Teenage Violent Crime Rates in the US

Erica Goncalves

What do teenagers do after school? Research states that “1 in 5 children in the United States are unsupervised after school”. This leads to teen violence. Teen violence are when children get out of school and join a group of gang and start committing crimes, go in the internet and bully other students. Lastly, teen violence are still going on because of the ways teens are acting, the way they are because of the videogames and the kinds of music teens are listening to. Teen violence are in every school and place that contains teen in it. Those teens that are doing the violence has been abused or bullied before. Teen violence has been passed through generations it gets pass on each year to young adult, the causes of teen violence in the city of Boston is that teen violence is caused because of the ways the parents treat them violence teens. This shows that we need more afterschool program in the United States to keep children engaged and productive. Children in quality afterschool programs are more likely to come to school, stay in school, hand in their work, and get better grades. After school programs are particularly well positioned to make a difference in a student’s life to help them be successful. Students who attends an after school program have a higher chance of going the college and have a career than students who does not attend an afterschool program.

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The problem is that there is a lot of teen violence happening lately. Over the last couple [1]years teen violence has been a problem that is affecting everyone in the city of Boston[2]. Teen [3]violence also affect a lot of things like lowering the budget of the city, making streets unsafe, harassing and bullying other citizen, and sadly the increase in the number of teen who lose their life. According to recent studies about teen violence, 12% of students who attended high school reported having a weapon, and about 3% were carrying a gun. Also 20% of students reported participating in a physical fight, 7% of teens were reported to participate in gang activities. When it comes to bullying, 17% of students said that they had been a victim of bullying and 14% said that they been a victim of cyberbullying ^[1]. The city of Boston contains 25% of the violence in all of Massachusetts ^[2]. It is not easy for a teen to focus and be positive know that 64% of recovered guns are seized from people who own them illegally^[3]. Teen Violence has a pervasive effect on all members of the society, from the teens themselves to adults that pay higher taxes to address the issue.

Students that do not go to an after school program are most likely to become involved in teen crime. These students that are unsupervised after school are 49% more likely to use drugs and 37% more likely to become a teen parent than kids that attend some after school programs for 1-4 hours each week. (add footnote) Another example of the impact of after school programs is that students that attend an after school program are less likely to be suspended from school for violence, and students already in the juvenile court system that attended after school programs were less likely to go back to court for any reason, especially for violence. Lastly, students in afterschool programs were less likely to become a first time offender of violence in the community than other students not in an afterschool program that had not already committed any crime.(Add Footnote)

Twoafter school programs have had large success in preventing crime. When an after school program was created in 12 California neighborhoods, teen crime decreased significantly. Vandalism decreased by two-thirds, violent acts and carrying a concealed gun decreased by more than half, and the number of arrests made by the police decreased by half (add footnote #1). Baltimore also made an after school program through the police department. Once it was created, juvenile crime dropped by 10% and the risk of children and teens as victi,s of crime was cut in half (add footnote #1). Lastly, the crime rate decreased by 75% in a housing project when an after school program was created, but crime increased in a similar housing project when there was no after school program (add footnote #2).

After school program have existed for many years. “After- school programs first [4]emerged in the last quarter of the nineteenth century, in the form of small, idiosyncratic ” boys’ clubs”, often no more than a storefront or room in a church or other local building”(The context for the emergence of the after school program by Robert Halpern).The clubs evolved to provide recreation and learning activities to children. In addition the supply of after school programs is not as high as the demand for them.”Twice as many elementary and middle school parents want afterschool programs as are currently available”(National Opinion Research Center).

What makes this problem severe is that the lack of afterschool programs allows students to drop out, commit crimes and become teen parents. “The hours between 3 and 6 p.m. are the peak hours for juvenile crime and experimentation with drugs, alcohol, cigarettes and sex”(Fight Crime: Invest in Kids, 2003). This is the time when students are leaving school and feel like they are on their own.

