A Comprehensive Prevention Approach to Reducing Assault Offenses and Assault Injuries among Youth

Abstract

Since 2011, the CDC-funded Michigan Youth Violence Prevention Center (MI-YVPC), working with community partners, has implemented a comprehensive prevention approach to reducing youth violence in Flint, MI, based on public health principles. MI-YVPC employed an intervention strategy that capitalizes on existing community resources and application of evidence-based programs using a social-ecological approach to change. We evaluated the combined effect of six programs in reducing assaults and injury among 10–24 year olds in the intervention area relative to a matched comparison community. We used generalized linear mixed models to examine change in the intervention area counts of reported assault offenses and assault injury presentation relative to the comparison area over a period six years prior- and two and a half years post-intervention. Results indicated that youth victimization and assault injuries fell in the intervention area subsequent to the initiation of the interventions and that these reductions were sustained over time. Our evaluation demonstrated that a comprehensive multi-level approach can be effective for reducing youth violence and injury.

The Center for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) Youth Violence Prevention Centers: Paving the Way to Prevention

“…For example, the Michigan Youth Violence Prevention Center (MiYVPC) has partnered with universities, economic development organizations, health departments, hospitals, police departments and community-based organizations to implement and evaluate several complementary strategies to prevent youth violence. As a result of MiYVPC’s combined collaborative efforts in Flint, MI over 5 years, youth were 5 % less likely to be victims of violent assault and experienced a 38 % decrease in assault-related injuries compared to youth in other, comparable areas (Heinze et al, 2016). Also, the Virginia Commonwealth University’s Clark-Hill Institute for Positive Youth Development YVPC empowers youth, schools, families, and other stakeholders to promote the healthy, safe, and positive development of youth through evidence-based practices.…”

Violent firearm-related conflicts among high-risk youth: An event-level and daily calendar analysis

“…36 A recent study also demonstrated that combining multifaceted neighborhood interventions with hospital-based interventions can be effective as a comprehensive package decreasing violent crime and assaults throughout the community. 35 Finally, given the increased access of urban youth to illegal sources of highly lethal firearms, 5 our findings also emphasize the need for efforts that decrease firearm diversion and novel community-based intervention strategies that specifically focus on decreasing illegal firearm possession by high-risk youth. Taken together, our findings support the notion that these and other community-level interventions tailored to address firearm violence may aid in decreasing firearm victimization.…”

“…Interventions increasing social capital and community engagement within neighborhoods with low levels of social organization 34 are theorized to enhance community organization and lead to less problem behaviors. 35 Within this context, interventions focused on improving vacant lots through greening have shown promise for decreasing firearm assaults, violent crime, and community stress, as well as enhancing neighborhood health and safety. 36 A recent study also demonstrated that combining multifaceted neighborhood interventions with hospital-based interventions can be effective as a comprehensive package decreasing violent crime and assaults throughout the community.…”

Association of Drug and Alcohol Use With Adolescent Firearm Homicide at Individual, Family, and Neighborhood Levels

“…Recent violence reduction initiatives are focused on changing the physical and social characteristics of neighborhood (eg, improving physical infrastructure or building youth engagement). 52,53 Interventions targeting drug and alcohol exposures at the neighborhood level could expand these efforts. Multi-level approaches should form the basis for future research and interventions to reduce the burden of firearm violence that disproportionately affects adolescents in minority populations in large US cities.…”