OJJDP-supported research on the causes and correlates of delinquency has identified a strong relationship among illegal gun possession by juveniles, delinquency, and drug use (Huizinga, et.al., 1994). The tragic school shootings of the past two years have heightened concern about violence, guns, and drugs in schools across the country. In his September 11, 1999 national radio address to the nation, President Clinton emphasized the importance of comprehensive, collaborative efforts to protect young people: "We know that the best solutions to the problems of youth violence come when everyone at the local level works together: students, parents, teachers, police officers, local judges, counselors, religious and community leaders." To help facilitate collaboration at the community level, President Clinton announced the Safe Schools/Healthy Students initiative, an initiative supported by the Coordinating Council and the CFE program.

The Safe Schools/Healthy Students initiative provides more than $100 million in grants to 54 communities nationwide. Communities are using the grant funds to design and implement comprehensive educational, mental health, social service, law enforcement, and juvenile justice services for youth. These services will help young people develop the social skills and emotional resilience needed to avoid violent behavior, as well as help schools to create a safe, disciplined, and drug-free learning environment. The initiative is designed to help make schools safer and protect young people from violence, as well as drug and alcohol use.

The Safe Schools/Healthy Students initiative reflects an ongoing emphasis on collaboration and coordination at the Federal, State, and community levels. For the initiative, the U.S. Departments of Justice, Education, and Health and Human Services developed a single, streamlined application process that allows local education agencies to apply to a single Federal source— OJJDP—for support of a broad array of developmental, educational, and public safety services. In announcing the grant awards, Attorney General Janet Reno emphasized the importance of collaboration at all levels: "These funds will assist local communities and school systems in working collaboratively to develop comprehensive approaches to reduce violent behavior in our young people...We've been preaching collaboration at the community level for years. Now we're finally doing it on a significant scale at the Federal level."