Harvard forum compares youth violence studies

Comparing an ongoing study with a 2004 study -- which showed that nearly 90 percent of Boston public high school students questioned have witnessed acts of violence in the previous year, and 44 percent admitted to being victims of violence at least once in the previous year -- analysts examined trends and prevention methods of Boston's violent youth at a forum titled Youth Violence: The Real Deal.

David Hemenway, the director of the Harvard Youth Violence Prevention program spoke at the meeting at Harvard University yesterday citing the study and spoke on the origins of youth violence, seeking to identify the root causes of violent behavior and trying to detect solutions to this frightening problem.

For the latest survey, which is not yet available to the public, Hemenway conducted a sampling from 17 randomly chosen public schools throughout Boston. At each school Hemenway presented students with a 120-question survey, which asked students an array of questions ranging from alcohol usage to carrying guns in schools.

"The survey is intended to create an extensive data-based system that we can analyze and evaluate to find out more about teens and why they turn to violence," he said. "We want to evaluate this information conducted in the survey so we can find ways to decrease violence and find neighborhoods that are most at risk."

The Rappaport Institute for Greater Boston-- an organization housed at Harvard's John F. Kennedy School of Government that, according to its website, strives to connect Boston's students, scholars and civic leaders--co-sponsored the event.

"The Rappaport Institute's goal is to get the people exposed to what is going on in Boston," said Assistant Director Polly O'Brien. "We want to disseminate information so people are aware of issues and policy making. Youth violence is an important issue that affects Boston residents."

Rev. Jeffrey Brown, co-founder of the Boston Ten Point Coalition -- an organization founded to help curb youth violence in Boston by adhering to 10 strategies -- said, although disappointed, he is not surprised by the violence.

"The results from this survey resonated with my experiences on the street -- the numbers were really a snapshot of the interior," Brown said. "I see violence everyday when I'm in the streets, and what we are finding these days is that kids are turning to violence at a progressively younger and younger age, and that is a scary thought."

Renee Johnson, a research associate who worked with the Youth Violence Prevention Center on the survey, said the group "conducted this survey of violence to assess and learn about the lives of ordinary kids."

"We are interested in their hopes and their dreams and we really want to find out what we can do to help them by decreasing violence in schools," she said.

Teachers, policeman and teen violence program specialists at the forum expressed surprise at the number of teens exposed to violence in schools.

"People have no idea what teens go through each day," said Lisa Fliegel, director of The Arts Incentive Program.

"Girls that I work with will not go to school without knives because they fear their safety," Fliegel said. "Many times, kids will drop out of school because they feel unsafe, and that is a very sad thing. Boston does not have one single therapeutic school, and that is what we need if we really want to see change."

Several members of the Worcester County Police Department attended the forum.

"We came to hear what's going on with students in Boston Public Schools so we can learn more on how to help," said Captain Steve Sargent. "We want to see what other members of the community are doing. We spend a lot of time in schools, but I think there needs to be a greater effort."