March 22-26, 2010, is National Youth Violence Prevention Week. Youth violence refers to harmful behaviors that can start early and continue into young adulthood.

The young person may be a victim, an offender, or a witness to the violence.
While violence impacts people of all ages, violence disproportionately affects youth and is the second leading cause of death for young people between the ages of 10 and 24.

Because of the multiple factors that contribute to the development of violence, a comprehensive preventative approach is needed. Youth violence prevention also requires collaboration among justice, public safety, education, public health, and human service agencies, with the support of community leaders, businesses, and faith-based organizations.

Resources:
To access information and resources related to youth violence, visit the National Criminal Justice Reference Service's Youth Violence portal page at www.ncjrs.gov/yviolence/.
For additional information, visit www.safeyouth.org/scripts/index.asp.