School-Based Violence Prevention

The City of Baltimore proposes to implement a School-Based Violence Prevention Program addressing individual, relationship and community level risk and protective factors through student focused sessions, parent directed activities, and teacher/staff training. The program is implemented in 4 middle/high schools in Baltimore City working with students, parents, and teachers to prevent youth exposure to violence in selected implementation schools located within and adjacent to neighborhoods of concentrated poverty and that are experiencing high rates of community violence. The proposed implementation period is August 1, 2024-September 30, 2026.

 Through universal school-based programming all students will be invited to participate in evidence-based curricula sessions regardless of their levels of risk for violence. The student component integrates an enhanced set of culturally tailored social and emotional learning modules that build complementary skills in students to prevent violence.  Supporting activities include peer support, mediation, mentoring, awareness events, case management, and service referrals. The program bolsters individual, relationship, and community-level protective factors by teaching non-violent coping and conflict resolution skills, strengthening pro-social ties, and improving school community norms. The student components’ expected outcomes include promotion of healthy relationships, increased conflict management, empathy, and help seeking skills in youth.

The program works with a selected group of students to build leadership and advocacy skills around the prevention of youth violence.  Youth Ambassadors will be trained as peer educators and are compensated for outreach, peer education, and event planning.  This program component will help students develop and strengthen their leadership, peer education and self-efficacy skills, and creates career pathways and workforce development opportunities for students as an alternative to violence.

The program engages parents and teachers through education and awareness workshops and trainings on intervening and preventing youth violence.  Programming for parents and school staff help to reinforce key messages with students, improve social norms around the acceptance of violence, raises awareness around warning signs, and promote early intervention. Parent and educator workshops build protective factors that improve parent and teacher interactions with students and equip them with tools for preventing youth violence.  
By teaching healthy relationships, conflict resolution, coping strategies, and having access to timely intervention resources, students can enter adulthood equipped with knowledge to avoid and navigate conflict within their communities.  Reducing rates of aggression and violent behavior among students will decrease their likelihood of justice involvement and improve the health and safety of the school environment.