CPS Counseling Program Helped Cut Violent Crime Arrests In Half
CHICAGO (CBS) -- An anti-violence program at the Chicago Public Schools received a lot of attention Monday at the National Summit on Preventing Youth Violence in Baltimore.
The Becoming A Man program has been in place at CPS for 14 years, using social workers to counsel high school students from troubled backgrounds on slowing down their thinking to make better decisions, especially in high-pressure situations.
Program spokeswoman Janie Kirby shared one success story from the program, a young man who just graduated from Carver Military Academy High School.
"Had been caught in dealing with the wrong crowd, was having trouble focusing on his studies, and started working with the BAM program, and he's taken on more leadership roles, and he's on his way to college.
A University of Chicago Crime Lab review of the program, announced at the summit in Baltimore, showed the number of students in the program arrested for violent crimes was cut in half from 2013 to 2015.
The announcement should bring even more interest to the program
"We get interest all the time, literally from across the globe. People want to know how are you doing this?" Kirby said.
According to Kirby, the answer is holding group sessions with counselors to get young men from troubled backgrounds to really think about their reactions, and make different choices.
"It's not too late. High school is not … a time period in a young person's development where it's too late to intervene," she said.
Kirby said BAM serves approximately 2,700 young men in 50 schools, and they hope to expand the program to 3,200 students.