Prevention Works

Stay Safe Even When the News is Good

The FBI has recently released its 2008 Crime in the United States report, and it brings good news! The FBI reports that violent crimes are down for the second consecutive year. Among violent crimes, murders and non-negligent manslaughters declined 3.9 percent; aggravated assaults are down 2.5 percent, and forcible rapes dropped by 1.6 percent. Forcible rapes specifically, are at the lowest rate they have been in the past 20 years.

While this is great news, we must keep in mind that crime prevention is just as important now as ever. In order to continue to keep crime statistics dropping, we should all be aware that crime prevention is crucial to keeping our children, loved ones, and communities safe.

It is important to note that while violent crime rates have gone down, other crime rates have risen. According to the FBI, the largest number arrests made in 2008 were for drug abuse violations. Other crimes that also rose in 2008 were burglaries and larceny-thefts. Keeping in mind that since crime rates are always subject to change, learning what you can do to prevent crime is vital to continue to keep crime rates dropping. After all, we all want to stay safe in our neighborhoods, right?

If you’re new to crime prevention or don’t know where to start, October, Crime Prevention Month, is the perfect time to dive in. All month long, crime prevention will be celebrated in communities across the nation. A number of communities will be participating in Celebrate Safe Communities, the kickoff to Crime Prevention Month, when local communities organize safety-focused events. These events can range from safety education fairs to trash pick-up days; it all depends on the needs of each community. If you feel inspired to organize a safety event in your neighborhood, register your event here.

You may think crime prevention is something that should be left up to law enforcement; however, you can play a big part too and should not leave the burden on law enforcement’s shoulders. Crime prevention starts with you. Each and every one of us can make a difference to keep our communities safer. Throughout time, crime has remained a constant in our world that threatens the very lives we live. Now is the time to start transforming our neighborhoods, communities, states, and the nation into a safe place to live. How will you make a difference?

Find out how you can get involved by visiting www.ncpc.org

Giving Seniors Their Due

Seniors have done their time—in the most positive way. They have led careers, parented children, and built the country we know today. They have served in our modern wars with the courage and tenacity to beat back determined enemies. They deserve a time in their lives to do whatever they want, whether it’s pursing a second career, another education, or a hobby, or just kicking back.

Unfortunately, many seniors find that their later years aren’t always easy. According to the United States General Accounting Office, more than 43 percent of all Americans more than 65 years of age will be cared for in nursing homes for some period in their later years. While many will reside in excellent facilities and be treated with the best possible care, others won’t be as lucky. The same is true of those who will be cared for at home.

Elder abuse is becoming a prominent topic as the Baby Boomer generation ages. While figures are hard to come by, those provided in the early 2000s by the U.S. Congress Committee on Government Reform provide some insight. In 2001, for example, this committee reported that all 27 of the nursing homes in the 22^nd Congressional District (Santa Barbara, CA) violated federal health and safety standards. Other figures are just as alarming. These and other data appear on the California State Government’s website.

Elder abuse isn’t always easy to recognize or prove. Crime prevention practitioners and law enforcement officers called in to investigate elder abuse cases have their work cut out for them. Caregivers at home or in nursing facilities may try to cover up the abuse. And the patient may not want to discuss the problem out of embarrassment or shame. But there are tell-tale signs of elder abuse that can help them identity abusive situations.

In addition, some agencies are now offering courses in how to deal with elder abuse. The Office for Victims of Crime at the U.S. Department of Justice is one of them. Its Training and Technical Assistance Center is offering a course from November 18 – 19, 2009, called Identifying and Responding to Elder Abuse. According to the flier for the course, participants will learn to

• Recognize the signs of elder abuse and its impact on victims
• Identify the types of elder abuse
• Recognize the risk factors that may be encountered in various situations
• Respond proactively to situations in which elder abuse is suspected
• Identify how to obtain additional information and relevant statutes

This is a topic worthy of attention by all of us. Our seniors deserve the best we can give them.

Teen and Tween Dating: Hazardous to their Health?

