Voters
and youth consistently want state funding for youth violence
prevention programs.
On
Wednesday, June 21, 2006, Fight Crime: Invest in Kids
California released the results of an After School Teen
Survey.
The survey found:
Three in
ten teens are unsupervised three or more days per week after
school.
Students
who are left unsupervised after school for three or more
days per week are three times more likely to engage in
criminal behavior than teens who are only left unsupervised
between 0-2 days per week.
Less
supervised young people are also:
More than twice as likely to hang out with gang members;
More than three times as likely to smoke marijuana; and
More
than five times as likely to use drugs other than marijuana.
Young people themselves revealed their interest in safe,
constructive activities after school. 86% of youth surveyed
said they believe supervised after-school activities help
teens stay safe and out of trouble.
Keeping Youth Safe:
A Report on Violence Prevention in the Bay Area
(issued by the United Way of the Bay Area) -
includes a variety of indicators on the well-being
of youth throughout the Bay Area as well as the
availability of youth violence prevention
resources and services. Results of a survey by
youth of youth are also included.
Keeping Youth Safe:
Strategies That Work To Prevent Violence, a
statewide dialogue on youth violence prevention.
“Keeping Youth Safe” was a 2004 statewide
videoconference that coincided with the release of
a new voter poll conducted by TCWF grantee i.e.
communications, which revealed that California
voters of both political parties and all state
regions strongly believe violence prevention and
safety programs for youth should have a high
priority for funding. “Keeping Youth Safe” was
broadcast live on June 3, 2004 from Sacramento and
Los Angeles and viewed at community meetings held
in Fresno, Los Angeles, Redding, Sacramento, San
Bernardino, San Diego, San Francisco, San Jose and
Santa Barbara. More than 1,300 community leaders
(policymakers, law enforcement officials, health
professionals, educators and youth advocates)
participated in a discussion about programs and
public policies that prevent violence against
young people.
California Youth
Violence Prevention Scorecard – The Youth Violence
Prevention Scorecard graded the 15 largest
counties in the state, which comprise 83 percent
of California's youth population ages 10 to 17.
