What is the Youth Violence Barrier?

Youth violence occurs when there is a misguided sense of belonging that leads young people (ages 10-24) or youth in high-risk environments to a destructive pattern of behavior to others and self. A high-risk environment is categorized as one that can be heavily influenced by drugs, violence, and gang presence. Youth in high-risk environments are more likely to live in vulnerable families and in communities that are inadequately supportive, contain high rates of conflict, and expose youth to high-risk activities. The lived experience of a high-risk youth often leads to a poor sense of safety, low stability, and increased stress. As a result, high-risk youth are vulnerable to multiple and intersecting problems including emotional and behavioral disorders, substance abuse, violent and risk-taking behaviors, and poor performance in school. Additionally, high-risk youth often have a hard time trusting adults and perceive that they are alone in this world, affecting their ability to form healthy and stable relationships. Unfortunately, all of these factors contribute to high-risk youth turning to gangs for a sense of belonging, increased substance abuse, and higher instances of teen pregnancy.

The experiences of high-risk children and teens often perpetuate the cycle of unstable work history, broken homes, and unstable environments for future generations. This is why it is important to break through this barrier at the youth demographic. Positive youth development through after-school initiatives and positive older adult mentors aims to combat the youth violence barrier by providing safe spaces that affirm positive identity in children and teens in our neighborhoods. By allowing trust to evolve naturally between youth and adult role models, Solidarity aims to flip the narrative of the high-risk youth. We want to expose the youth to alternative opportunities to positive experiences, such as educational enrichment experiences, workforce opportunities, and fun recreational activities that they might otherwise not be able to experience from their parents or community.

 CAUSES

• Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) — potentially traumatic events that occur in childhood (0-17 years), such as violence, abuse, and neglect at home

• High-risk environment, often categorized by heavy presence of drugs, gangs, violence, and poverty

• Inadequate support at home; instability due to parental separation or household members being in jail or prison

• Insufficient education about topics like safe sex and substance abuse

• Involvement of youth in the foster care system

• Mental illness within the family

• Gang-affiliated family

• Belonging/acceptance in unhealthy relationships

• Lack of job opportunity

• Low-income, ethnic minority adolescents may be exposed to community violence as both a witness or as a victim