In recent years, more children have been attending after school programs. Their families are in favor of their positive benefits. In 2004, 6.5 million children participated in after school programs, and this value increased to 8.4 million in 2009 and 10.2 million today (add footnote #3). Parents who have kids who attend an after school program have been increasingly satisfied with the programs. Over time they have increased their satisfaction in quality of care, homework assistance, workforce skills development, variety of activities, and the knowledged staff (footnote #3).

Juvenile crime rates have decreased since the 1980s, so the effectiveness of afterschool programs is seen in many ways. In recent years (2008-2012), the teen crime rate has decreased. Murder decreased by 42%, rape decreased 24%, robbery decreased by 39%, and aggravated assault decreased by 35% as well in the 4 year period (add footnote #4). For the 6th consecutive year after 2006, the youth violent crime rate has decreased dramatically in the US (footnote #4). The prevalence of crime in males and females ages 10-17 has decreased in the last 4 years. It has also decreased for all races- whites, blacks, Hispanics, Asians, and American Indians. Between 2003-2012, violent crime for Asian youth has decreased by 44%, 41% for American Indians, 39% for whites, and 23% for blacks (add footnote #4).The components of violent crime- murder, forcible rape, robbery, and aggravated assault- have fallen to record lows over the period of 2008-2012.(add footnote #4)

Youth property crime has decreased significantly coming up to 2012. In 2012, the property crime rates were at its lowest levels since 1980. In the same 4 year period described earlier, youth were arrested 36% less for burglary, 30% less for larceny-theft, 47% for motor vehicle theft, and 33% less for arson (footnote).The prevalence of property crime has decreased for both genders over the period of 2008-2012. The prevalence has also decreased for all races, [5]too- whites, blacks, Hispanics, Asians, and American Indians.

“Students who spend no time in extracurricular activities, such as those offered in after-school programs, are 49 percent more likely to have used drugs and 37 percent more likely to become teen parents than are those students who spend one to four hours per week in extracurricular activities”(National Youth Violence Prevention Resource Center).

Youths who went to a juvenile detention facility were significantly less likely to be suspended from school compared to kids who did not participate in the program. Teens who were a part of the juvenile justice system were significantly less likely to fall back into committing crimes. Teens that had no experience were less likely to commit a first offense. “A study of afterschool programs conducted by the California Juvenile Crime Prevention Demonstration Project in 12 high-risk California communities found that, the rate of crime and delinquency went down after they started the program. Vandalism and stealing dropped by two-thirds, violent acts and carrying a concealed weapon fell by more than half, and arrests and being picked up by the police were cut in half”. In the three years after Baltimore’s Police Department opened a Police Activities League (PAL) afterschool program in one high-crime neighborhood, juvenile crime in the neighborhood dropped nearly 10 percent, and the risk of children and teens becoming crime victims was cut nearly in half. While juvenile victimization rates were coming down for all Baltimore juveniles, the rate in the area served by the PAL program came down nearly three times as fast as it did for the city as a whole.x

Paulo Barros is the person who run the program. All the decisions in implementing the proposed program is made by the director Paulo Barros, catholic charities board, the president of the CEO and vice president of the CEO. It costs the company 1.3 millions of dollars to run yearly. Success are measured based on how many students go the college. It is also measured by the amount of gang involved in the environment and arrests, and how many students gets a job. Also that is where many of Cape Verdean students learn English. This program has been run since 2001. It use to be a middle school K1-8. The program use to run cafeteria in the basement that had nothing to do with school. Throughout the year the program became bigger and bigger and once the school shut down because of the archdiocese sex scandal. Then the teen center took over the building. Saint Peter encourage students to stay in school. Students who attends to Saint Peter are more likely to get good grades and perfect attendance. Saint Peter prevent teens from doing drugs or commit crimes. They don’t serve elementary students due to the lack of funding. Not only that but Saint Peter is not very diverse — majority of Cape Verdeans that goes there. The key groups who support this program are the mayor menino and his family. He backed up our mission statements and wanted a safe community for Bowdoin and Geneva area. The mission that he supported was to provide education, enrichment, leadership development and recreational activities to the adolescents of the Mid- Dorchester corridor.

