The survey gathered information from affiliates of the Boys and Girls Clubs of America, Boy Scouts of America, Girls Incorporated, Girl Scouts of the USA, National Association of Police Athletic Leagues, National 4-H Council and USDA 4-H and Youth Development Service, and YMCA of the USA. The organizations served 21,000 children during nonschool hours on a typical weekday. Contrary to the common myth, all seven organizations provided programs in large cities with high crime rates. A relatively large proportion of the children served were at risk for juvenile delinquency. Exemplary programs selected for detailed study were located in Bristol, Conn., Arlington, Tex., and Spokane, Wash. The support that police were providing to youth organizations was integral to these organizations' comprehensive efforts to address youth issues. Findings indicated that crime prevention and youth development approaches appear to be most effective when carried out collaboratively by neighborhood-based representatives of city leaders, municipal agencies, private nonprofit organizations, businesses, and neighborhood groups. Together, youth organization staff, neighborhood volunteers, police, and other municipal agencies are providing safe and productive places in the nonschool hours for raising urban children and adolescents. Appended instrument and methodological information and 63 reference notes. For the related technical assistance report for police agencies, see NCJ-169599
Raising Our Cities' Children: Safe Productive Places in the After-School Hours
NCJ Number
170608
Date Published
1996
Length
137 pages
Annotation
A survey of 579 local affiliates of 7 national youth-serving organizations gathered information on the types and rates of crimes they had experienced during the 1993-94 program year and the approaches they took to prevent it.
Abstract
Date Published: January 1, 1996