В Форт-Уэйне создали программу Street Team для предотвращения насилия через доверие и посредничество

1 What do adults in Fort Wayne most often misunderstand about the young people you’re trying to reach? Parker: Adults in Fort Wayne sometimes misunderstand that the young people we are trying to reach are not simply “bad kids” or problems that need to be fixed. They are young people dealing with trauma, grief, poverty, peer pressure, violence and circumstances that many adults may never fully see or understand. At Big Hearts Community Projects, we believe we have to look beyond the behavior and take the time to understand the person behind it. Community violence intervention starts with relationships. We meet young people where they are, listen without judging them, build trust and help connect them to people and resources that can give them a real chance to choose a different path. We are not saying young people shouldn’t be held accountable. We believe accountability is part of love. But we also believe young people need someone willing to walk with them, not just someone telling them what they are doing wrong. 2 What gap does the Street Team fill, and how do you make sure another program adds coordination rather than another layer of duplication? Parker: The Street Team fills a gap that exists between the community and the systems already working to serve it. At Big Hearts Community Projects, we are not trying to create another program that competes with what is already happening in Fort Wayne. Our structure is intentionally built to coordinate with existing programs, organizations and service providers so we can strengthen the overall response rather than duplicate it. The Safe Streets model is a nationally recognized community violence intervention approach designed to be proactive and prevention-focused. Our Street Team builds relationships before violence happens, identifies conflicts and risks early, and connects people to the right resources. At the same time, when violence or conflict does occur, the team is prepared to intervene, mediate and help prevent retaliation. The goal is simple: Connect the right people, at the right time, and make sure no one falls through the cracks. 3 You have spoken openly about your own troubled past, while also saying your community never gave up on you. When you meet a young person who seems headed down the same road, what do you understand about him or her that someone without those experiences might miss? Parker: When I meet a young person who seems headed down a road I once traveled, I understand some of what they are dealing with because I have experienced many of those same struggles myself — and some I still experience today. I know what it feels like to work hard, be employed and still live below the poverty level. There are times when that is frustrating, but my faith reminds me that God provides. I also understand that struggle is not always about a person’s choices; sometimes people are making decisions from a place of survival, frustration, pain or feeling like they have no options. My understanding comes not only from my own experiences, but from living in and being connected to a community where I see these challenges every day. I don’t approach young people as someone who has all the answers. I approach them as someone who understands, listens and refuses to give up on them. 4 When you talk with young people who are involved in violence, what do they tell you is actually driving it? Parker: When I talk with young people involved in violence, I often hear fear, boredom and a deep sense of hopelessness. Some have grown up in environments where violence is constantly present and, sometimes, subliminally reinforced through music, television, video games and what they see around them. When hopelessness takes root, it can lead to irrational thinking because they simply don’t believe life can be different or better. I also hear how difficult it can be to address mental health. In our culture, admitting that you are struggling mentally can sometimes bring stigma, so young people may suffer in silence rather than ask for help. Many are also growing up without consistent two-parent homes or stable family structures. That can leave them without some of the natural guidance, security and sense of wholeness that family can provide. We have to address those deeper issues if we want to change behavior. 5 Violence interrupters need the trust of young people, but they are also trying to prevent violence and retaliation. Where should the line be between the Street Team and law enforcement? Parker: The line between the Street Team and law enforcement has to be clear, but it also has to create room for both sides to understand each other. Law enforcement has a job to do, and we respect that. At the same time, many of our young people are growing up believing that law enforcement is their enemy. Sometimes cultural differences make that divide even wider when officers working in inner-city communities do not come from those communities or fully understand the culture and experiences of the people they serve. That can unintentionally reinforce mistrust. We have to find a middle ground where both sides can meet. Violence interrupters can help create that bridge because they often have lived experience and credibility within the community. Our role is not to replace law enforcement, but to build trust, prevent violence, mediate conflict and help both the community and law enforcement better understand one another. That is the line.