Youth and gun violence

It is predicated on the fact that gun violence is primarily perpetrated by young men, who are also the majority of the victims, and is often associated with illegal trade in guns and drugs; that in many regions of the world the level of deaths has reached epidemic proportions; and that gun-related violence is also a major concern in cities in many developed countries … Youth and Gun Violence: The [...] What is clear is that the complexity of youth gun violence in terms of its causes, and the wide variety of forms it takes in different countries and regions, means that no simple or single approach is going to provide lasting and sustainable solutions. [...] Such an approach is supported by the UN Guidelines for the Prevention of Crime adopted in 2002 (UN, 2002), and exemplified by Workshop 3 on Strategies and Best Practices in Crime Prevention, in Particular in Relation to Urban areas and Youth at Risk, which took place at the 11th UN Congress on Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice in Bangkok in 2005 (UNODC, 2005; ICPC, 2005). [...] What is also evident is that while the causes of youth violence are very similar across cultures and countries, there is a need to tailor and adapt strategies and interventions to the wide variety of contexts found in different countries and regions. [...] This is based on the clear evidence of the problems inherent in the exclusion of young people from mainstream society, including ethnic and cultural minorities; on the importance of recognizing the rights of children and young people, including their rights to public space, and on the benefits of including them in the planning and delivery of programmes.