Teens, Crime, and the Community in Boys & Girls Clubs.

N

28

Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquent Prevention (Dept. of Justice), Washington, DC.

Adolescents; Community Programs; Crime; Curriculum; Field Tests; Grade 9; High School Students; High Schools; Middle Schools; Partnerships in Education; Prevention; Program Evaluation; Student Attitudes; Youth Programs

Teens, Crime, and the Community (TCC) curriculum creates an awareness among teens of the crime problems facing our communities and how they affect our nation. It encourages youth to take responsibility for reducing crime and victimization, making schools and neighborhoods safer. Boys and Girls Clubs offer a variety of programs for youth, and TCC is a useful and appropriate program for use in these clubs. This report discusses how TCC benefits the clubs by providing a flexible educational tool for members that builds community bonds. It explains how the program was implemented at five sites, and it shares their successes and challenges. Findings from these sites indicate that certain elements are critical to an effective TCC program. These elements are: commitment to youth participation; strong administrative support; qualified staff; modest funding; and opportunities for training and technical assistance. In large part, success of TCC is determined by the establishment of key partnerships with organizations at the national, regional, and local levels. The report concludes with a list of eight TCC resources. (SLD)

1996

ED395081