Second Alternative: Mattapan Teen Center

The program is run by the director Ronald Carroll. In 2008 Bain & Company donated to complete a 100 million dollars comprehensive campaign, which calls for investment in innovation and impact to double the number of youth served at the point. It costs 20,686,041 for all operating expensive. Boys and Girls club is successful by teaching young people the skills they need to succeed in life. This can be measured easily by comparing the ratio of students who attends to an after school program to who doesn’t and see who’s more likely to be successful in life. 97% are expected to graduate high school. It has been run since 1893. First club was found in Charlestown in 1893. The Boston foundation helped put the “girls” in the Boys and Girls clubs by providing a $300,000, for three years grant to reach out to “special categories of youth who lack opportunities for appealing programs. In 1981, the club formally changed its name to Boy and Girls clubs of Boston and national organization followed in 1990. Boys and Girls Club help kids stay in school and improve their academic success. It is open daily, after school and on weekends when kids have time and wants to be productive. It helps kids graduate from high school not only that but it also save lives. Boys and Girls club are located in disadvantaged community areas. Macs- generous support for BGCA’s mission and our local Clubs through funds raised during the annual “Thanks for Sharing” campaign helped to create great futures for America’s young people. Ross Stores- helped Clubs provide homework assistance to more than 12,000 youth at 90 Clubs through its support of Power Hour. ConocoPhillips- supported BGCA’s dropout prevention program,Best Buy Children’s Foundation. The mission statement is to help young people, specially those who need us most, build strong character and realize their full potential as responsible citizens and leaders. The organization does this by providing a safe haven filled with hope and opportunity, ongoing relationship with caring adults and life-enhancing programs.

Alternative 3: Holland School

The program is run by Hillary casson. That legislation that this program supports is the Massachusetts Department of Early Education and Care because the Programs are licensed by the Massachusetts Department of Early Education and Care and Turnaround plan. The Chester commissioner’s team and Scoot given, the chief executive officer are in charge of the day to day management of the school. And will work directly to implement the holland plan. The Mission of this program is that all students acquire the knowledge, skills, and strength of character necessary to succeed on the path to college and to achieve their full potential. Therefore it is measure of how many students are moving on to the next grade and their growth from the time they start and end. 2013, Up receives a new schools venture fund U.S education reform organization of the year award. UpHolland is a elementary school and there is an after school programs that include homework support and tutoring. Upholland after school supports all students with extra help including students with disabilities and English language learners. They only serve K1- 5th grader. The key groups who support this after school program is the College Bound Dorchester. The college Bound Dorchester provides students with a range of activities including homework assistance, writing, visual and performing arts, science exploration, physical education and field trips. During the last year, 98% of Out of School Time students were promoted to the next grade level on time. Out of School Time programs serve children ages 6 to 12 years between the hours of 1:00 pm to 6:00 pm during the academic year.

^[1] ” Youth Violence Prevention Through Positives Youth Development” Mass. gov ,2013. Accessed January 30,2017 http://www.mass.gov/eohhs/gov/departments/dph/programs/community-health/dvip/violence/youth-violence-prevention-program.html

^[2] “Crime Rates for Boston, MA” Neighborhoodscout.com . Accessed February 6,2017 https://www.neighborhoodscout.com/ma/boston/crime/

^[3] “Mayor Walsh and Police Commissioner Evans Announce Additional Steps to Curb Gun Violence” Cityofboston.gov. September,09,2015 accessed February,6,2017 http://www.cityofboston.gov/news/default.aspx?id=20321

[1]race, age, genders

[2]better few as of someone who doesnt know anything about boston

[3]ages 13-18

[4]explain how after school has a huge impact in women …. how it gives women the opportunity to work instead of be a house wifey and take care of the kids

[5]duration 1 paragraph