National Teen Dating Violence Awareness and Prevention Week has just concluded. A 2008 report commissioned by Liz Claiborne, Inc. produced some startling findings about the conduct of tweens and teens in relationships. According to the report, about one-third of 11- and 12-year-olds are having relationships. Often these can be hazardous.

• Sixty-two percent report that they know friends who have been verbally abusive in a relationship
• Forty percent report that they know friends in relationships who have been put-down, insulted, or called names through social networking media or text messaging
• Twenty percent say they have friends in relationships who have been punched, slapped, or kicked by a dating partner

When sexual activity at a young age is added to the mix, the results worsen. Tweens seem to have a hard time navigating their roles in relationships and understanding that abuse is not an acceptable or appropriate element. U.S. Senator Mike Crapo (R, Idaho) has championed an awareness campaign about teen dating violence. Check Senator Crapo's website for information about the campaign, which is supported by the American Bar Association, and the American Bar Association website for resources on the topic for teachers and other leaders of youths. The Domestic Violence and Workplace blog also has a number of helpful links.

One of the pillars of the National Crime Prevention Council’s mission is protecting children and youth. NCPC has numerous resources, including its Teens, Crime, and the Community curriculum, which dedicates chapters to this important topic and includes the "Dater's Bill of Rights."

If you’d like to know more about NCPC’s offerings in this important area or the Community Works curriculum for youth, please contact us.

When Crime Prevention Needs To Begin at Home

My friend Laura told me a horrible story the other day. Her 33-year-old colleague Viviana Tellez-Giron was killed by her husband in a murder-suicide on October 4, during the first week of National Domestic Violence Awareness Month. The tragic irony of the situation is that Viviana worked as a volunteer for UNIDOS Against Domestic Violence, a not-for-profit organization in Madison, WI, that works to end domestic violence among Hispanic Americans.

"Viviana's death was so hard for us," Julie Anderson, UNIDOS' interim executive director, told The Capital Times. Such tragedies bring a flash of attention to the issue of domestic violence, she said, but UNIDOS is going to work to keep attention to the issue keen. "We want to create a community response. Domestic violence is a community problem, it needs a community response."

One in three American women will be domestically abused in her lifetime. But many of you are already familiar with this statistic. And many of you are already working to prevent domestic violence and other types of crime, as are we at NCPC. What struck me though about Viviana's death was that the tragedy occurred to one of our own. Viviana knew this statistic better than most victims of domestic violence and had been trained on how to prevent it. And yet, it wasn't enough to prevent her own death.

It made me realize that even those of us who work to fight and prevent crime every day are not immune to it. It reminded me that sometimes the most important training presentation we can make is the one we give at home. Who are the people in our own lives who might need to make changes in their lives to prevent becoming a victim? Have you taught the kids in your own house how to protect themselves from cyberbullies? Do your own parents know how to avoid becoming victims of telemarketing fraud? Can the homes and businesses in your own neighborhood benefit from the principles of CPTED?

That's what Viviana's death has taught me: that despite all the important work we do with strangers, crime prevention needs to begin in our own homes, families, and communities. How have you implemented crime prevention techniques and training in your home or community?

Some NCPC resources on preventing domestic violence:

• The Hidden Crime: Domestic Violence (reproducible brochure)
• Teens, Crime, and the Community: Session 14-"Dating Violence: Recognize and Prevent"
• Strategy: Providing Domestic Violence Services to Refugee Communities

Omerta in the 'Hood

At first it was pretty routine. I was standing by the baggage carousel at my airport, late at night, tired from a cross-country trip, as my wife circled the airport in our sedan awaiting my "I'm at Door D" call. Then I observed a man waiting with me and the other passengers. What stood out about this man was that he was wearing an oversized T-shirt with the words "Stop Snitching" on it. I was puzzled why an otherwise ordinary-looking citizen would proclaim such a message on his chest. Isn't "stop snitching" the overt code for not cooperating with law enforcement with information you might know about a crime. It is witness intimidation. Remaining silent is not necessarily a crime. Threatening someone to stay silent is.

