PREVENTING YOUTH VIOLENCE Violence in the United States is a national public health issue. Increasingly, much of this violence is committed by our children and teenagers. Crimes by our young people are no longer predominantly misdemeanors but now include the major felonies of homicide, rape, robbery, and serious assault. Adults are understandably concerned by the depraved indifference of many of our youth and ask three questions: Why is this happening? Are there no warning signs? Can anything be done to prevent this senseless cruelty? There are warning signs. Frequently, these warning signs have been there for several years. These signs offer insights in to why this violence is erupting and what we can do to prevent and mitigate its occurrence. This two-day course will review the major theories of youth violence; examine the continuum of early, serious, and urgent warning signs; and present basic guidelines for preventing youth violence. Since some violent acts will continue to occur, this course will examine the Assaulted Staff Action Program (ASAP), a Critical incident Stress Management (CISM) approach, that both addresses the psychological needs of victims of violence and has been shown to reduce the frequency of violence. Lectures, case studies, and class discussions will be utilized to enhance learning and at the end of the course, participants will understand the theories of violence, the continuum of warning signs, and an array of prevention strategies. This course is a must for emergency services personnel who respond to the aftermath of youth violence and for counselors, teachers, youth workers, probation and parole personnel, ministers, and the many others who work with our young people and whose collective efforts may appreciably impact and prevent youth violence.(13 Contact Hours; 13 CE Credits for Psychologists; 13 PDHs for EAPs; 13 CE Hours for Calif. MFTs & LCSWs; 13 Contact Hours for National Certified Addiction Counselors OR 1.3 general CEUs from UMBC)* Completion of “PREVENTING YOUTH VIOLENCE ” and receipt of a certificate indicating full attendance (13 Contact Hours) qualifies as a class in ICISF’s Certificate of Specialized Training Program.

Day 1:(8:30 am - 4:30 pm)

Nature of Youth Violence: Disruptions in Healthy Functioning - Globalization, the Market Economy, and its Impact on Community Cohesion - Theories of Youth Violence - The Psychology of Poverty

 

Day 2:(8:30 am - 4:30 pm)

- The Continuum of Warning Signs - Psychological Trauma and Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) - Guidelines for Preventing Youth Violence - CISM: The ASAP Program for both Victim Needs and Violence Prevention