Title
Youth Violence - For the purpose of declaring youth violence a public health epidemic; and supporting the establishment of City-wide trauma-informed education and response methods.
Body
CITY COUNCIL OF THE
City of Annapolis
Resolution 30-20
Introduced by: Alderman Gay
Co-sponsored by: Alderwoman Tierney, Alderman Arnett,
Alderwoman Pindell Charles, Alderman Savidge, Mayor Buckley, Alderwoman Finlayson, Alderman Rodriguez, and Alderman Paone
A RESOLUTION concerning
Youth Violence
FOR the purpose of declaring youth violence a public health epidemic; and supporting the establishment of City-wide trauma-informed education and response methods.
WHEREAS, youth across the city are committing acts of violence against one another and throughout their communities; and
WHEREAS, violence is defined as "the intentional use of physical force or power, threatened or actual, against oneself, another person, or against a group or community, which either results in or has a high likelihood of resulting in injury, death, psychological harm, maldevelopment, or deprivation; and
WHEREAS, the Center for Disease Control reports that many people survive violence and are left with permanent physical and emotional scars, and that violence erodes communities by reducing productivity, decreasing property values, and disrupting social services; and
WHEREAS, in 1985, former United States Surgeon General C. Everett Koop declared violence as a public health issue and called for the application of the science of public health to the treatment and prevention of violence; and
WHEREAS, an individual’s characteristics, experiences, and environmental conditions during childhood and adolescence are an indicator of future violent behavior; and
WHEREAS, ages 15 through 18, the ages that students spend in high school, are the peak years of offending; and
WHEREAS, there is concern about high school dropout rates, academic performance, and violence in schools across this city based on what happens in city neighborhoods; and
WHEREAS, the homicide rate among Black male youths between 10 and 25 years old is nearly 20 times higher than the rate among White male youths; and
WHEREAS, due to the violence epidemic, youth suffer from either primary or secondary trauma. Primary trauma is trauma associated with the violent death of a loved one. Secondary trauma results from exposure to violence present within their community; and
WHEREAS, exposure to violence in families and communities, as well as exposure to homicidal death, can lead to youth-specific post-traumatic stress disorder with complex effects as well as homicidal grief; and
WHEREAS, trauma is not easily visible within youth because it requires proper assessment and, due to the amount of violence youth are currently exposed to, measures should be taken to properly assess the issue; and
WHEREAS, a trauma-informed approach suggests that violence is not symptomatic of bad people but, rather, is a negative health outcome resulting from exposure to numerous risk factors. The public health approach to violence focuses on prevention through addressing the known factors that increase or decrease the likelihood of violence; and
WHEREAS, the experience of trauma impacts children of all situations and conditions across this city.
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE ANNAPOLIS CITY COUNCIL that the City Council declares youth violence a public health epidemic and supports the establishment of City-wide trauma-informed education and response methods.
EXPLANATION
Underlining indicates matter added.
[Strikethrough] indicates matter stricken.
Aye: 9 Mayor Buckley, Alderwoman Tierney, Alderman Paone,
Alderwoman Pindell Charles, Alderwoman Finlayson,
Alderman Rodriguez, Alderman Gay, Alderman Savidge,
and Alderman Arnett