Children's Memorial spearheads effort to create a public health approach to youth violence
February 1, 2012 - Children’s Memorial Hospital recently unveiled an anti-violence movement called Strengthening Chicago’s Youth (SCY) which is a group of private and public stakeholders that will be taking a public health approach to violence prevention. SCY is modeled on the Consortium to Lower Obesity in Chicago Children (CLOCC) which supports, coordinates and unites partners to promote policy and environmental change.
“Children are exposed to violence in their communities, schools and homes, and the effects of exposure to violence can last throughout a lifetime,” said Karen Sheehan, MD, MPH, medical director of Children’s Memorial’s Injury Prevention and Research Center and Professor of Pediatrics and Preventive Medicine at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine. “Youth violence is an epidemic and Children’s Memorial has the resources and the expertise to convene the many organizations that are working together to curb violence and to create a comprehensive violence prevention initiative.”
SCY’s work will entail taking a public health approach to youth violence by adopting consistent messaging and will use evidence-based strategies to prevent violence and to foster multi-sector collaboration. “In 2010, 435 people in Chicago died of violence-related causes,” said Susan Hayes Gordon, Chief Government and Community Relations Officer at Children’s Memorial. “This is simply tragic and something that Children’s Memorial is eager to work on with dedicated partners who share our passion and resolve to reduce violence in Chicago. Children's is pleased to be able to provide a forum in which partners from various sectors can collaborate on violence prevention in order to have a greater collective impact in reducing violence.”
The CLOCC model, which is housed at Children’s Memorial, has attracted national attention and has quickly developed into one of the country’s largest grassroots approaches to childhood obesity prevention. It includes more than 1000 individuals and 500 organizational partners. SCY will be building off that same successful model, encouraged by the more than 130 people who attended its kickoff meeting.
“If we want Chicago to be the healthiest city in the nation for children then we need to build a community where families and children feel safe,” said Sheehan. “We are grateful to all those who are interested in being a part of SCY.”
For more information on SCY, go to Facebook or follow SCY on twitter at @SCY-Chicago.
Children's Memorial is one of the top pediatric hospitals in the country according to U.S.News & World Report. In June of 2012, the hospital will be opening a new facility called Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children’s Hospital of Chicago in downtown Chicago on the campus of its medical partner, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine.