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APHA Scientific Session and Event Listing

Heather Anne Law, Asian American Studies, San Francisco State University, 750 Font Boulevard, Apt. B225, San Francisco, CA 94132, (415) 216-6414, heather.law@gmail.com

Too many API youth are the victims of school-related violence in secondary public schools in San Francisco East Bay. Both national and regional studies show that while rates of victimization have declined in general, APIs are the only group to experience a startling increase in experiencing school-related violence. Both victims and perpetrators of school-related violence share common characteristics necessitating the need for interventionist policies to end the cycle of violence. According to a study dealing with violent victimization as a risk factor for violent offending, offenders were more likely than non-offenders to become victims because their lifestyles bring them in contact with other offenders. Policy leaders are not aware of this problem because APIs are aggregated together and categorized as “Other” in most national studies dealing with school violence. In order to address this issue, the recommended policy solution is a culturally competent peer intervention and prevention program. Since API youth are most influenced from their fellow peers and possess common characteristics with each other, a peer mentor has the greatest effect in ending the cycle of violence by advocating changes to a fellow youth's attitude toward violent behavior in school. With the addition of a culturally competent component where youth learn about their native ethnic culture, these API youth will in turn learn that they in fact possess common characteristics with their peers. Such a process based on youth activism creates a better sense of community and reduces the likelihood for inflicting violence against peers.

Learning Objectives: At the conclusion of the session, the participant (learner) in this session will be able to

• Identify three main causes of API victimization in secondary public schools in San Francisco East Bay.
• Assess the severity of the problem by comparing school victimization data from both national and regional studies.
• Evaluate three policy solutions dealing with API victimization in secondary public schools.

Keywords: Youth Violence, Education

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

Not Answered