Breaking The Cycle

Thank you for your consideration during Colorado Gives Days.  This documentary tells the story of my childhood friends, but even more importantly than that, it aligns with the work of The Crowley Foundation. We aim to promote our own protective factors with the youth that we work with to prevent these situations from happening to them. 

Youth violence is a serious problem that can have lasting harmful effects on victims and their family, friends, and communities.

Everyone can help support teens and prevent violence

Parents and families can:

• Learn about links between teens' experiences with violence and their health.
• Talk with teens about violence and ask how you can support them.
• Reach out to local programs to learn effective parenting practices.

Communities can:

• Make teen mentoring, apprenticeship, and leadership programs more available.
• Collaborate with health departments and other partners to promote healthy and safe neighborhoods.
• Make use of effective social and economic policies that reduce violence.

Schools can: 

• Adopt policies and practices that create safe and supportive environments.
• Teach teens skills to navigate social and emotional challenges.
• Connect students to health and mental health services.
• Build strong bonds between staff and students to improve connectedness to school.

Protective Factors

Individual protective factors

• High IQ
• High grade point average (as an indicator of high academic achievement).
• High educational aspirations.
• Highly developed social skills/competencies.

Relationship protective factors

• Connectedness to family or adults outside the family.
• Ability to discuss problems with parents.
• Perceived parental expectations about school performance are high.
• Frequent shared activities with parents.
• Consistent presence of parent during at least one of the following: when awakening, when arriving home from school, at evening mealtime, or when going to bed.
• Possession of affective relationships with those at school that are strong, close, and prosocially oriented.
• Exposure to school climates with intensive supervision, clear behavior rules, firm disciplinary methods, and engagement of parents and teachers.