Introduction to Publications
The Center for the Study and Prevention of Violence (CSPV) produces numerous publications, most of which are available to download free of charge. CSPV collects research literature and resources on the causes and prevention of violence, particularly youth violence. Go to CSPV publications.
Safe Communities Safe Schools (SCSS) is a project of CSPV which assists schools with violence prevention planning, evidence-based programming, training and technical assistance as well as prevention and safety research resources. SCSS publications describe issues related to school safety. Go to SCSS publications.
CSPV's Academic Center of Excellence in Youth Violence Prevention (ACE) leads an effort to reduce youth violence in Denver's Montbello neighborhood. ACE Steps to Success Publications include reports created by the Montbello Community and the ACE research team related to the Steps to Success Project in Montbello. Go to ACE publications.
Most of the documents listed can be downloaded in Adobe® PDF format.
Center for the Study and Prevention of Violence (CSPV) Papers
CSPV-001: What Works in Reducing Adolescent Violence: An Empirical Review of the Field, by Patrick Tolan and Nancy Guerra (1994). This Center Paper examines the effectiveness of juvenile violence prevention and treatment programs. It reviews program evaluations and other research literature focusing on program effectiveness as it relates to adolescent violence prevention and treatment.
CSPV-002: Drugs, Alcohol and Adolescent Violence, by D. Wayne Osgood (1994). This Center Paper represents a critical review of the literature. It includes a review of what is known about drugs, alcohol and adolescent violence, what appears to be known yet has limitations, and gaps in research knowledge.
CSPV-003: Youth Participation in Hate-Motivated Crimes: Research and Policy Implication, by Christopher Maxwell and Sheila Royo Maxwell (1995). This Center Paper includes a review of what is known about adolescent involvement in violent hate crimes, what appears to be known yet has limitations, and gaps in research and knowledge.
CSPV-004: Gangs and Adolescent Violence, by James F. Short, Jr. (1996). This Center Paper seeks to explain youth gang violence. It examines four group processes of gangs that are critical in determining gang behavior.
CSPV-005: Juvenile Sexual Aggression: A Critical Review, by Mark R. Weinrott (1996). This Center Paper summarizes what is known about juvenile sexual offenders. It includes statistics on juvenile sex crimes, offender characteristics, typologies, etiology and developmental course, and recidivism.
CSPV-006: Ethnicity, Race, Class, and Adolescent Violence, by Darnell F. Hawkins (1996). This Center Paper examines the extent of racial/ethnic differences in rates of assaultive violence and homicide in the United States.
CSPV-007: What Do We Know About Gun Use Among Adolescents?, by Deanna Wilkinson and Jeff Fagan (2002). This Center paper reviews studies of adolescents' attitudes and behaviors towards guns. It also summarizes trends in youth violence in relation to firearms and discusses findings based on in-depth interviews with active gun offenders.
CSPV-008: Youth Violence: An Overview, by Delbert S. Elliott (1994). This concise Center Paper considers current patterns and trends of youth violence, causes of youth violence, and what is known about the prevention of youth violence.
CSPV-009: Program Evaluation Overview, by Kristi Jackson, Kirk R. Williams, and Delbert S. Elliott (1996). This Center Paper provides a general framework for understanding the basic components of evaluation research. Not intended as a guidebook for conducting evaluations, this publication aims to assist program managers as they begin to shape an evaluation plan.
CSPV-010: Program Planning Guide for Youth Violence Prevention: A Risk-Focused Approach, by Nancy G. Guerra and Kirk R. Williams (1996). This CSPV Planning Guide details the steps for planning violence prevention programs, including evaluation strategies, building on risk and protective factors. This publication includes worksheets that can be used to guide communities.
CSPV-011: Human Development and Violence Prevention: A Focus on Youth, by Kirk R. Williams, Nancy G. Guerra, and Delbert S. Elliott, (1997). This Center Paper provides a theoretical framework for research, policy and action plans for youth violence prevention, emphasizing stages of human development.
CSPV-012: Prevention Programs That Work for Youth: Violence Prevention, by Delbert S. Elliott, (1998). This succinct Center Paper reviews the status of current violence prevention and intervention programs. It provides a summary of programs that work and justification for why model prevention programs must be emphasized in the search for effective prevention.
CSPV-013: Supporting Youth by Strengthening Communities: The DART Model, by Kirk R. Williams, Nancy G. Guerra, and Delbert S. Elliott, (1999). This Center Paper explains the comprehensive framework of the DART Model, which builds on youth development and risk-focused approaches.
CSPV-014: Preventing Youth Handgun Violence, by Sabrina Arredondo, Tonya Aultman-Bettridge, Tenah Johnson, Kirk R. Williams, Louise Ninneman, and Ken Torp, (1999). This Center Paper addresses the issue of youth gun violence and its prevention, including national as well as Colorado trends.
CSPV-015: Lies, Damn Lies and Arrest Statistics, by Delbert S. Elliott, (1995). This Center Paper addresses the dangers of relying exclusively on arrest studies when describing the dynamics of criminal behavior. Dr. Elliott received the Edwin H. Sutherland Award in 1995. This paper was first presented at the Sutherland Award Presentation at the American Society of Criminology Meetings in Boston, MA.
CSPV Fact Sheets
- FS-001: Gangs and Youth Violence, (1997, 2008).
- FS-002: Juvenile Sexual Aggression, (1997, 2008).
- FS-003: Ethnicity, Race, Class, and Adolescent Violence, (2009).
- FS-004: Intimate Partner Violence, (2008) [previously entitled Violence Against Women (1998)].
- FS-006: Youth Handgun Violence, (1999).
- FS-007: The Youth Violence Problem, (1999, 2008).
- FS-008: Youth in Adult Courts, (2008), [previously entitled Judicial Waivers: Youth in Adult Courts (1999)].
- FS-009: Judicial Waiver Statistics by State, (1999, 2008).
CSPV Position Summaries and Response Letters
- PS-001: D.A.R.E. Program, (2010).
- PS-002: Gun Control Efforts, (1998).
- PS-003: Positive Peer Culture Programs, (1998).
- PS-004: Student Profiling, (2000).
Safe Communities Safe Schools Publications
Safe Communities Safe Schools Planning Guide by Linda Cunningham, Jane Grady and Susan Lineberry, (2011). This guide presents the Safe Communities Safe Schools model for developing a safe school plan.
Safe Communities Safe Schools Action Guide by Linda Cunningham, Jane Grady and Susan Lineberry, (2011). This guide presents detailed information about selecting, implementing, monitoring and evaluating programs.
Safe Communities Safe Schools Program Guide by Linda Cunningham, Jane Grady and Susan Lineberry, (2011). This guide summarizes the most effective programs and lists them by program type, target population, setting, risk factors and effectiveness.
Pre-Planning Assessment Checklists. This handbook contains checklists to aid school-community planning teams in identifying areas of strength and weakness that could affect school and community safety.
School Safety Glossary. This glossary defines many of the terms that are used in safe school planning.
Safe Communities Safe Schools (SCSS) Fact Sheets
- FS-SC01: Safe Communities Safe Schools Initiative, (2000, 2009).
- FS-SC02: Safe Communities Safe Schools Model, (2000, 2008).
- FS-SC03: Safe Communities Safe Schools Discipline Codes, (2000).
- FS-SC04: What is a Safe School?, (2000, 2008).
- FS-SC05: Creating a Crisis Plan, (2000, 2008).
- FS-SC06: Early Warning Signs, (2000).
- FS-SC07: Bullying Prevention: An Overview of Bullying, (2001, 2008).
- FS-SC08: Bullying Prevention: Recommendations for Schools, (2001, 2008).
- FS-SC09: Bullying Prevention: Recommendations for Parents, (2001, 2008).
- FS-SC10: Bullying Prevention: Recommendations for Kids, (2001, 2008).
- FS-SC11: Implementing an Effective School Resource Officer Program, (2001, 2009).
- FS-SC12: After School Programs, (2001).
- FS-SC14: Responding to Violence in Schools, (1998).
- FS-SC15: How Students Can Avoid School Victimization, (1998).
- FS-SC16: Blueprint for Safe Schools, (2008).
- FS-SC17: Establishing a School Threat Assessment Process, (2008).
- FS-SC18: Steps to Conducting a School Threat Assessment Process, (2008).
- FS-SC19: Targeted School Violence, (2008).
- FS-SC20: Introduction to Safe School Planning: Prevention, Preparedness, Response, Recovery, (2008).
- FS-SC21: The Role of the Bystander in Preventing a Targeted Attack, (2008).
- FS-SC22: Funding Resources for Prevention Programs, (2010).
- FS-SC23: School Climate, (2010).
- FS-SC24: SCSS School Climate Surveys, (2010).
- FS-SC25: Information Sharing, (2011).
- FS-SC26: Recommendations for Program Implementation, (2011).
School Violence Fact Sheets
(Excerpted from Violence in American Schools: A New Perspective)
- FS-SV01: An Integrated Approach to Youth Violence Prevention, (1998).
- FS-SV02: Youth Violence: A Public Health Concern, (1998).
- FS-SV03: Social Contexts and Adolescent Violence, (1998).
- FS-SV04: Juvenile Aggression, (1998).
- FS-SV05: School Violence and Social Conditions, (1998).
- FS-SV06: Preventing Firearm Violence, (1998).
- FS-SV07: Reducing School Violence, (1998).
- FS-SV08: Evaluations of School-Based Violence Prevention Programs, (1998).
- FS-SV09A: Safe School Planning, (1998).
- FS-SV09B: Recommendations for Safe School Plans, (1998, 2008).
- FS-SV10: Exposure to Urban Violence, (1998).
- FS-SV11: Community Policing, Schools, and Mental Health, (1998).
- FS-SV12: Urban After-School Programs, (1998).
Safe Schools Newsletter
(Published Sept/Oct 2008-present)
This quarterly Safe Schools newsletter is a joint communication outreach between the Colorado School Safety Resource Center (CSSRC) and CSPV's Safe Communities Safe Schools (SCSS) project. Funding is made possible by both the CSSRC and SCSS. It will eventually become an e-newsletter and may no longer be available in a print version. Readers can sign up to receive emailed copies of the newsletter.
- Safe Schools, Volume 1/Issue 1, Sept/Oct 2008 Colorado Establishes School Safety Resource Center
- Safe Schools, Volume 1/Issue 2, Nov/Dec 2008 New Director is Hired for Colorado School Safety Resource Center
- Safe Schools, Volume 1/Issue 3, May 2009 School Climate and Academic Success: Safety Matters
- Safe Schools, Volume 2/Issue 1, August 2009 NIMS Compliance?
- Safe Schools, Volume 2/Issue 2, November 2009 Prevention: Links to the Future
- Safe Schools, Volume2/Issue 3, February 2010 Preparedness: Ready for Challenges
- Safe Schools, Volume 2/Issue 4, May 2010 Crisis Response: Be Ready to Act
- Safe Schools, Volume 3/Issue 1, August 2010 Recovery: Returning to the Business of Learning
- Safe Schools, Volume 3/Issue 2, November 2010 Bullying: It's Not Welcome in Today's Safe School Climate
- Safe Schools, Volume 3/Issue 3, February 2011 Spotlight on Youth Suicide Prevention
- Safe Schools, Volume 3/Issue 4, March/April 2011 Substance Abuse Prevention: Links to the Future
- Safe Schools, Volume 4/Issue 1, August 2011 Colorado School Safety Legislation
- Safe Schools, Volume 4/Issue 2, November 2011 School-Based Prevention for a Lifetime of Success
- Safe Schools, Volume 4/Issue 3, February 2012 School Safety and Substance Abuse Prevention Grants
- Safe Schools, Volume 4/Issue 4, May 2012 School Climate Survey Site Upgrades
Communities and Schools in Action Archives
(Published October 1999-September 2005)
Communities and Schools in Action is the quarterly newsletter published by Safe Communities Safe Schools (SCSS). Review past issues for highlights of safe school planning, tips on violence prevention, and recent activities of the SCSS Initiative.
- Volume 1, Issue 1 October 1999.
- Volume 1, Issue 2 February 2000.
- Volume 1, Issue 3 May 2000.
- Volume 1, Issue 4 August 2000.
- Volume 1, Issue 5 December 2000.
- Volume 2, Issue 1 March 2001.
- Volume 2, Issue 2 May 2001.
- Volume 2, Issue 3 September 2001.
- Volume 2, Issue 4 December 2001.
- Volume 3, Issue 1 February 2002.
- Volume 3, Issue 2 May 2002.
- Volume 3, Issue 3 August 2002.
- Volume 3, Issue 4 December 2002.
- Volume 4, Issue 1 February 2003.
- Volume 4, Issue 2 May 2003.
- Volume 4, Issue 3 September 2003.
- Volume 4, Issue 4 December 2003.
- Volume 5, Issue 1 March 2004.
- Volume 5, Issue 2 June 2004.
- Volume 5, Issue 3 August 2004.
- Volume 5, Issue 4 November 2004.
- Volume 6, Issue 1 February 2005.
- Volume 6, Issue 2 September 2005.
ACE Steps to Success Publications
Steps to Success FAQs. Lists frequently asked questions regarding the Steps to Success Project.
Community Risk Assessment Report (2014). This report describes the results of the risk and protective factor assessment completed as part of Steps to Success and highlights prioritized risk and protective factors specific to the Montbello community. See also Community Risk Assessment Report Executive Summary (2014).
Community Resources Assessment Report (2013). This report describes the results of the work completed by the Resources Assessment and Evaluation committee as part of Steps to Success, and highlights prioritized evidence-based programs that address the risk and protective factors that were selected by the Risk and Protective Factor Assessment committee. That process is detailed in the Community Risk Assessment Report.
Community Action Plan (Phase 1) (2013). This report outlines the decision-making process and rationale for the recommended Evidence-Based Program Package and Leveraged Program Lists.