A Public Health Approach to Community Violence Prevention

Policies that strengthen individual and household financial security can increase neighborhood safety and stability. These policies can also support the social and economic conditions of neighborhoods. This can reduce the risks of experiencing community violence for youth and young adults. Example approaches include:

• Tax credits that help individuals and families to increase their income or incentivize communities to provide affordable housing.
• Income support policies, such as Temporary Assistance for Needy Families, provide temporary cash assistance to families with children who are living with low incomes.
• Social insurance programs provide economic supports to individuals who face unexpected, involuntary disruptions to employment.
• Investment accounts are savings account programs designed to build wealth and future life opportunities for children.

Quality education can promote social and emotional development, facilitate opportunities to learn skills, improve job readiness, and help provide a foundation for sustaining healthy relationships and participating actively in society. Example approaches include:

• Preschool enrichment with family engagement programs provides high-quality early education and care, which helps with learning and development.
• Increasing educational attainment for youth and young adults can be accomplished through increases in school resources, educational or vocational programs for incarcerated individuals to assist with transitioning back to the community, and more.

Creating protective environments reduces conditions that contribute to risk for violence. This strategy also supports healthy development and increases community safety, inclusion, and belonging among youth and young adults. Example approaches include:

• Modifying the physical home environment can promote healthy development and reduce the risk for violence and injury. Examples include eliminating lead exposure and securely storing firearms.
• Modifying the physical and social community environment includes creating safe, welcoming spaces that facilitate positive interactions between community members and reduce exposure to conditions that increase risk for violence. Examples include reclaiming and maintaining vacant lots and green spaces.
• Reducing exposure to harmful community conditions, including reducing density of alcohol outlets and improving safe routes for children to school, can lead to community-wide benefits.

Family relationships play a key role in shaping youth and young adults’ physical, emotional, social, and behavioral health. Nurturing and supportive family environments where caregivers build warm and caring relationships with children, monitor children’s activities and friendships, set age-appropriate expectations and rules, and use consistent and nonviolent discipline lower the risk for experiencing community violence. Example approaches include:

• Early childhood home visitation programs provide critical support to families and share information about child health and development.
• Parenting skills and family relationship programs support caregivers and teaches communication, problem-solving, and child behavior monitoring and management skills.

Youth and young adult social, emotional, and vocational skills can help promote healthy relationships and economic stability throughout life. Example approaches include:

• School-based skills building programs enhance interpersonal skills, emotional regulation, conflict management, teamwork, and work to change attitudes toward violence through practice and reinforcement.
• Job training and employment programs connect youth and young adults with employers, providing job experience, leadership development, and social skill enhancement.

Connecting young people to caring adults can promote positive relationships, improve school engagement, improve academic performance, and reduce risk of violence. Example approaches include:

• Mentoring programs pair youth with community volunteers to foster relationships that contribute to growth opportunities, skill development, and academic success.
• After-school programs help youth strengthen social and academic skills, engage in school and community activities, and build positive experiences and relationships.

Many youth and young adults at risk for violence have experienced multiple adverse childhood experiences and other challenges. Supporting youth and young adults with chronic exposures to violence is crucial for healing, healthy development, and hopefulness about their futures. Example approaches include:

• Treatments to lessen the harms of violence address behavioral, mental, and physical health consequences while helping youth process trauma and develop coping skills.
• Treatments to prevent problem behaviors address multiple violence risks while providing therapeutic services for behavioral and emotional issues.
• Hospital-based violence intervention programs strengthen connections between acute treatment of violence-related injuries and community assistance to prevent future violence.
• Street outreach involves trained staff, who establish relationships with young people at risk for violence, to mediate conflicts and provide connections to community supports.
• Community-justice partnerships provide services and supports to youth and young adults at risk for community violence by combining accountability with social services and job training.