Salzburg Global Fellows draft a list of guidelines for a more holistic approach to addressing the causes of youth violence
The Global Innovations on Youth Violence, Safety and Justice initiative seeks to tackle youth violence and promote youth safety and criminal justice reform. Launched in January 2021, this major multi-year series has brought together over 100 diverse stakeholders, including young adults, to address the legal, economic, and social weaknesses and inefficiencies of legal systems across multiple jurisdictions. This Salzburg Statement on Youth Violence Reduction is one of the outcomes of discussions our Fellows have had over the past two years.
This Statement outlines a framework for improving outcomes for young people worldwide, particularly adolescents and young adults aged 11-26. It advocates for a “whole systems approach” to youth safety and violence, recognizing the interconnected nature of the issue and the need for collaboration, evidence-based strategies, and a long-term perspective to address it effectively. Key principles include focusing on prevention, addressing underlying causes, a collaborative approach, evidence-based strategies, empowering youth and communities, and taking a long-term perspective. The Statement also emphasizes the need to recognize inequalities and biases, the invaluable insights of those with lived experiences, the importance of dignity, respect, equality, equity, and justice, and the need for long-term investment, consistent and relentless focus on the best outcomes for young people, and inspirational leadership at all levels. The framework’s foundations include focusing on humanizing, centering youth voices while also developing the leadership of young people, and a healing-centered approach to addressing trauma. Advancing and investing in best outcomes for young people is inextricable from the long-term ability of society as a whole to thrive and prosper.
Research shows that effective strategies for preventing youth violence involve early intervention, evidence-based prevention programs, addressing risk factors, community-based approaches, and addressing systemic issues such as structural racism and economic inequality. It is important to take action to prevent youth violence and promote resiliency in order to protect young people, reduce human and financial costs, improve public safety, remedy systemic issues, and invest in the future. A comprehensive and collaborative approach is necessary to address the root causes of violence and engage multiple sectors and stakeholders.
The ongoing work involves unpacking different systems to understand the positive and negative drivers and to create recommendations for individual systems and their interconnectedness. A need exists to address all stages of the process - preemptive prevention and risk reduction, response to violence once it occurs, and rehabilitation and reintegration – holistically. Therefore, the systems being examined include the criminal legal system including courts and youth custody; police and law enforcement; probation, parole, and youth justice/rehabilitation services; city/neighborhood development; education/schools; public health – including mental health – institutions; addiction and substance use treatment programs; child protection agencies; economy/workforce; family, and community relationships/networks. Additionally, there is a need to continue building the evidence base in this field, looking at the whole systems evidence as well as specific interventions at all prevention stages. Finally, cross-international program development is being emphasized, to create opportunities for sharing and learning to implement in different contexts and settings around the world.
Download the Salzburg Statement as a PDF
Read the full Salzburg Statement below:
