Street outreach or investments in children? We need both
Gun violence in our city spiked in 2020 to one of the highest levels in decades. Too many Chicagoans have been shot and killed, including far too many of our children. However, we cannot be surprised by the escalation in violence.
It is not a coincidence that the 10 Chicago neighborhoods experiencing the most violence are communities of color. These are communities that for generations have been segregated and under-resourced. They are communities that experience high poverty and lack of economic opportunity. Life in these communities is a pressure pot of toxic stress and trauma. Many people have enough support and strong, stable relationships in their life to help buffer the impact of all that stress and trauma. Most do not.
Add to the mix the disproportionate impact of the pandemic — economic hardship, stress of remote learning, severe illness and death from COVID-19 — all without adequate in-depth, longterm support, and we cannot be surprised that interpersonal and community violence has increased.
I’m proud that several years ago, the city of Chicago and the Chicago Police Department realized that incarceration is not an effective stand-alone strategy to reduce violence. The city made a significant commitment to invest in street outreach to identify and support those most likely to become involved in gun violence.
After years of working within the violence reduction world, I’ve come to the conclusion that street outreach is essential and we need to start earlier. We need to reach young children — before possibility and hope leave their minds — and help them recover from trauma and build the relationships, skills and goals needed to thrive.
If we believe, which I do, that no person is destined to become involved in violence, it is critical to understand the negative impacts of untreated childhood trauma. When a child is exposed to significant trauma and stress — from community violence, violence in the home, a caregiver struggling with substance abuse, incarcerated parent, foster care, etc. — and does not receive proper support, their ability to concentrate and learn, their behavior and their physical health are all undermined.
I helped found the Institute for Nonviolence, one of the city’s most effective street outreach programs. Over the last five years, we engaged hundreds of individuals and significantly reduced the number of shootings by more than 50% in several communities, including Austin. The reality is that the participants in the program today were the young kids playing in the neighborhood five years ago. Without adequate investment in young children, we are not going to bring about a lasting reduction in violence.
Chicago’s commitment to reducing violence must include funding for organizations that are intentionally supporting the children facing the greatest number of risk factors. Organizations that are making in-depth, long-term commitments to families. Organizations providing young children with the social, emotional and academic support to open their world to new possibilities. Possibilities that give them realistic opportunities to flourish.
The question is not whether to do street outreach or to invest in children. We must do both.
As Frederick Douglass said, “It is easier to build strong children than to repair broken men.”