Last year, 31 of Boston’s 63 homicide victims were 25 years old or younger.  The rate at which our young people are falling victim to violence is truly astonishing. The cause of this violence is, of course, multi-pronged. Social-economic issues including the pressures of poverty, racism and lack of opportunity perpetuate this deadly cycle. YW Boston is helping Boston young people to break this cycle. Our Youth Leadership Initiative program prepares 30-50 metro-Boston youth to take leadership roles in their community and be true agents of change. And our Youth/Police Dialogues program brings high-risk youth from Boston’s the highest crime neighborhoods together with local law enforcement, with the goal that together they can curb the violence.

We are also encouraged and proud to be part of a growing chorus of organizations working to break the cycle of teen violence. We encourage you to check out Stop. Think. Let it Go, a collaboration between the Executive Office of Health and Human Services, the Executive Office of Public Safety and ARGUS, a Boston-based agency and YW Boston partner specializing in social change communications. View the the collaboration’s new public service announcement below: