Safe Schools Project

The Edward Byrne Memorial Discretionary Grants Program, administered by the Office of Justice Programs' (OJP's) Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA), furthers the Department's mission by assisting state and local jurisdictions in improving the criminal justice system and assisting communities in preventing drug abuse and crime. In fiscal year 2007, the Edward Byrne Memorial Discretionary Grants Program will focus on funding local, regional, and national efforts within six major categories: 1) targeting violent crime; 2) preventing crime and drug abuse; 3) enhancing local law enforcement; 4) enhancing local courts; 5) enhancing local corrections and offender reentry; and 6) facilitating justice information sharing. All categories combat, address, or otherwise respond to precipitous or extraordinary increases in crime, or in a type or types of crime.

Break the Cycle (BTC) proposes to utilize grant funds to develop replicable tools and resources that strengthen crime prevention efforts by preventing and reducing delinquent behavior and victimization of youth. BTC will provide coordination, guidance, and technical assistance to the District of Columbia (DC) Public Schools to help them develop appropriate polices and procedures that address teen dating violence and sexual assault among the student population. BTC will ensure campus police officers, school security officers, and school resource officers in DC have the information, training, and resources to effectively provide early intervention to young victims of sexual and dating violence and hold young perpetrators accountable. Teachers, counselors, coaches, and other school officials will be trained to better serve students and communities by addressing teen dating violence and sexual assault among youth and providing them with services and tools needed to build healthy, nonviolent lives. Deliverables resulting from the project include model school policies and resource manuals for middle and high schools to effectively prevent domestic and dating violence; collaborate with local governmental and non-governmental supports systems; intervene with appropriate services that protect victims of dating violence and hold perpetrators accountable, and develop curriculum for training campus police, school security and school resource officers. Additional activities include:

- Pilot model policies and procedures at no fewer than ten (10) DC public schools.
- Train 100 school safety officers and 500 school personnel within DC Public schools to
effectively respond to dating violence and sexual assault committed by or against students and/or other school personnel.
-Create and distribute nationwide 1,000 school safety officer resource manuals and make copies available for download online.
-Create and distribute nationwide 1,000 teacher resource manuals and make copies available for download online.

CA/NCF