NCJ Number: 184368
Title: Youth Afterschool Programs and Law Enforcement
Series: NIJ Research Preview
Author(s): Marcia Chaiken Ph.D.
Date Published: August 1997
Page Count: 4
Sponsoring Agency: National Institute of Justice (NIJ)
Publication Number: FS 000169
Sale Source: National Institute of Justice/NCJRS
Document: PDF |Text
Type: Survey
Format: Document
Language: English
Country: United States of America
Annotation: This paper reports on a national survey of youth-serving
organizations to discover the dimensions of crime that affect
these organizations during nonschool hours and what approaches
they are using to prevent such crime.
Abstract: Questionnaires were sent to a stratified random sample of more
than 1,000 program directors and volunteers, with a 47-percent
response rate. About half of the responding organizations were in
large cities with high crime rates. The majority of organizations
were providing programs in youth centers or clubs, churches or
other religious facilities, and schools. The survey found that
youth prefer programs that provide a range of choices, i.e.,
sports and recreation, activities that bolster their educational
and social skills, activities that increase their ability to say
"No" when faced with temptation, and computer and other technical
instruction. They also want places where they can be safe during
afterschool hours (no gangs, weapons, or crime). The survey found
that national youth-serving organizations are recruiting children
and teens who are at high risk for crime and delinquency, many
from economically depressed areas. Program sites are facing
formidable problems from crime, and the organizations most
affected by crime are reaching out to their police departments to
implement prevention strategies. Youth-serving organizations that
receive services they request from their police are experiencing
significantly less crime than those with less responsive police
departments. Evidence from police departments in three case-study
sites (Arlington, Tex.; Bristol, Conn.; and Spokane, Wash.) shows
that these communities are experiencing lower rates of crime
after actively involving adolescents in youth-serving
organizations.
Main Term(s): Juvenile delinquency prevention
Index Term(s): Police crime-prevention; Urban policing; Youth (Under 15); Youth development; Youth groups
Note: Research in Progress Seminar Series
To cite this abstract, use the following link: http://www.ncjrs.gov/App/publications/abstract.aspx?ID=184368
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