History of the Network
In December 2005, Peel Regional Council asked Regional Chair Emil Kolb to arrange a meeting with representatives from:
- Peel Regional Council
- Peel Health Department
- Peel Regional Police and Caledon OPP
- Brampton Safe City Association
- Mississauga Crime Prevention Association
- Peel District School Board
- Dufferin-Peel Catholic District School Board
In preparation for the meeting, representatives from each of these associations were asked to:
- Discuss the feasibility of a joint committee;
- Investigate the issue of youth violence in Peel, and
- Report back to Peel Regional Council with recommendations.
The discussions during this meeting brought forth the urgency of addressing increased youth violence in Peel, and resulted in the formation of the Peel Youth Violence Prevention Steering Committee. The Steering Committee investigated the issue of youth violence and determined that a collaborative approach was essential.
Findings
The Committee established that:
- Youth violence is an issue in Peel.
- Existing programs reach only a small proportion of Peel’s youth.
- Large service gaps and challenges exist for organizations that are trying to meet the needs of a growing and diverse population.
- To reduce violence among youth, a collaborative community approach is necessary.
Goals
The Committee set three primary goals based on their findings:
- Research the issue of youth violence prevention in Peel with police, schools, youths, faith groups and community groups.
- Develop an inventory of existing programs from agencies and organizations directly or indirectly involved with youth violence prevention programs in Peel.
- Host a forum targeted to community agencies and organizations directly or indirectly involved in youth violence prevention in Peel.
The Peel Youth Violence Prevention Forum
The Peel Youth Violence Prevention Forum was held on Thursday, June 15, 2006 in Brampton.
One hundred and forty-seven (147) participants attended, representing:
- Peel youth
- local agencies and organizations
- faith groups
- police
- school boards
Each participant was either directly or indirectly involved with youth violence prevention programs in Peel. The Peel Youth Violence Prevention Forum provided the opportunity to share background information and multidisciplinary perspectives on youth violence in Peel. The Committee decided that the information and perspectives revealed at the forum would become the foundation of a cohesive, community-based strategy specific to Peel.
Basis for Strategies
The initiative’s proposed strategic actions for youth violence prevention are based on:
- Committee findings
- The following actions, which were identified and prioritized at the Peel Youth Violence Prevention Forum and have since been assigned to separate working groups:
- Foster a sense of neighbourhood in communities.
- Create more community drop-in centres for youth.
- Develop a better approach to zero tolerance policy in schools.
- Help parents develop better parenting skills.
- Enhance the connection between families and schools.
- Develop a Student Employment Network.
- Create co-op programs to provide youth with mentoring.
