Youth and gang violence are challenges of national importance.
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Youth and gang violence are problems that affect communities—urban, suburban, and rural—across the entire United States. Young people can be perpetrators, victims, or witnesses to violence. Some violent acts, such as bullying, can cause as much emotional harm as physical harm. Other acts, such as assault, with or without weapons, can lead to death or serious injury that may result in life-long impairment. Youth and gang violence are more than just public safety issues. Beyond public safety, youth violence negatively affects our nation’s communities on multiple levels, including business viability and economic prosperity. Violence increases health care costs, decreases property values, disrupts social services, and perpetuates the cycle of poverty as education and employment prospects decline. Both individuals and the community are affected: kids are afraid to go to school, residents avoid public activities, and businesses close. On the other hand, the benefits of preventing youth violence can be strong and long lasting. We can gain a generation of promise as thousands of youth reach their potential to become productive contributors to their families, communities, and the economy. |
FindYouthInfo.gov is the U.S. government Web site that helps you create, maintain, and strengthen effective youth programs. Included are youth facts, funding information, and tools to help you assess community assets, generate maps of local and federal resources, search for evidence-based youth programs, and keep up-to-date on the latest, youth-related news.