Program Basics

With programs in 28 states and 20 countries throughout the world, Youth Crime Watch demonstrates that young people can make the difference in keeping their schools and communities safe from crime, drugs, and violence.

Youth Crime Watch offers young people an active role in reducing crime in their schools and neighborhoods. They own and run their Watch program, with support from adults. Youth Crime Watch challenges youth to reduce drugs, violence, and crime, and it helps youth and adults recognize that youth can and must be a part of civic problem-solving, community partnership development, and crime prevention.

What makes a Youth Crime Watch program

First and foremost, Youth Crime Watch programs are youth-led. A YCW program's activities will reflect our Watch Out, Help Out crime prevention philosophy and the three goals of YCWA.

1. Provide crime-free, drug-free environments through a youth-led movement.
2. Instill positive values, foster good citizenship and build self-confidence in young people
3. Enable youth to become resources for preventing crime, drug use and violence in their schools and neighborhoods.

Each Youth Crime Watch has a Core Group of youth leaders that assesses problems; decides on a course of action; and promotes and sustains the program.

Each YCW program implements some combination of our nine basic components, tailoring the implementation to fit their own situation.

The bottom line

Even those with limited resources can start a Youth Crime Watch program. You will need materials for the YCW Core Group, the initial assembly, and for communicating with the student body as a whole. YCWA offers a low-cost comprehensive start-up kit that contains operational guidelines and promotional materials to help you begin.

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Related materials

Get started with our comprehensive YCW Start-up Kit. $99.00

YCW Basics

Philosophy

Site standards

Fact sheet

FAQ

Startup checklists