users create, maintain and strengthen effective youth programs. Included are youth facts, funding information and tools to help users assess community assets, generate maps of local and federal resources, search for evidence-based youth programs and keep up-to-date on the latest, youth –related news.

Electronic Media and Youth Violence: A CDC Issue Brief for Educators and Caregivers (PDF) - CDC

Technology and adolescents seem destined for each other; both are young, fast paced, and ever changing. But new technology has caregivers and educators concerned about the dangers young people can be exposed to through these technologies.

Connecting the Dots to Prevent Youth Violence, A Training and Outreach Guide for Physicians and Other Health Professionals (PDF) - AMA

This training and outreach manual was developed to assist physicians and other health professionals increase awareness of colleagues and community groups about the serious and pervasive nature of youth violence and the possibilities that now exist for prevention.

Youth Violence A Report of the Surgeon General

The Surgeon General's first report on youth violence summarizes an extensive body of research that identifies and clarifies the factors that increase the risk that a young person will become violent and describes studies that have begun to identify developmental pathways that may lead a young person into a violent lifestyle.

 

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Illinois Department of Public Health | 535 West Jefferson Street | Springfield, Illinois 62761
Phone 217-782-4977 | Fax 217-782-3987 | TTY 800-547-0466