SAVE Celebrates National Youth Violence Prevention Week and 25 Years of SAVEing Youth

By Carleen Wray, Executive Director of SAVE

Students Against Violence Everywhere, better known as SAVE, started at West Charlotte High School in Charlotte, N.C. in 1989 following the tragic death of a student who was trying to break up a fight at an off-campus party. Students met first to console each other, then formed an organization to promote youth safety working together to prevent future incidents from occurring.

From that one high school chapter, SAVE has grown into a nationwide nonprofit — the National Association of Students Against Violence Everywhere, dedicated to decreasing the potential for violence in our schools and communities across the country. Today, more than 200,000 students are directly involved in SAVE programs at their middle school, high school and college chapters.

This week SAVE chapters across the country will participate in National Youth Violence Prevention Week April 7 to 11. SAVE has partnered with five likeminded organizations to sponsor the week. Each day during the week corresponds to a specific challenge presented by one of the sponsors and executed by youth around the country. Information about each sponsor and an example of suggested daily activities follows:

National Youth Violence Prevention Week

This week we commemorate National Youth Violence Prevention Week and recognize that youth violence has become a significant social and public safety issue in our country today. Too often we hear of tragic stories involving teenagers committing violent crimes. As police reports become filled with more incidents involving teenagers, it is time we realize that more must be done to protect our young people and our communities.

According to The Centers for Disease Control, in 2007, nearly 6,000 young people ages 10 to 24 were murdered—an average of 16 each day. These staggering numbers may seem high; however, statistics show that over half of youth violence that occurs in our country is not reported. This only adds more severity to these shocking numbers.

These crimes have a direct impact on the public and the economy as they cause mental and physical damage. There are long-term effects created by these crimes as the patterns of violence begin early and often continue into adulthood. These facts surely describe the need for prevention programs and policies that address risk and protective factors for youth violence.

Learn more about National Youth
Violence Prevention Week

Because of the gravity of this offense, the National Youth Violence Prevention Week is dedicated to center our attention on youth violence and prevention techniques. The goal of this campaign is to offer a week-long national education initiative to demonstrate the positive role young people can have in making their schools and communities safer.

CalVCP has joined the campaign to spread public awareness of the violence affecting our youth. As an agency dedicated to assisting victims of crime, we would like you to know that victims of any violent crime are able to receive assistance through our program. Our claimants receive compensation that covers mental health treatment, income and support loss, medical bills, funeral costs, and rehabilitation.

Raising awareness and advocating for prevention of youth violence is a concern for all of us. Please join us and the many state agencies and victim advocates in the campaign to educate our community on effective ways to prevent youth violence.