Youth Violence and Bullying Prevention
Real Damage to Kids
Jacob is afraid to go to school and leaves before lunch so he doesn't get beaten up in a back hallway.
Beta hangs out with a group of girls who are her BFFs one minute and her worst enemies the next, spreading rumors about her throughout the school.
Juan doesn't want to join a school gang but he is followed home, threatened and harassed all the time, with constant pressure to do so.
All of these incidents are examples of bullying and/or youth violence. They can damage a child's self-esteem, ability to interact with others, and most important frighten them so deeply they cannot function in school.
The two tie together although they actually cover separate areas of adolescent behavior.
More than 692,000 young people are treated for injuries from violence every year, according to the Center for Disease Control.
The National Youth Violence Network reports that about 30 percent of students (more than 5.7 million young people) are involved in bullying incidents either as the perpetrator or victim of bullying.
How United Way NCA is Helping
United Way of the National Capital Area works to reduce the number of bullying and violent episodes in our metro region. We are developing a new model with the faith-based and other communities to open a dialogue and discuss solutions to the problem with students, parents, educators, and all who are involved.
We partnered with Dreams Work, Inc. to fund the production of "Strings Dream," a forty-minute film about an urban youth's dream to become a classical musician and his struggles dealing with bullies. The film was released this spring and the response to date is excellent.
The film examines bullying from two views, the bully and the person being bullied.
One of our first efforts is with teenage girls in Prince George's County foster care, who have a history of violent incidents. They watched the film, and are part of a six-week program discussing self-esteem, career building and potential for better lives.
More Information
Are Violence and Bullying the Same?
How Can You Tell if Your Child is Bullied?