Youth Gun Violence Prevention

Englewood Youth Gun Violence Prevention Program

The Institute on Social Exclusion is part of important work with adolescent boys in Chicago’s Englewood community to increase their understanding of how gun violence affects them, their families and their community. And, we are working with adolescent girls and their mothers in Englewood to develop and implement economic empowerment and anti-violence programming.

In order to address the high levels of gun violence in the Englewood community, the ISE, the Art Therapy program, and the IPSSJ partnered with Teamwork Englewood to develop and implement a program focused on preventing gun violence in the Englewood and West Englewood communities of Chicago through education and therapeutic art-making.

Piloted in the summer of 2009 with funding from The Field Foundation of Illinois, the Englewood Youth Gun Violence Prevention Program was first implemented over an 8-week period (July-August) and served 25 Englewood-resident boys between the ages of 14 and 17. With support from The Field Foundation of Illinois and the use of "Weed and Seed" funds through the U.S. Department of Justice, the 2010 program was expanded 60% (serving 40 boys), the program length was extended from 8 to 12 weeks, and the program time was extended from 4 to 6 hours.

The program created a safe haven for youth (between the ages of 14-17) during the summer by providing them with a safe place in which to spend their time on Friday afternoons.The program provided youth with educational and mentoring opportunities that convey valuable life skills such as interpersonal and group interaction, problem-solving and conflict resolution skills which are essential for violence prevention. This involved guest speakers and field trips, that aided the youth in seeing a larger context for the violence.

The therapeutic arts element of the program included weekly journaling and collaborative art-making where they were able to develop group interaction and conflict resolution skills which are critical to violence prevention. The group model of art making also had therapeutic value by building a sense of community and connectedness among the boys in the program.

Other program outcomes included:

• Enhanced interpersonal and inter-group interaction, problem-solving and conflict resolution skills
• Increased understanding that the levels of gun violence in the community is neither normal nor healthy
• Increased understanding of the enormous and life-altering risks of gun use
• Strengthened sense of individual potential and an understanding of the importance of anticipating and planning in order to realize that potential
• Improved understanding of the effects of gun violence on participants’ thoughts and behaviors
• Initiated a shift in attitudes, values and behaviors vis-à-vis gun usage

The Englewood youth gun violence prevention program is only one example of our work in communities. Contact the ISE to learn more.