Information to Help to Prevent Criminal Violence

The Experts in crime have stated that crime prevention is defined not by intentions or methods, but by the results. The central question to consider and examine, we are informed, is whether any program or institutional practice results in fewer criminal events than would otherwise occur. We know a crime occurs when an individual or collective group basically breaks the known and established laws of a country. But as far as crime prevention is concerned, it is a result while the punishment for carrying-out a crime is only one possible tool for achieving the result. Therefore, crime prevention is any policy which causes a lower number of crimes to occur in the future than would have occurred without the specific prevention policy. See Preventing Crime: What Works, What Doesn't, What's Promising at www.cjcentral.com. So when the experts talk about crime prevention, they say crime prevention is not defined by its intentions, but by its consequences - by the number of criminal events and by the number of criminal offenders.

In Philadelphia, Pennsylvania (where I currently reside) for this year (2006) we have seen and heard by media coverage, consistent increase in criminal activities that have the police and neighbors working beyond the norm to resolve the problem. As of November 15, 2006 there have been over 350 violent deaths in Philadelphia, according to the latest news media report. Many of these activities (some believe) are the result of youth gang violence. Youth Gangs are not new or unique to Philadelphia. But gangs once provided outlets for youths to socialize, control territory, and release suppressed aggression. But many today have evolved into informally affiliated international criminal networks. And now their activities range from defending neighborhood turf to arm robbery, extortion, arms and drug trafficking, and others. They are becoming more and more violent and mobile. Handguns, assault rifles and grenades, for example, have replaced the "old fashion" knuckles and blackjacks. They're using cars for drive by shootings and the recruitment of members in other counties, cities or states, and then transporting them to the desire place for their purpose. In the process, crimes such as robbery, assassination for hire, and drug trafficking supply a good steady income for the group. See North American Transnational Youth Gangs: Breaking the Chain of Violence at www.heritage.org.

The above therefore create all sorts of problems for our law enforcement officers and the upsurge in violent crime, especially those committed with the gun. Generally, within the above identifications are some of the causes of the crimes of Philadelphia's and even possible points of solutions through a reversal approach. So there exist, information about where to possibly look in developing policies from identifying crimes and relevant solutions. Youths and young men (18-26 years of age) for example, often play significant role in the crime problem. That is why unstable neighborhoods, broken homes, violent role models, and access to drugs feed youth gang growth in neighborhoods across America. Even the media at various times glamorize and encourage violence. So the problem and solutions become harder and harder. But to deal with violent crimes, there are identifiable risk factors that need to be dealt with.

There are Marginal Neighborhoods: For example, youths living in areas where their acquaintances were (and are) in crime trouble with the law, were far more likely to join gangs or commit a violent criminal act. The Family: Juveniles in single-parent families were more likely to join a gang than those in two-parent families. But regardless of family structures, parental attitudes favoring violence, poor family management and supervision, and low parental attachment will concur with gang membership. Academic Problems: Youths with learning problems, for example some form of disability, which contribute to low self-esteem, were more likely to join gangs - likewise are those with low academic achievements. Poor academic performance and low commitment to school can correspond to gang membership. Peer Groups: Youths who associate with delinquent friends in real friendship, were more likely to join their friends gangs. Drugs and Violence: Juveniles who use illegal drugs, like marijuana, were more likely to join gangs and those who engage in violent behavior at younger ages than their peers were more likely to join gangs - www.heritage.org. This information gives us some insight into the possible issues to tackle in successfully dealing with the crime violence. Parents, Communities and the Law Enforcement Officials often will play significant corrective roles base on these particular information.

But in addition, the experts have stated that crime prevention is a result of everyday practices concentrated in seven institutional settings. A "setting" they say, is a social stage for playing out various roles such as parent, child, neighbor, employer, teacher, and church leader. While there are many ways to define these settings, and their boundaries are sometimes arbitrary, we are to know that much of the crime prevention literature fits quite neatly into seven (7) major institutional settings. These are: Communities, Families, Schools, Labor Markets, Places, Police Agencies and other Agencies of Criminal Justice. The definitions of the above settings for crime prevention can be broad and sometimes they even overlap. But they are very workable as frameworks for organizing research findings on crime prevention effective - www.cjcentral.com.

Communities are the central institutions for crime prevention and are the stages on which all other institutions perform. Families, schools, labor markets, retail establishments, police and corrections must all confront the consequences of community life. Much of the success or failure of the other institutions is affected by the community context in which they operate. The United States ability to prevent serious violent crime may depend heavily on the ability to help reshape community life, especially in the most violent crime troubled communities. The effectiveness of local crime prevention practices is therefore critical in solving this problem in a long-term sustainable way.

In dealing with the crime problem, we are admonished by crime research experts to be aware of the point that local crime prevention practices must be supported by federal and local, as well as public and private resources. The seven (7) local institutional settings (also mentioned above) and pertaining to combating the crime problem issue, can be additionally explained as follows: Community Based Crime Prevention: This reviews evaluation of such practices as community organization and mobilization against crime, gang violence prevention, community-based mentoring, and after-school recreation programs. Family-Based Crime Prevention: The evaluation of such practices as home visitation of families with infants, preschool education programs involving parents, parent training for managing troublesome children, and programs for preventing family violence, including battered women's shelters and criminal justice programs, are relevant here. School-Based Prevention: Here reviewing and evaluating peer-group counseling, gang resistance education, anti-bullying campaigns, law-related education, and programs to improve school discipline, and improve social problem-solving skills are identified as essential.

The others include, Labor Markets and Crime Risk Factors: Reviews of the crime prevention effects on training and placement programs for unemployed people, including Job Corps, vocational training for prison inmates, diversion from court to employment placements, and transportation of inner-city residents to suburban jobs are to be taken into consideration. Preventing Crime at Places: The available evidence on the effectiveness of practices to block opportunities for crime at specific locations like stores, apartment buildings and parking lots, including such measures a cameras, lighting, guards and alarms, are identified are necessary and within this concept. Policing For Crime Prevention: Evaluations such as police practices as direct patrol in crime hot spots, rapid response time, foot patrol, neighborhood watch, drug raids, and domestic violence crackdowns all come under this section. Criminal Justice and Crime Prevention: This refers to reviewing the evidence on such practices as prisoner rehabilitation, mandatory drug treatment for convicts, boot camps, shock incarceration, intensively supervised parole and probation, home confinement and electronic monitoring.

Therefore, in searching for answers to prevent violent crimes, these Local Institutional Settings are very relevant. The analysis and implementation of all or some of these "settings" characteristics will be helpful in dealing with the crime problem in communities across America. Families and Communities are the two most relevant factors. Crimes usually come from individuals (including and especially youths) coming out of a specific type of family situation into the immediate local neighborhood. So parents and community leaders are very important in the drive to combat crimes across America.