SCY's mission is to build capacity among stakeholders to connect, collaborate and mobilize around a public health approach to violence prevention—adopting consistent messaging about the preventability of violence, promoting use of evidence-based violence prevention strategies and fostering multi-sector collaboration—encouraging partnerships that strengthen existing efforts and benefit the children of Chicago.
Violence is a substantial threat to the health and safety of youth in Chicago. In 2011, 433 people in Chicago died of violence-related causes. Children are exposed to violence in their communities, schools and homes, and the effects of exposure to violence can last throughout a lifetime. To achieve Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children's Hospital of Chicago's vision of making Chicago the healthiest city in the nation for children, we must build communities’ and families’ capacity and skills to raise safe, resilient, emotionally healthy youth.
Preventing violence before it occurs requires a balanced effort that addresses the complex factors underlying violence and builds on the assets of youth, families, and communities. A “public health approach to preventing violence” is comprehensive and multidisciplinary in nature, and aims to minimize the negative and maximize the positive. The public health approach is primary prevention oriented, data driven, evidence based, collaborative, and population based. (Source: STRYVE)