Recommendations for Prevention

University of Virginia

Youth Violence Project

Violence is not a single problem amenable to a single solution; all violent youth do not conform to the same profile. A comprehensive approach must address factors in the individual, the family, and society.

Immediate Actions at School

• Talk to students about gun violence.
• Acknowledge youth violence as a serious, but preventable problem.
• Explain school policies and safety procedures.
• Obtain student input on their safety concerns.
• Encourage students to report threats of violence.

Identify youth at risk for gun violence at school:

• Students who threaten others or hint about violence
• Students with a history of carrying guns, fighting, destroying property, or cruelty to animals.
• Students who are preoccupied with violent fantasies, movies, games, and music
• Students, including suicidal students, who feel rejected, humiliated, bullied, or mistreated.

Take all threats seriously.

• Evaluate threatening students following standards comparable to those for suicidal students.
• Assess student's intentions and plans, mental state and motivation.
• Review student's recent stresses and history of violence.
• Consult with other professionals, estimate risk, and if necessary, take reasonable steps to protect potential victims.
• Develop a plan of action, including nonviolence contracts, parent consultation, and follow-up services.

Long-Term Strategies

What schools can do.

• Review and maintain clear written policies on school discipline, building security, and crisis response.
• Enforce school discipline and security policies.
• Work to maintain a climate of respect for authority and concern for others.
• Initiate school-wide programs starting in the elementary grades to teach students social competence skills and peaceful methods of resolving conflict.

Implement programs to identify and stop bullying.

• Promote student involvement in projects, organizations, and activities which emphasize nonviolence, personal responsibility, and service to others.
• Encourage troubled students to seek help.
• Use school psychologists and counselors to work with troubled, at-risk students and coordinate efforts with community services.

What parents can do.

• Talk to your children about their problems, fears, and concerns.
• Take them seriously and give them your support.

Supervise your children.

• Know where they are and what they are doing.
• Lock up your guns and ammunition.
• Talk about gun violence with your children.
• Limit your children's exposure to media violence as a form of entertainment.
• Discuss with them how media violence desensitizes us to violence and portrays violence unrealistically as a glamorous and effective solution to problems.
• Educate your children in moral values and principles, including personal responsibility and respect for others.
• When in doubt about your child's behavior, consult with school or community professionals.

What community agencies and law enforcement can do.

• Work collaboratively with schools to provide them with well-trained school resource officers.
• Expect and encourage schools to assist in enforcement of laws against violence, weapon-carrying, and use of drugs and alcohol.
• Vigorously enforce gun laws and conduct campaigns to get guns off the streets and out of the hands of juveniles.
• Support after-school programs, supervised recreation, youth employment, and community service activities.
• Establish mentoring as a standard program component.
• Provide comprehensive family services programs, including Head Start, multi-systemic family therapy, and parent education.

Assessment of a Potentially Violent Youth

• Assessments should be conducted by a qualified mental health professional.
• These suggestions are not intended to substitute for a comprehensive evaluation.

Identify all potentially relevant sources of information.

• Youth self-report.
• Parent interview.
• Potential victim.
• Other as appropriate (peers, law enforcement, professionals.
• Assess youth's intent.
• Has youth made verbal threats?
• Has youth been aggressive toward victim?

Is there a plan?

• Available weapon?
• Does the youth identify contingencies that would provoke him or her to act?
• Review present stress. Has there been recent provocation or conflict?
• Any extraneous stresses or life changes?
• Any anticipated negative events?

Assess mental state.

• Anger, injustice, over-controlled hostility?
• Depression, hopelessness, despair?
• Psychotic or distorted thinking?
• Check personal risk factors.
• Past aggression toward others.
• Aggressive role models.
• Fantasy involvement with violence through games, movies, novels,etc.
• Substance abuse.

Assess coping ability.

• Is youth willing to communicate with you when stressed?
• Can youth engage in a nonviolent coping plan?
• Can you elicit youth empathy for victims?
• Take appropriate action.
• Can you elicit youth concern for legal and personal consequences?
• Consult with other professionals about your findings and conclusions.
• Document your process, conclusions, and actions with timely notes.
• Take appropriate precautions, including warning potential victims, notifying relevant parties (law enforcement, parents, school personnel and others as appropriate to the situation).
• Follow up on treatment recommendations and referrals.
• Professional responsibility continues after the assessment.
• Specific programs and references for implementing these strategies are described in our paper, Programs that Work.