Reports from the Field

People's environment affects their behavior, and school climate influences students' success. One Philadelphia school removed metal detectors and bars from windows, and introduced engagement coaches. As a result, students reported increased feelings safety and 95 percent said they hoped to graduate from college. Read the article.

Systems, policies and organizational practices can help address social inequities, promote government accountability, and make violence less likely for residents in low-income areas and young people of color. One example is to mandate racial impact statements for proposed changes to prison sentencing laws, as Oregon has. Read the article.

A study finds that low-income Boston youth with summer jobs are less likely to fight and damage property, compared to their peers without jobs. Economic opportunities help protect against violence, and youth employed through this summer jobs program were less likely to use alcohol and drugs and more likely to have a job lined up for the fall. Read the article and the...

The Rockefeller Foundation's latest initiative is to fund a Chief Resilience Officer position in 100 cities. Though described as part of disaster preparedness, the Chief Resilience Officer position can also support multi-sector efforts that prevent violence. For example, Chief Resilience Officers could make the case that promoting resilience and preventing violence is everyone's responsibility, not just an issue for particular individuals or neighborhoods. They could also advance population- or community-level resilience strategies, and their job is focus on assets and strengths, not only...