Journal Article

A Neighborhood Watch Program for Inner-City School Children

Salcido, Ramon M., Ornelas, Vincent, Garcia, John A.

2002

Overview

School social workers are often challenged to assist schools in developing community programs that address the myriad social problems affecting inner-city school children, including gang activity, teenage pregnancy, substance abuse, crime, and violence. This article reports on a multimethod study of a three-year neighborhood watch program designed to protect inner-city school children from violence while traveling on foot from home to school and vice versa. The study demonstrates that a university-community-based project can have positive effects on a heterogeneous population of inner-city inhabitants. Data were collected from approximately 148 school children and 40 adult participants living, working, or attending schools in the target area. Analysis indicated that in addition to contributing to perceptions of enhanced safety, the program also served to improve the quality of neighborhood interaction. Implications for implementing community-based approaches by school-based social workers, and the use of children as research participants, are discussed.

• Publisher: Oxford University Press
• Subject: Central Cities / Children / community organization / Community Organizations / Crime Prevention / Drug abuse / Fear of crime / Inner city / inner-city school children / multiple method study / neighborhood watch / Neighborhoods / Participation / Poverty / Safety / School safety / school social work / School Social Workers / Social control / Social Work / Social workers / Students / Teenage pregnancy / Urban schools / Violence