Youth Violence

What can be done about Violence?

The Philadelphia Children's Commission calls upon each Mayoral Candidate to ensure that all of Philadelphia's children grow up with high expectations for success and a genuine vision of becoming productive, contributing members of the community by reducing youth homicides, victimization, and incarceration.

As is true in most urban areas in the United States, life can be dangerous for young people in Philadelphia. The 2006 Children's Report Card shows that in 2005:

• Nearly 4,450 children under 18 were victims of serious crimes.
• 24 children were murdered and 211 children suffered gunshot wounds (235 in 2006).
• Over 3,900 juveniles were arrested for major crimes;

Philadelphians are rightly concerned about these troubling statistics, and the city has moved forward with promising strategies to combat these trends.

• The evaluation of the city's nationally recognized Youth Violence Reduction Partnership (YVRP) indicates that it has reduced youth and young adult homicides in several of the City's most dangerous neighborhoods by 30%-60%;
• Teen Centers located in selected Department of Recreation Centers provide an anchor point in high risk neighborhoods where youth receive a range of services and supports;
• The Adolescent Youth Violence Reduction Program (AVRP) identifies and engages younger (ages 10-15) youth who are most likely to become repeat offenders or victims of violence through a combination of intensive anti-violence programs, monitoring and mentoring provided by community "youth workers";
• The Aftercare Improvement Project, a partnership of the City, the University of Penn, the DA's Office, Family Court, Juvenile Probation, the school district and state government provides positive supports to juvenile offenders re-entering the community;
• Services for School Drop-outs - partnerships with Philadelphia Workforce Development Corporation (PWDC) and the Philadelphia Youth Network (PYN) support increased employment and training opportunities for out-of-school youth.

Philadelphia voters are concerned about the escalation of violence in our city and will insist that the next mayor have a workable, comprehensive approach to these issues. We call upon the next Mayor to build such a plan by making the protection of children and the prevention of crime and violence by young people a major priority. This must include

• Substantial Investments in proven programs designed to prevent youth violence before it starts and turn around the lives of youth at-risk;
• Strategic use of data, such as the Community Report Cards to inform policy and target wise investments;
• A Comprehensive approach that includes investments in early childhood, education and after school programs and supports for strong, stable families and communities.