Does Social Media Perpetuate Youth Violence?

Brittany Bostic Blog Posts 12 Comments

By: Brittany Bostic, YES Research Assistant Social Media is a huge part of the lives of everyday Americans, and there is growing evidence to support the role that social media plays in youth violence, both directly and indirectly. Very similar to the recent cyber bullying phenomenon, Twitter, Facebook, and YouTube have become a platform for youth violence. ABC News  covered …

What’s In A Bully? The Harm of Loose Definitions and Labels

dtaubman Blog Posts, HBHE 680 2 Comments

Surely we all remember the bullies of our day—the unfortunate among us may even recall being stuffed in a locker, spat on, or shoved to the ground.  And over the years we have been inundated with explicit examples of the bully archetype.  Think Angelica Pickles from “Rugrats” who got a kick out of exploiting and manipulating her cousin and his …

December 2012 Connecticut School Shooting Position Statement

Alison Grodzinski Blog Posts, Media/News, Policy Statements 6 Comments

Nine school violence prevention researchers and practitioners nationwide have developed a position statement on the Dec. 14, 2012 Connecticut school shootings that is being disseminated across the U.S. today. This statement is in response to the tragic acts of violence at Sandy Hook Elementary School and updates the School Shootings Position Statement that was disseminated nationally following the tragic school-related …

Youth Violence: The Solution is not a Vaccine

clsanch HBHE 680 3 Comments

If there were four youth were killed within a seven week time period in your neighborhood, would you do something about it? When is enough, enough? These are some of the questions posed in Milwaukee earlier this month as a recent series of youth killings brought the issue of youth violence to the forefront. A public school representative, Superintendent Gregory …

Shutting Out the World: Preventing Violence in Flint

Pete Hutchison Blog Posts 19 Comments

By: Pete Hutchison, YES Program Director The real frustration of the current rate of violence in Flint is that there are so many concerned people working to prevent it.  There are active neighborhood groups, collaborations amongst the faith community, a multitude of youth serving organizations meeting together and looking for solutions.  Yet with all of this we still can’t seem …

YES is in the News

Alison Grodzinski Media/News 2 Comments

Word is getting out about Youth Empowerment Solutions.  The press release and slideshow from the UM News Service has been picked up by numerous news outlets around the state and nationwide.  Here are some of the headlines: Michigan Program Led to Lower Crime and Fewer Violent Incidents among Kids ASPH Friday Letter – Jan 26, 2012 Program led to lower …

What Does Violence Have to Do With Public Health?

Alison Grodzinski Blog Posts 7 Comments

By: Susan Morrel-Samuels, MA, MPH, MI-YVPC Managing Director According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, violence in the U.S. causes approximately 50,000 deaths a year and over 2 million injuries. In 2007, 18,000 people were victims of homicide and 34,000 people took their own lives.  Let’s think about that for a moment.  Cities like Sheboygan, Wisconson, Ames, Iowa, …

Creating Peaceful Communities

Pete Hutchison Blog Posts 4 Comments

By: Pete Hutchison, YES Program Director   “Peace is not an absence of war; it is a virtue, a state of  mind, a disposition for benevolence, confidence, justice.”      -Baruch Spinoza Most often public health focuses on prevention. Yet, when it comes to violence we need to look beyond just prevention and develop ideas for creating peaceful communities. In order to …