CAN THE ARTS REALLY DETER OUR YOUTH FROM GANGS, DRUGS, AND VIOLENCE?
Prevention programs are most effective when youth attend and participate regularly. Arts programs are successful at attracting, engaging and retaining even the toughest kids. These youth including gang members and previously incarcerated teens join arts programs and return time and again. What draws them? • The thrill of creative and artistic expression. • Community recognition for performances, exhibitions or public art works. • Learning new job skills. • Learning how to use the arts to communicate difficult thoughts and emotions. Research confirms that youth vandalize with graffiti and join gangs in search of recognition, achievement and self-expression. The arts provide a different way to address these needs. The following examples demonstrate the success of arts programs in engaging even the hardest to reach youth: THE JUVENILE GANG PREVENTION PROGRAM in Dallas offers free classes at four recreation centers, where participants create plays and visual works of art based on personal