I considered asking this gentleman why he would wear a shirt with such a message. Isn't that an endorsement of the intimidation that goes on in our communities every day? Isn't that the "thin edge of the wedge" that undermines authority, breaks down order, and abets deadly criminal behavior? But the carousel whirled, the scores of black roller bags tumbled about, and I was soon on my way, reconnected to family and looking forward to relief from jet lag and being away too long.

Wednesday's headline in my local paper shocked me back to that encounter. Two young Baltimoreans, who may have known something about a murder but wouldn't talk to the police, were gunned down in a witness intimidation slaying even though it appears they were keeping the code of the street.

The Mafioso code of Omerta seems to be alive and well in the 'Hood. Omerta-"code of silence"- is not just for the traditional mobsters portrayed on TV and in the movies. It has made its way to the street.

In a raw and chilling article about a previous witness intimidation case in Baltimore, the Atlantic Monthly's Jeremy Khan chronicles the anatomy of the "stop snitching" movement and its often tragic outcomes. In the article, David Kennedy, the director of the Center for Crime Prevention and Control at the John Jay College of Criminal Justice, in New York, tells Khan: "This is the reward we have reaped for 20 years of profligate drug enforcement in these communities. When half the young black men in a neighborhood are locked up, on bail, or on parole, the police become the enemy." Khan continues, "Kennedy thinks the silence of many witnesses doesn't come from fear, but from anger."

Khan also reported that some in the community equate "snitching" with the concept of lesser criminals providing evidence on others' crimes to get their original crimes (and the punishment) reduced. It is that abuse of the "criminals' code" that is considered the deathly evil by other criminals. A 1995 National Institute of Justice Research in Action newsletter stated that prosecutors suspected that witness intimidation was in play in 75 percent or more of the violent crimes in gang-dominated neighborhoods.

"You could look at it two ways. You could look at it like it's just a T-shirt," Baltimore Mayor Sheila Dixon said, "but I think that it sends a bad message to young people in particular. By saying 'Don't snitch,' it sends a message not to be involved, and that ultimately doesn't help."

Late at night in that airport it was too inconvenient for me to bring it up. But now, knowing the scope of the problem-the man in the "Stop Snitching" shirt and I are starting the conversation.

Going Green Can Be Dangerous in DC

The movement to "go green" is being thwarted by crime in one part of Washington, DC.

In this case, going green means using public transportation, specifically the city's extensive Metro subway system, instead of private vehicles, to get to work or shopping and recreational venues. But people who live near the subway are being terrorized by a bunch of hoodlums who are attacking passengers at subway stops in some parts of the city—in this case, the Potomac Avenue Metro Station.

According to the Fox5 TV website, two men recently suffered severe head wounds in an attack. In May, a similar rash of attacks left would-be passengers frightened. People who live near the station are also unsettled as crime begins to sift through their once-quiet neighborhood.

Fox5 quoted one civic official, an advisory neighborhood commissioner, as saying "[Crime] has picked up. We have a bunch of juveniles hanging around." Another neighborhood commissioner was cited by Fox5 as saying that juveniles had been seen "throwing rocks and bottles and hitting people on bikes or as they walk down the street." Residents of the area have been debating how to address the problem and are looking to their elected officials and law enforcement for guidance on how to make their neighborhood safe again.

The Washington, DC, Metropolitan Police have stepped up mobile and foot patrols, and are partnering with the Metro Police, as the juveniles are believed to arrive and escape by Metro.

How effective will all this be? The partnerships between the different police forces get an "A." The foot patrols should be especially useful in reassuring residents of the neighborhood near the Potomac Avenue Metro Station. In addition, as they get to know the neighborhood and its residents, they'll soon be able to recognize quickly when anything is amiss.

Likewise, the involvement of citizens and their neighborhood commissioners in the effort to reduce crime also rates an "A."

The overall effort to make Metro safe gets an "A-plus." In Washington, DC, bus routes channel commuters to Metro Stations. If a route or station is perceived to be unsafe, people will get frightened and eventually avoid it. Some will no doubt resort to using their cars. How can we preach the economics and environmental benefits of using public transit when we can't provide safe access to transportation?

What's happening in your town or city? Is your public transportation safe? What are you doing to improve it? Please write back with your comments.

Celebrate the International Day of Peace by Teaching Conflict Resolution

Sunday—September 21st—is the International Day of Peace. How will you be observing it?

Created by a United Nations resolution in 1981, The International Day of Peace was established to give people, organizations, and nations an opportunity to practice practical acts of peace on a shared date. By creating Peace Day, the U.N. devoted itself to worldwide peace and encouraged all people to work toward this goal. Each year, millions of people take part in Peace Day activities and events. Some of those events are simple and personal, like lighting a candle or quiet meditation. Some communities come together and organize concerts and sporting events to create a positive environment for youth and adults who have spent their lives surrounded by conflict.

Earlier this year, I blogged about the value of teaching children, even preschoolers, the importance of conflict resolution skills. I can't think of a better activity for Peace Day. Whether you're teaching conflict management skills to children or adults, Scruff's Steps for Managing Conflict will always apply.

• Stop, Look, and Listen. Are you too angry or upset to discuss the conflict calmly? Then, the first thing both parties need to do is calm down until you are both ready to talk.
• Come Up With the Problem. What is the problem exactly? Both of you should take turns to describe the problem as you see it.
• Rack Your Brains. There is always more than one solution to any conflict. Brainstorm all the different ways the problem can be solved.
• Use Your Judgment. Now look at each possible solution carefully and think about the consequences. Which solution will get both parties what they need?
• Figure Out How You'll Accomplish Your Solution. Once you have figured out the best solution to the problem, you need to have a plan of action to make it happen. What do each of you need to do to solve the conflict?
• Forward Ho! Now move forward and make it happen! It's also a good idea to check back sometime soon to see how well the plan worked. And don't forget to congratulate yourselves on a job well done!

As it says in the Tao Te Ching, "Great trees grow from the smallest shoots; a terraced garden, from a pile of earth; and a journey of a thousand miles begins by taking the initial step." Who's to say that your one act of peace, or the one person to whom you taught conflict resolution skills, won't have a butterfly effect around the world resulting in peace on Earth? Really, the only way to find out is to try!

Additional NCPC Resources on Managing Conflict:

Making Peace: Tips on Conflict Management.

Helping Kids Handle Conflict.

Session 8: Conflict, Communicating, and Working Together, Community Works.

The Tough Guise

We know that violence against women is a dangerous and appalling crime. It demands punishment to the fullest extent of the law and constant updating of resources and education for women on how to protect themselves. Rather than just looking at what we can do to help victims of violence, we need to learn where it comes from so we know how to fix it. Most perpetrators of violence against women are men, so it is important to look at the attitudes displayed by some men and their education to find out what causes abusers to react so viciously against females.

One theory of this type of behavior comes from Jackson Katz, who is a Harvard graduate with a master’s in education. Katz cites a social stigma known as the "Tough Guise" as a reason for male violence. As Katz defines it, the Tough Guise is an ongoing crisis in masculinity, enforced by the media, that equates manliness with violence. We see action movies with male heroes that emphasize physical strength and, again, the use of violence. We listen to major media figures who degrade or exploit women as common entertainment. We teach young girls to nurture dolls and express their emotions, and yet we teach young males to use toy guns and not to cry. Yet we wonder why some men feel that muscles and aggression are the only true testaments to their masculinity (http://www.jacksonkatz.com/index.html).

With unhealthy male stereotypes already so embedded in society, what can we do to change them? Don’t think of the problem as global. Instead, start with your own family, friends, and community. According to the Jackson Katz website, here are some ways men can help other men.

• "Approach gender violence as a men’s issue involving men of all ages and socioeconomic, racial and ethnic backgrounds. View men not only as perpetrators or possible offenders, but as empowered bystanders who can confront abusive peers."
• "Mentor and teach young boys about how to be men in ways that don't involve degrading or abusing girls and women. Volunteer to work with gender violence prevention programs, including anti-sexist men's programs. Lead by example."
• "Don't fund sexism. Refuse to purchase any magazine, rent any video, subscribe to any Web site, or buy any music that portrays girls or women in a sexually degrading or abusive manner. Protest sexism in the media."
• "Have the courage to look inward. Question your own attitudes. Don't be defensive when something you do or say ends up hurting someone else. Try hard to understand how your own attitudes and actions might inadvertently perpetuate sexism and violence, and work toward changing them."
• "If a brother, friend, classmate, or teammate is abusing his female partner -- or is disrespectful or abusive to girls and women in general -- don't look the other way. If you feel comfortable doing so, try to talk to him about it. Urge him to seek help. Or if you don't know what to do, consult a friend, a parent, a professor, or a counselor. Don’t remain silent."

Tell All . . No Book Required

Growing up in a house of four women, I learned very early on that everyone has a role. Some roles we choose, and others we were born to play. In my house, we had the protectors, the teachers, the thespians, the comedians… we had it all! Yet, as the baby in the family, the most feared and despicable role belonged to me. When trouble struck, the eyes of all my older and wiser sisters turned to me as they waited and hoped that I wouldn’t utter those condemning words, “I’m telling.” Yes, I was the snitch. It was a tough job but somebody had to do it.

Years later, the stigma attached to “telling” has worsened so much that entire communities now passively tolerate crime for fear of the consequences if they speak out against it. With today’s no-snitching code, criminals are planning crimes and committing murder without even the slightest fear of retribution. And when someone threatens to tell, they need only be called a snitch and the weight of the word alone is enough to stay their tongue. Not to mention the sometimes deadly residual effects that can occur if in fact a person does volunteer to tell what they know. So where do we go from here? How do we re-create the image of the tattletales, songbirds, and snitches alike?

Fortunately, several campaigns and community groups seem to have rewritten the message and are campaigning for people to “Start Snitching.” Although these messages and campaigns appear to be on the right track, it is important to consider not only the real-life danger but the fear faced by individuals who choose to report a crime or potential crime. The threat is real and though it is each community’s responsibility to empower themselves, ways must be developed to keep witnesses and victims safe from repercussions.

With that said, one of the most powerful crime prevention tools that each of us has is our ability to speak. Speak up about what we know and speak against what is wrong. Like I said, it’s a tough job but we have to do it.

Train Wreck

Last night, some friends of mine and I were on our way home from a late dinner in the city. Being college students without vehicles of our own, we get around Washington, D.C., where we study, by public transportation. And so, we boarded the train at the Metro station. Because it was the late evening on a week night, there were only a few other people at the other end of the car. We were laughing and talking when a young kid, probably 16 at the most, jumped onto the car with us looking completely panicked. Following him was a group of about 10 or 12 other kids his age, male and female, snickering and mocking him. The young man ran towards around end of the car.

“They’re trying to jump me! They’re gonna jump me!”

His voice was desperate and frightened. The group following him simply stood threateningly at the other end of the car, laughing and taunting him. My heart pounded as I realized there was a good chance I was about to see this young kid get beaten. Suddenly, he ran out the door and leapt onto the train on the other side of the platform. He was immediately followed by the group at the other end of the car. The doors to our train quickly closed and we pulled away from the platform. My friends and I just sat looking through the window. It was like watching someone on the other side of a crowded street who was about to get hit by a bus. You know something horrible is about to happen, but there’s nothing you can do about it.

When we got to the next stop, we got off and reported the situation to a station manager, who told us he would do his best to get it taken care of. Somehow, that just didn’t settle the knot left in my stomach. Between the fact that there had been a rather large gap in time between witnessing the incident and being able to report it, and the fact that we had no idea if this kid stayed on the train we saw him jump onto, it was impossible to know if someone would be able to find him and help him.

This event was a slap in the face about the real effects of gang violence (PDF). This was a lost, scared kid who felt like he needed to get onto a subway train full of strangers to feel safe instead of seeking help from an authority figure like a security guard. And if he wasn’t able to outrun his attackers, then what? Would he feel like he could go to the police afterwards and report the incident? Doubtful, seeing as how that would leave him open for retaliation.

We need to get involved to prevent these things from happening. It can be as big as creating or volunteering for programs geared at young kids who are most at risk for gang activity. Or, it can be as small as not falling subject to bystander syndrome. If you ever find yourself in a situation like this, report it immediately. You might be getting help for someone who feels like they can’t.