Academic Centers of Excellence

The Academic Centers of Excellence, or ACEs, bring together resources and experts from varied backgrounds to study youth violence issues, share solutions, and work with communities to prevent youth violence.

Youth violence is widespread in the United States. Look at the facts:

• Youth under 18 accounted for about 15% of violent crime arrests in 2001.
• About one in three high school students say they have been in a physical fight in the past year, and more than one in six students in grades 6 to 10 say they are bullied.

However, youth violence prevention and intervention efforts have helped turn the tide. While the number of deaths and serious injuries related to youth violence increased dramatically during the late 1980s and early 1990s, between 1992 and 2001, juvenile arrests for weapons charges dropped 35%; the juvenile arrest rate for murder fell 62%, dropping to its lowest level in more than two decades; and the juvenile arrest rate for violent crimes dropped 21%.

It takes the effort of many to prevent youth violence. ACE faculty and staff have multidisciplinary expertise in youth violence research, program development and implementation, evaluation, and community organization. Through the collaboration of public health professionals, researchers, medical professionals, epidemiologists, psychologists, criminologists, sociologists, mental health professionals, and educators, the ACEs work with local communities, conducting research, and implementing and evaluating programs in youth violence prevention.

Each ACE addresses national, regional, or local youth violence prevention priorities in communities throughout the United States. The ACEs conduct surveillance activities, design and implement research projects, develop interventions, evaluate programs, and disseminate their findings. Each ACE has a committee of community members, including representatives of agencies and organizations serving the community. The committee provides local contacts, overall guidance, and advice on agendas and the development of a community action plan.

ACEs collaborate with state and local health departments, schools, public agencies such as recreation departments and housing authorities, community-based organizations, universities, