Violent Deaths

Violent deaths are deaths that occur as a result of both suicide and homicide. However, for this community at this time it was determined that death by homicide posed the greatest problem. Therefore, the committee researched violent deaths not only as a community health issue, but also within the broader framework of juvenile justice. The committee set out to answer three questions:

• What is happening in our community that is yielding the current level of violent deaths among young people?
• What is being done in the community now to reduce the level of violent deaths?
• What are the gaps in services and what must the community do to reduce the level of violent deaths?

The committee sought the expertise of community youth, individuals in law enforcement, criminal justice, and violence prevention. Four focus group meetings were held with representatives from the following groups:

• Violence prevention and intervention specialists.
• Youth not involved in delinquent behavior or violent acts.
• Youth involved in delinquent behavior, violence and the criminal justice system.
• Youth incarcerated at the Juvenile Justice Center.

In cooperation with Youngstown State University Center for Human Services Development, a survey questionnaire was developed and distributed to 86 violence intervention and prevention programs in Mahoning County. The survey was to establish a comprehensive tabulation of violence prevention and intervention services within our community by:

• Defining populations served.
• Identifying risk factors addressed by current programs.
• Determining geographic areas of service.
• Identifying collaboration efforts of current programs.
• Determining the current gaps in service.

The committee determined that the following issues demand immediate attention if violent deaths of youth and young adults are truly to cease.

THE ENTIRE COMMUNITY MUST:

• Unite by disregarding geographic boundaries as well as racial, economic and gender bias, thereby adopting a collective vision of how to provide protection and support for all children.
• Accept responsibility for the violent deaths of our youth and young adults.
• Mobilize and establish a WEB of protection for all children.

Research has shown that efforts to reduce violence must begin early in a child's life and focus on ensuring good health, adequate parenting skills, and readiness for school. Then as the child grows, there must be opportunities for positive role models and a belief in their future. The community health plan proposed by this committee directs future violence-related programs toward efforts that will affect these areas of prevention.

Goals

• Decrease poverty and unemployment rates.
• Mobilize Mahoning County to combat juvenile crime and violence through prevention, early intervention, and community-building strategies.
• Decrease the number of youths involved in the juvenile justice system reporting or demonstrating a substance use/abuse issue or sales affiliation.
• Reduce the number of firearm homicides among 15 to 24-year-olds
• Establish clear community norms that will not tolerate alcohol, tobacco, and other drug use, as well as firearm availability.

Objectives

• Develop public, private, and education partnerships to accurately identify necessary job skills.
• Encourage positive relationships among student peer groups, faculty and administration of the all Mahoning County schools.
• Increase the number of high school graduates in the Youngstown City schools.
• Increase opportunities for children to experience positive role models with clear expectations of appropriate behavior in a safe, non-threatening environment.
• Establish a Community Violence Prevention Team.
• Include alcohol, tobacco, and other drug use prevention in the curricula of all Mahoning County schools.
• Enforce laws prohibiting sale and distribution of tobacco and/or alcohol to youth under 18.
• Enforce laws, ordinances, policies, and regulations in Mahoning County limiting the availability of alcohol and other drugs.
• Reduce the availability of firearm access to minors.
• Encourage alternate solutions for youth conflict-resolution other than use of a firearm.

Strategies

• Increase the percentage of students reading at grade level by the 4th grade.
• Increase the percentage of successful student transition from 8th to 9th grade.
• Encourage participation in vocational education or job training for skilled trades and secure gainful employment upon completion of apprenticeship.
• Establish improved diversity awareness within Mahoning County schools.
• Support the Youngstown City School Readiness Center projects that enhance social skill development, pre-employment training, conflict mediation, health and wellness, and role modeling.
• Expand existing programs to insure a comprehensive integrated K-12 curriculum in conflict management and dispute resolution in all city schools.
• Re-shape the content of educators' training to include training in violence prevention strategies.
• Support the implementation of a county-wide comprehensive mass transportation plan in Mahoning County.
• Address the high rate of mobility and develop a plan to address transition difficulties due to frequent moves.
• Establish a program of focused early intervention for teen mothers that provides in-home health and parenting education, as well as emotional and social support.
• Support Help Hotline as a definitive referral/information source.
• Establish a Mahoning County Violence Prevention team consisting of youth, parents, educators, law enforcement, government officials, religious leaders, ethnic and minority groups, business people, civic groups, social service providers, health professionals and community groups already focusing on violence. This team will implement a community wide comprehensive plan.
• Support the implementation of Healthy Valley 2000 Community Health Plan objectives to reduce alcohol, tobacco, and other drug use among youth under the age of 18.
• Monitor and evaluate the recently established Drug Court.
• Study the community's probation system and maximize its ability to provide comprehensive services.
• Implement a comprehensive strategy for serious, violent and chronic juvenile offenders.
• Monitor effectiveness of a court liaison to monitor mandatory school attendance.
• Support implementation of a Youngstown City Youth Diversion Program.
• Support the efforts of the Family and Children First initiatives.
• Maximize the community's ability to provide after-care services for youth following the Department of Youth Services commitment.
• Educate youth regarding consequences of firearm use.
• Develop consistent gun interdiction policies and reporting procedures throughout Mahoning County law enforcement agencies and schools.
• Identify youth access to firearms.

Mahoning County District Board of Health
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