YOUTH IMPACT WINDHAM COUNTY

books Welcome to the new Youth ImPact Windham County website. Youth ImPact is a collaboration of youth-service agencies and faith organizations in Windham County that together are seeking ways to promote the healthy development of young people. The project will run for three years and will support several separate initiatives.

Youth ImPact partners are Youth Services Inc. of Windham County, the Boys & Girls Club of Brattleboro, Guilford Community Church, First Baptist Church, and New England Network for Child, Youth & Family Services, which is acting as the coordinating agency.
FEWER DRUGS, MORE ACTIVITIES, MORE ADULT INTEREST:
SURVEY FINDINGS

Want to know what really going on for young people in the county? 'Lots More Positive Attitude: What Young People in Windham County Say They Need to Be Happy, Healthy and Productive,' a report in the works since last winter, is now available. It includes charts, graphs, quotes from young people, and photos from the Youth Photovoice project (see below).

Click here.

WINDHAM PHOTOVOICE: THROUGH THE EYES OF YOUNG PEOPLE

During May and June, a group of young people from different areas of the county participated in a documentary photo project that asked them to consider two things: what is wonderful, and what is discouraging, about their environment. See what they came up with.

Called 'PhotoVoice,' this technique of gathering information and expressing opinion has been used all over the world, and by many different groups, usually as a way of raising community awareness and promoting positive change. The findings of the local project will inform our community partners' projects, and help adults throughout the county see their towns through teenagers' eyes.

Participants in the Windham Youth PhotoVoice project (including adult sponsors and youth photographers) were: West River Valley: Lori Greenberg from Leyland and Gray Union High School and Cooper Feiner-Homer; Brattleboro: Ricky Davidson from the Boys and Girls Club of Brattleboro and Autumn Kendell, Zach Gilbeau, and Ann-Marie Bliss; Bellows Falls: Ellenka Wasung-Lott from the Boys and Girls Club and Danielle Southwell from Youth Services Inc., and Crystal Thomson, Jacqueline Cantor and Abi Baker; and Wilmington: Shelly Park, Sarah Dumaine, Michael Squiers, and Tony Roy.

See the Windham PhotoVoice Project here.
WHAT WE KNOW ABOUT YOUTH VIOLENCE IN WINDHAM COUNTY

A major goal of Youth ImPact Windham County is reducing the incidence of violence among youth.

What do we know about youth violence in general and locally?
  • In 2007, 38% of Windham County 8th grade males and 21% of females had been in a physical fight.
  • Windham County has higher than state avg.'s for violent injuries, "unmanageable" children, & dispositions for delinquency.
  • Individual factors linked to violence: school success or failure, emotional problems, and substance abuse.
  • Family factors linked to violence: discipline practices, comm. style, & lack of involvement
  • Children who witness violence or who face physical, sexual , mental, or emotional abuse at home are more likely to become violent.
  • Community factors linked to violence: low neighborhood cohesiveness, and community disorganization;
  • Environmental factors linked to violence: poverty and media exposure.
  • Violence in television, movies, and video games is a contributors.
  • Drugs and alcohol and easy access to weapons are contributors
  • No single factor or single defining situation causes an individual to engage in violent behavior
  • Effective strategies to reduce youth violence include mentoring programs such as Big Brothers/Big Sisters
  • Children with adult mentors are much less likely to engage in drug or alcohol use or to commit violent acts
  • Bullying is a major CAUSE of youth violence
  • The most violent harassment is based on disability, race, sexual orientation, nationality, and religion
  • The Best Time to Prevent Violent Behavior is from Pre-k to 3rd grade
(Sources: Windham County 2007 YRBS, VAHS 2007 Community Profile, National Youth Violence Prevention Resource Center, "Youth Violence Research," 2001)

  • From 1/1/05 to now Brattleboro has had 44 cases of "unmanageable" findings. This means that the judge found a child was beyond the control of their parents. (Brattleboro District Court)
  • From 1/1/05 until now Brattleboro has had 69 cases of "abuse and neglect" findings. This means the judge has found a child has been abused or neglected by their parent(s).
  • Overall, delinquency cases have dropped significantly since 2000, pretty much all over the State. We are not sure of the reason – some of it may have to do with less law enforcement resources, resulting in fewer charges. It may be for a good reason, better intervention by social services and schools. (District Court Manager)
  • "Unmanageable" cases have gone up though. We have more and more cases of juveniles who reach early adolescence and adolescence who are simply "out of control." I think that has a lot to do with the breakdown of families – lack of parenting skills, lack of intact families, substance abuse issues of the parent(s), and poverty. It is uncommon for us to get a case here where both parents are together and living in the same house.
Andi Waisman, Youth ImPact's local coordinator, can be reached at awaisman@nenetwork.org.