In poor neighborhoods like the South Bronx, the "sidewalk" boys learned the codes of the block from their elders and were ranked, and to some degree protected, through the rituals of violence. Violence is not new to the poor communities of America. The difference is that there have never been so many guns in the inner cities. The nature of the violent act has changed from the fist, stick, and knife to the gun, so that more die and more are disabled for life. Children are in grave danger, and they cannot be delivered by the police or a criminal justice system that is more and more punitive. There is no way that government, or social scientists, or philanthropy can solve this problem with a media campaign or other safe solutions that operate from a distance. The only way that life and behavior will change in poor, inner-city communities is for well-trained and caring adults to live and work with children in our those communities. Adults who have the values, the resources, the knowledge, and the experience to guide youth must form the core of any strategy to diminish violence in cities. The comprehensive strategy proposed by the author encompasses the creation of a peace officer corps, a reduction in the demand for drugs, a reduction in the prevalence of domestic violence and child abuse and neglect, a reduction in the amount of violence on television and in the movies, and the reduction and regulation of the possession of handguns. Ways to implement these proposals are described.