CONNECTINGTHE DOTS

Philip J. Leaf, Ph.D.Professor

Johns Hopkins BloombergSchool of Public Health

Special ThanksPatrick Chaulk – Annie E. Casey FoundationLarke Huang – Substance Abuse and Mental

Health Services AdministrationRosemary King Johnston – Maryland Governor’s

Office for ChildrenAlan Levitt - Office of National Drug Control

PolicyGreta Massetti – Centers for Disease Control

and PreventionAbel Ortiz – Annie. E. Casey FoundationKen Thompson - Substance Abuse and Mental

Health Services Administration

Special ThanksCatherine Bradshaw

Lee Bone

Jill Williams

Ayzha Corbett

Special Thanks• Freya Sonenstein Andrea Alexander• Abel Ortiz Lee Bone• Keva White Elise Pas• Sarah Lynne Catherine Bradshaw• Makeba Massey Amy Daniels• Pat Chaulk Jessica Ruglis

Youth Violence DataPhysical fights (12 months preceding survey)• 35.5% of all students reported being in a physical

fight (44.4% of males; 26.5% of females)• 12.4% of students reported being in a physical

fight on school property.Property Crimes• 27.1% of students reported having property

stolen or deliberately damaged on school property.

School Avoidance Due to Safety Fears (30 days preceding survey)

• 5.5% of students did not go to school on one or more days because they felt unsafe at school or on their way to or from school.

*Data from 2007 National Youth Risk Behavior Survey (YRBS), a representative sample of youth in grades 9-12

Youth Violence DataCarrying Weapons (30 days preceding survey)• 18.0% of students reported carrying a weapon

(gun, knife or club) on one or more days • 5.2% of students carried a gun on one or more

days• 5.9% of students reported carrying a weapon

(gun, knife or club) on school property on one or more days

Suicide (12 months preceding survey)• 14.5% of students had seriously considered

attempting suicide • 6.9% of students had attempted suicide one or

more times*Data from 2007 National Youth Risk Behavior Survey (YRBS), a representative sample of youth in grades 9-12

Juvenile Arrests Data• Juveniles account for 16% of all violent crime

arrests and 26% of all property crime arrests1

• Numbers of juvenile arrested in 20071:

– 57,650 for aggravated assault– 3,580 for forcible rape– 1,350 juveniles were arrested for murder

• Gang Activity2

– An estimated 788,000 gang members and 27,000 gangs were active in the United States

1Puzzanchera, 2009

2Data from 2007 National Youth Gang Survey, nationally representative sample of law enforcement agencies

Substance UseAlcohol• 44.7% of students had had at least one

drink of alcohol on at least 1 day during the 30 days before the survey.

• 23.8% of students had drunk alcohol (other than a few sips) for the first time before age 13 years.

• 26.0% of students had had five or more drinks of alcohol in a row (i.e., within a couple of hours) on at least 1 day during the 30 days before the survey.

*Data from 2007 National Youth Risk Behavior Survey (YRBS), a representative sample of youth in grades 9-12

Substance UseMarijuana• 19.7% of students had used marijuana

one or more times during the 30 days before the survey.

• 8.3% of students had tried marijuana for the first time before age 13 years.

Inhalants• 13.3% of students had sniffed glue,

breathed the contents of aerosol spray cans, or inhaled any paints or sprays to get high one

*Data from 2007 National Youth Risk Behavior Survey (YRBS), a representative sample of youth in grades 9-12

Mortality and InjuryData for persons ages 10 to 24• Homicide is the leading cause of death for

African Americans• Homicide is the 2nd leading cause of death

for Hispanics• Homicide is the 3rd leading cause of death

for Asian/Pacific Islanders, American Indians, and Alaska Natives.

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Center for Injury Prevention and Control, Youth Violence: Facts at a Glance, Summer 2009.

Mortality and InjuryData for persons ages 10 to 24• 5,958 young people were murdered in

2006 – an average of 16 each day • 87% (5,159) of homicide victims were

male and 13% (799) were female• 84% of homicide victims were killed with a

firearm• Over 631,000 violence-related injuries in

young people were treated in U.S. emergency rooms in 2007

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Center for Injury Prevention and Control, Youth Violence: Facts at a Glance, Summer 2009.

What’s Your Vision?

Meeting Objectives: Identify specific actions for next 18

months to:

Facilitate federal, state, and local efforts to maximize the use of effective strategies to prevent drug use, violence, mental health and behavioral problems, and academic failure for children and youth and to promote positive development

Meeting Objectives: Identify specific actions for next 18

months to:

Increase the number of children, youth, and families benefitting from effective prevention/promotion programs and practices

Enhance organizational and individual capacities to deliver/sustain effective programs, practices, and policies

Frameworks• Macro Level: Societal and Systems level

including societal attitudes, social policies, and economic strategies

• Organizational Level:

• Individual Level:

Using a Theory of Change to Guide Service Planning and Delivery

ImplementationOf

Services

ConceptualizationAnd

Operationalization

Assumption: The degree of overlap between the two Process contributes to culturally competent services

Interventions Alone Are Not the Solution

Interventions Alone Are Not the Solution

• Public Policy and Financial Incentives

• Organizational Capacity to Implement and Support Efforts

• High Quality and Adequate Quantity of Interventions/Supports Delivered when and where needed

Also Not Part of the SolutionAlso Not Part of the Solution

• A unique surveillance process for every community

• A different set of indicators for every program

• Every sector convening its own multiagency planning process

• Discontinuities between what we know works and what is experienced by most children, youth, and families

Our Part of the SolutionOur Part of the Solution

• Begin identifying what can have the greatest impact on prevention of drug use, mental illnesses, violence, and other unwanted behaviors and maximum promotion of positive development

• Identification how we can achieve our objectives

• Begin today to connect the dots