Everyone by now should know that Public Health is my passion. But Public Health is very broad and encompasses many topics, my time after undergrad working at Wesley Chapel Mission Center (WCMC) gave me insight into what I would like my focus in Public Health is. In addition to health inequities, my focus is violence prevention. March 29, 2021- April 2, 2021, is Youth Violence Prevention Week, so here goes. Earlier in the month, I was able to drop at WCMC to speak with high schoolers about Public Health and The Public Health Notebook and get insight from their executive director.
A pillar in the community, WCMCs staff serves as caring adults. Caring adults are vital to children’s development. They serve as guides, caretakers, and advisers, who give positive and productive guidance throughout their development. As we know, parents come first in their impacting child’s development. But children and youth also need other caring adults in all aspects of their lives: in their schools, neighborhoods, activities, and communities. Here is the advice caring adults can give you!
Youth Violence in the Black Community
It’s important that we understand Violence comes in many forms of violence, including child physical and sexual abuse, intimate partner violence, elder abuse, sexual violence, youth violence, and bullying.
Youth violence increases the risk for risky behaviors and mental health difficulties, including future violence perpetration and victimization, smoking, substance use, obesity, high-risk sexual behavior, depression, academic difficulties, school dropout, and suicide.
Black youth ages 12 to 19 are more likely than white youth to be victims of violent crime. They are three times more likely to be victims of child abuse and neglect, three times more likely to be victims of robbery, and five times more likely to be victims of homicide. In recent years, the rate of suicide among Black youth has nearly doubled, while at the same time decreasing for white youth. Homicide is the second leading cause of death for young Black females and the leading cause for young Black males. Approximately 60% of Black female youth experience sexual abuse by age 18. Black trans youth, particularly young Black trans women, are particularly vulnerable to experiencing hate crimes, sexual assault, police violence, and homicide.
Black youth also experience violence in the form of racism daily. From hate speech and humiliation to race-based physical violence and institutionalized racism, Black youth are constantly battling race-based violence. Racial trauma also occurs from hearing and seeing racist attacks, including witnessing police killings on TV and social media. Overall their life course, Black men are 2.5 more likely to be killed by police, and black women are 1.4 more likely to be killed by police compared to their white counterparts. Black youth also disproportionately experience the impacts of mass incarceration, which is considered a form of modern-day slavery. Black youth are 5 times more likely to be detained or committed to youth correctional facilities compared to white youth, even when committing crimes at the same rate as white youth.
Experiencing violence can be exceptionally traumatic for children and may result in trauma, including Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, and other forms of distress. Lack of follow-up care after experiencing violence significantly increases the likelihood of aggression, high-risk behaviors, mental health issues, poor school performance, social withdrawal, and likelihood to offend. Experiencing violence can also lead to lifelong health complications, including heart disease and poor physical health. With this information being known you would think would be addressed seeing as violence is affects poverty, racism, lack of educational opportunities, underemployment, and economic disadvantages are the largest contributors to the discrepancies in violence experienced among Black and white youth. Addressing these social issues is vital to decreasing violence experienced and witnessed by Black youth and to ensure their safe and healthy future.
Youth Violence Prevention
Youth violence is Preventable. Factors that may protect some youth from violence include connectedness to family or other adults; ability to discuss problems with parents; the perception that parental expectations for school performance are high; frequently shared activities with parents; youth involvement in social activities; commitment to school; and the consistent presence of a parent during at least one of the following: when awakening, when arriving home from school, during evening mealtimes, and when going to bed.
(Courtesy of: Children’s Safety Network)
Why WCMC?
There are more than 400 children living in the highest violent crime area in Cincinnati. The majority attend failing schools and live in low-income, single-parent homes with multiple kids in the household. Parents barely have money to provide for their children’s most basic needs, never mind luxuries such as expensive after-school care, tutors, and enrichment activities for their children. However, if parents fill out a simple, unrestricted registration form, their children can attend our after-school program for free. This keeps students off the street and engaged in productive, empowering activities with their peers.
The goal of the KLASS program is to provide a safe place for students to go after school each day. We strive to support our students academically by providing tutoring and homework help. We supplement the school’s effort to help them achieve grade-level benchmarks. Additionally, it is our goal to guide students’ social and moral development through enrichment activities that expose students to opportunities other than the drugs, violence, and prostitution so prevalent in their community. Furthermore, we seek to collaborate within the community to make the greatest impact possible on our students.
To donate to Wesley Chapel
WESLEY CHAPEL MISSION CENTER
P.O. BOX 141031
CINCINNATI, OHIO 45250
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