ANNOUNCEMENTS & UPCOMING EVENTS
Funding Announcements
CDC Advances Research on Preventing Youth Violence
In September 2015, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) announced three new National Centers of Excellence in Youth Violence Prevention awardees. These centers work with local health departments and community partners to develop, implement, and evaluate youth violence prevention strategies in high-risk neighborhoods. The 5-year research investment equals approximately $18 million.
The Awardees
Michigan Youth Violence Prevention Center: Community Engagement and Revitalization
Dr. Marc Zimmerman, University of Michigan
The Michigan Youth Violence Prevention Center will study the effects of improving vacant properties on violence, property crimes, and intentional injuries among youth in Flint, Mich., Youngstown, Ohio, and Camden, N.J. A community- and youth-engaged approach to maintaining and improving environments will be compared with professional maintenance. More than 100 communities nationwide that have greening programs will be asked to share their experiences to inform an implementation guide.
Chicago Center for Youth Violence Prevention
Dr. Deborah Gorman–Smith, University of Chicago
Researchers from the Chicago Center for Youth Violence Prevention and a coalition of faith and community leaders will evaluate the process and impact of implementing Communities that Care (CTC) in Bronzeville, Ill. CTC is a promising, community-level prevention system that provides a data-driven framework for community decision making and implementation of evidence-based prevention programs that best address community needs, values, and resources. This study will be the first evaluation of CTC's impact on youth violence and neighborhood social organization in an inner-city community. Current prevention strategies, such as Chicago's Green Healthy Neighborhoods Large Lots Program, and Safe Passage Program, will be evaluated for their impact on youth violence, and results will inform future community and policy strategies.
University of Louisville Youth Violence Prevention Center: Changing the Narrative by Using Media to Shift Social Norms of Violence
Dr. Monica Wendel, University of Louisville
University of Louisville and Vanderbilt University researchers will partner to develop, implement, and evaluate a mass and social media campaign to change norms and reduce violence among youth in West Louisville, Ky., relative to youth in East Nashville, Tenn. The development and implementation of the social norming campaign will be documented to inform replication and scalability in other communities.
Training Opportunities
Webinar on Reducing Hot Spots
A key element of crime reduction is to remove the opportunity for crimes to occur. The International Association of Directors of Law Enforcement Standards and Training and the Bureau of Justice Assistance are broadcasting a Webinar, Building Analytical Capacity Initiative: Strategic Crime Analysis—Reducing Hot Spots and Solving Problems, Dec. 1, from 1 to 2:30 p.m. Eastern Standard Time. To register, click here.
Global Youth Justice Training Institute
Global Youth Justice will host its 12th Training Institute, Dec. 1–3, in Las Vegas, Nev. Sessions will teach strategies to establish and enhance juvenile justice diversion programs through youth and peer courts and juries.
Gang Resistance Education and Training (G.R.E.A.T.) for Officers
Defining the school community as those who shape it—teachers, students, administrators, and parents—this week-and-a-half-long G.R.E.A.T. training beginning Dec. 7 in St. Louis, Mo., will teach officers to effectively interact with the school system and community.
Trends in Child Welfare
This presentation, led by the director of the Crimes Against Children Research Center, will discuss positive trends in children's mental health, crime, bullying, and abuse. Reasons behind the trends will be explored, as well as related policy implications. Join the Dec. 10 Webinar from 1 to 3 p.m. (CST).
Child Sex Trafficking: Awareness and Response
Hosted by the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, this 3½ day training beginning Dec. 17, 2015, in New Orleans, La., looks at issues around child sex trafficking cases, including the scope of the problem, state and federal considerations, interviewing, and coordinating services.
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