8. Implement an Aggressive Public Outreach Campaign on Effective Strategies To Combat Juvenile Violence

Overview

Public information about juvenile crime presents a paradox. In some ways there is too much information -- and in other ways there isn't enough. While the media frequently focus on the increase in youth gangs, drugs, and juvenile violence, few people beyond the juvenile justice field realize that a relatively small number of youth become involved in serious criminal activity. Most people are also unaware that a significant body of research exists on the causes and correlates of juvenile delinquency and crime, serving as a foundation for effective Federal, State, and local programs and strategies.

Researchers have verified that long-term public education campaigns on violence prevention, family education, alcohol and other drug prevention, and gun safety curriculums in school are effective strategies to help prevent delinquency.1 They also concur that involving youth2 and developing community consensus are essential to an effective public education process.3

A well-designed public education campaign can make a positive impact on public opinion, target specific audiences, and be a cost-effective way of providing critical information to a large number of people. For example, it can enhance community understanding about the nature and value of the juvenile justice system. It can educate all members of the community about effective prevention and intervention strategies. It can help communities identify and access local resources. And it can inform policymakers of tested, proven options for effective juvenile justice at all levels.

This section documents the effectiveness of mass media public education efforts and suggests a range of successful strategies that can bring about measurable change in communities. It also encourages communities to enlist support for juvenile justice and delinquency prevention and intervention efforts by engaging the media as partners. The section concludes with an outline of public information efforts being planned by the Federal Government and coordinated with national organizations to inform communities about what works to reduce juvenile delinquency and violence.

Current Status and Analysis of the Problem

As youth violence has increased, the media have expanded national and local coverage of the problem, often using images that build upon community fear. However, the media frequently overlook the more complicated messages about the causes of violence and approaches to redress it, including the importance of community involvement in finding solutions.

Public debate over prevention program funding tells the tale: unless the public understands the effective strategies underlying prevention programs, communities will face difficulties getting support and implementing many of these strategies. A dynamic public education campaign can herald the service-oriented efforts of resilient young people who are improving safety in their communities and spotlight policymakers whose decisions result in positive outcomes for youth. Most importantly, it can focus on what works, what does not work, and for whom, when, and why. Translating data and research into straightforward language and providing this information to those who need it is, therefore, an essential component of reducing youth violence and crime.

Government and the media share important roles in this process. In recent years, some media have spearheaded public education campaigns to address various social problems and have disseminated information, for example, on the serious health risks of tobacco use and alcohol overconsumption. Government has sounded the alarm about these and other health-related hazards, pushed for greater media responsibility, and offered guidance on promising strategies to address the problems. Throughout this process, national organizations that directly serve teachers, police, and local governments have been key partners in getting the message out.

It is imperative that a public information campaign make effective use of innovative media efforts, such as new dissemination techniques and outreach materials, to convey the complicated, but critically important, messages of the causes of youth violence and the effective strategies for violence prevention.

Effective and Promising Strategies and Programs

Effectiveness of Mass Media Public Education Efforts

The effectiveness of mass media campaigns is well documented. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration linked the sharp decline in drunk driving crashes and deaths over the past two decades to effective behavior modification and explicit changes in community attitudes and values due to public information campaigns.4 The positive effects of increasing knowledge about HIV infection and AIDS through entertainment television were demonstrated when the number of calls received by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's National AIDS Hotline increased from the Saturday average of 4,900 to nearly 84,000 after the ABC network broadcast a 2-hour entertainment and AIDS outreach special.5

These campaigns are among dozens of national media efforts, publicizing a variety of issues, that have increased public awareness and generated positive action. Notable among these are the campaigns for individual responsibility for forest fire prevention (Only You Can Prevent Forest Fires), safety belt use (Buckle Up for Safety), community crime prevention (Take a Bite Out of Crime), and support for historically black colleges and universities (A Mind Is a Terrible Thing To Waste). Similarly, mass media education campaigns can directly and indirectly generate public support for the actions proposed in this Action Plan.

Many national, Federal, State, and local organizations have conducted information campaigns on a wide variety of criminal justice issues. Both the private and nonprofit sectors have initiated media campaigns aimed at reducing all types of violence, including domestic and other family violence, child abuse, violence with guns and other weapons, and juvenile violence. Some networks have provided a focus on family violence. The Corporation for Public Broadcasting produced "Act Against Violence" and encouraged local media to get involved. The California Wellness Foundation has contributed millions of dollars to a statewide Campaign to Prevent Handgun Violence Against Kids. The Center for Substance Abuse Prevention, Department of Health and Human Services, National Crime Prevention Council (NCPC), Harvard University School of Public Health, and Children's Defense Fund have also developed media information campaigns on violence.

The National Citizens' Crime Prevention Campaign conducted a large-scale public education effort, symbolized by McGruff®;, the "crime dog." Locally, crime prevention practitioners view the McGruff® campaign as an effective catalyst to generate citizen action, galvanize police-community partnerships, and rally local and State crime prevention efforts. In the past decade, the campaign has received more than $500 million in funds and in-kind support, distributed hundreds of thousands of timely publications, provided training to crime prevention practitioners, and conducted hands-on demonstration programs to help citizens work with law enforcement and other public and private service providers to build safer, healthier, and more nurturing communities.

An extensive independent evaluation6 funded in 1991 by the Department of Justice (DOJ) found that the McGruff® anti-crime campaign can teach an individual about crime prevention for only 2.2 cents in Federal funds, and the campaign spends only 2.9 cents to generate individual action. Additionally, the campaign's public service messages generate $50 or more in donated print space and air time for every $1 of Federal funds spent in their development, a remarkable public-private partnership.

National Night Out, supported by the Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA), provides an example of a well-publicized yearlong campaign to support the development of community-based policing initiatives in thousands of neighborhoods across the United States, its Territories, many Canadian cities, and at U.S. military bases around the world. In 1994, public service ads about this program, involving youth, families, educators, business, law enforcement, and other service providers, encouraged the participation of 27 million people in 8,750 rural, urban, and metropolitan jurisdictions.

Partnerships

One of the important benefits of a successful public education campaign is the opportunity for individuals, groups, public and private agencies, and others to form partnerships to share responsibility in combating juvenile violence and other delinquency problems. Through public service advertising and public outreach to print and electronic media, more community members become aware, and can become essential members, of existing prevention activities. These partnerships, forged through a shared understanding of the strategies and principles underlying local programs, can draw on diverse skills and talents to broaden the scope of efforts to reduce juvenile violent crime.

As community leaders begin to collaborate with State or local level groups and individuals, it is important that they consider the following as partners in a public information campaign strategy:

Some groups have accumulated substantial experience in helping local communities with media campaigns and partnerships. NCPC, for example, distributes an action kit, Partner With the Media To Build Safer Communities, containing reproducible materials that communities can use to reach the public with their anti-crime, anti-violence messages.

NCPC has partnered with the media in a Turn Off the Violence Campaign, inaugurated in Minneapolis-St. Paul, MN. In this effort, the community engaged the help of local print and electronic media to convince residents that violence is an unacceptable way to resolve conflict. The campaign also encourages media to reevaluate their own violent entertainment programming. This grassroots partnership, which required limited funding, has spread throughout Minnesota and is being adopted by other States and cities.7 These NCPC kits and other assistance are included in a list of annotated resources in Appendix F.

Sharing communications market research and polling information about juvenile delinquency and violence can form the foundation for an effective communication strategy. Again, many organizations have already gathered this information and can be of assistance in formulating sound strategies that respond to public concerns. Collaborating to develop anti-violence messages for use in public service announcements (PSA's) and other mass media is fundamental to a successful campaign.

Getting the Message Out

The goal of public information efforts must be twofold: to change public perception about youth violence and available solutions and to convince adults and youth that their active involvement is essential to success. To achieve these goals, public information campaigns should enable people to reach informed judgments about preventing crime by and against juveniles. The message should reflect an awareness of the increasing cultural diversity in this country, be sensitive to gender-related differences and problems, and appeal to the priorities of key decisionmakers.

Generally, the public information campaign should:

Ideas for Action

Communities can begin immediately to take short-term concrete steps to get the message out, while larger, overarching public information campaigns get underway.

Local action can include:

Matching the Message to the Medium and Increasing Local Awareness of Resources

Research and experience have shown that public information campaigns directed at different audiences require differing approaches, strategies, and creative execution. The issue is not simply to target a mix of television, radio, newspaper, magazine, and other communications outlets, but rather to determine what combinations within these media prove most effective. Communities wishing to publicize their delinquency prevention and intervention strategies can consult with media experts to determine which type of medium is best suited to their audience and their activities. Effective communication requires tailoring each message to a specific audience, such as youth victims, minorities, women, or the elderly, and knowing the desired result.

It is essential that juvenile justice practitioners, including court personnel, probation officers, law enforcement officers, and youth service workers, collaborate with local leaders to inform the public about the strategies they are using and their successes. Their experience brings credibility and an immediacy to the concerns being addressed and to the solutions being described.

Communities should also develop localized campaigns that increase residents' awareness of Federal, State, and local resources for juvenile justice and delinquency prevention. Lists of resources can be posted in community gathering places, at agency offices, and in other sites where clients are most likely to see them. Foreign-language radio PSA's in special programming can also include appropriate information to reach residents who are unable to read or understand English.

Communities that design local targeted public information campaigns should include an evaluation mechanism that will provide important data on the effectiveness of structured, public communications efforts as well as information to help identify ways to increase awareness and the use of resources that can prevent or reduce violence among youth.

Through effective media campaigns, young people can receive public recognition for community service and neighborhood or school improvements. Elderly residents can begin to feel confident again about the safety of going out of their homes. Neighborhood leaders can turn their discouragement about pervasive violence into action toward ridding their streets of the causes of juvenile violence with strategies that work. Parents can learn about the positive effects of local youth programs. And policymakers can support local groups with resources for programs that have documented records of success.

Federal Action Steps

DOJ will convene national organizations in support of a public information campaign that will consist of several components: a series of PSA's to highlight solutions to youth violence, a booklet developed with the President's Crime Prevention Council on ways to reduce youth violence, a CD-ROM and videotape combining the messages of the PSA's, and a public information campaign on gun violence. These mass media components will be disseminated through intensive outreach to State and local constituencies.

Disseminate Public Service Announcements

DOJ proposes the production of PSA's by a public-private partnership, using donated airtime and print space, when possible. The PSA's are aimed at a variety of audiences and have a three-part message:

Develop a Document on Ways To Reduce Youth Violence

A user-friendly document will communicate to the public "what works" in prevention and early intervention. This publication, being developed by the President's Crime Prevention Council, will communicate the goals of prevention programs and suggest ways for community leaders, parents, and youth to become involved in prevention efforts. This document will include the objectives set forth in the Action Plan.

A response pamphlet will also be available through an 800 telephone number that will be advertised during the PSA's, and by the Juvenile Justice Clearinghouse. Linking the information in this pamphlet online with the Partnerships Against Violence Network (PAVNET) will offer additional distribution opportunities.

Produce a Videotape and CD-ROM on Reducing Youth Violence

The Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention (OJJDP) is producing a CD-ROM demonstrating the tools and implementation strategies of effective youth violence prevention programs.

Additionally, OJJDP will explore the possibility of producing a state-of-the-art videotape with a well-known and admired public figure as narrator. It would combine the messages of all delinquency prevention PSA's into a coordinated and compelling production.

This video will be the visual media equivalent of OJJDP's Delinquency Prevention Works and the Comprehensive Strategy for Serious, Violent, and Chronic Juvenile Offenders.

Produce a Media Message on Reducing Youth Gun Violence

DOJ will continue to support a public information campaign to specifically address youth gun violence. Although the Department advocates comprehensive gun interdiction strategies, it is clear that youth gun violence raises unique problems requiring additional forms of intervention. The message articulates youth's perspectives on gun violence and also dramatizes for parents the problem of an unsecured gun in the home.

Link Successful Local Initiatives With a National Public Information Campaign

BJA has developed a technical assistance package for public information campaigns that communities can use to showcase local juvenile justice prevention successes and other achievements. The package identifies local programs that have successfully demonstrated and documented delinquency prevention and intervention strategies.

Local media can support this public information sharing by contributing space, airtime, and programming.

As the national campaign develops, a working group consisting of media representatives, organizations with experience in mass media campaigns, key constituents, and the philanthropic sector could join forces to maximize the use of existing resources and to strengthen and coordinate the message. Members of this group could include, but would not be limited to, the National Association of Counties, the National Funding Collaborative on Violence Prevention, the Police Executive Research Forum, the Crime Prevention Coalition, the National League of Cities, the National Governors' Association, the National School Board Association, and the International Association of Chiefs of Police.

The working group would have the capacity to engage in a number of activities:

Suggestions for State and Local Action

Endnotes

1. American Academy of Pediatrics, Committee on Adolescence. 1992. Firearms and adolescents. Pediatrics 89(4):784-787.

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. 1991. Weapon-carrying among high school students: United States, 1990. Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report 40(40):681-684.

Christoffel, K.K. 1991. Toward reducing pediatric injuries from firearms: Charting a legislative and regulatory course. Pediatrics 88(2):294-305.

DeJong, W. 1994. Preventing Interpersonal Violence Among Youth: An Introduction to School, Community and Mass Media Strategies. Washington, D.C.: National Institute of Justice.

2. Treanor and Bijlefeld, 1989.

3. Fingerhut et al., 1991.

4. DeJong, W., and L. Wallack. 1992 (Winter). The role of the designated driver programs in the prevention of alcohol impaired driving: A critical reassessment. Health Education Quarterly 19(4):429-442.

5. Interdepartmental Working Group on Violence. 1994. Violence: Report to the President and Domestic Policy Council. Washington, D.C.

6. O'Keefe, G.J., et al. 1993. The Social Impact of the National Citizens' Crime Prevention Campaign. Washington, D.C.: Bureau of Justice Assistance, U.S. Department of Justice.

7. Working Together To Stop the Violence: A Blueprint for Safer Communities. 1994. Washington, D.C.: National Crime Prevention Council.

Contents | Foreword | Acknowledgments | Introduction | Summary
Figures | Objectives | Conclusion | Appendixes