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Violence-Free Zones, or Violence-Free Zone Initiatives, are community-based interventions for gang members and youth. Zones attempt to stem violence by providing mentorship, guidance, social development, job training and an effective environment for learning, among other tools, to help gang members and at-risk youth break free and become successful in life, crime-free and violence-free. The initiatives operate in urban schools with high levels of crime and violence.
The model for Violence-Free Zones was developed by the Center for Neighborhood Enterprise and is based on the principle that lack of parental involvement and guidance is at the root of violence among youth in these high-risk communities.
Participating cities include Washington, D.C., Hartford, Indianapolis, Los Angeles, Dallas, Houston, Milwaukee, Richmond and others.
The model has also been adopted as a strategy to prevent HIV/AIDS transmission in schools.