Crime Prevention/Peacebuilding
Our crime prevention program is dedicated to establishing Youth Crime Watch sites across Liberia. Unlike other programs, where well-intentioned adults attempt to solve youths’ problems, Youth Crime Watch gives youngsters the tools and guidance necessary to actively reduce crime and drug use in their schools and communities. Through notable adult mentors and advisors, as well as through effective community collaboration, the YCW model openhandedly provides youth with the tools and guidance necessary to shape the basic principles of good citizenship, positive values, and self-confidence that underlie the YCW mission to aggressively and constructively counter crime, violence, and drug use. Youth take an active role in addressing the problems around them because they are part of a community and everyone must be a part of the solution. Therefore, youth and adult advisors are trained in YCW methods, these youth take ownership of their own program for their schools and communities. YCWL provides site with complete services for implementation, maintenance, and growth.
How It Works
The Youth Crime Watch program relies on the principle of good citizenship, where youth take an active role in addressing the problems around them. They are a part of their community and must be a part of the solution to their school and community needs.
The program provides youth with the tools, guidance and self-confidence to achieve the prevention of crime, violence and drug abuse by:
- Demonstrating that togetherness, affiliation, and partnerships are powerful responses to threats that require more than individual action.
- Building upon positive values and motivating youth toward responsible action through an array of youth-led activities.
- Helping young people to capitalize on their inherent desire to do well in school, to be respected, and to succeed in life.
Through its key components, the program promotes “Watch Out” activities, such as crime reporting, and “Help Out” activities, such as mentoring and mediation.
Why It Works
The Youth Crime Watch concept works because students own the program. The motivation to make the program works comes from within the students. They learn they can cause real change in their schools and communities; this becomes contagious.Most students want to learn, to grow, to be well linked, to enjoy self-respect, and to enjoy the respect of others. They want to succeed in school and prepare for the future. They want to do all of this in a safe environment and have some fun while they’re doing it. They feel cheated when they realize that others, by being involved with drugs and crime, are putting everyone’s safety, health and well being in danger, spoiling their fun and destroying their future. Nobody likes to be ripped off, and everyone would like to stop it. That’s basically where the students’ motivation comes from: fear, frustration and anger. Students/young people don’t want to be the victims of theft or to be threatened at school, the playground, an athletic field or neighborhood. When they are offered Youth Crime Watch as an enjoyable and effective way to prevent these disturbing and disruptive incidents,they quickly and easily become inspired to put an end to youth crime in their schools and neighborhoods. Once students start to see positive results, they become even more dedicated to keep the program working successfully.
Purpose
- To provide our youth with the opportunities to become part of the solution instead of the problem.
- To help young people capitalize on their talents and their desires to do well in school and to succeed in life.
- To provide leadership and guidance to other organizations working with youth to achieve the prevention of crime, drugs, and violence.
- To show young people that togetherness, affiliation, and partnerships are powerful responses to threats that may be bigger than individuals.
Our Goals
- To provide crime-free, drug-free environments for learning and living
- To instill positive values, foster good citizenship, and build self-confidence in our young people.
- To enable youth to become the necessary resources for preventing drug use and other crimes in their schools and communities.
Benefits
- Students own the program
- They set it up, direct it, and take responsibility for it
- They are the primary beneficiaries along with teachers and support personnel
- Teaches organizational skills
- Teaches responsibility and accountability
- Cost Effective Crime Prevention
- Dramatically Reduced Drug Use, Violence and Crime in School and Community
- Promotes Effective Crime Reporting
- Increases Self Esteem, Leadership, Motivation and School Spirit
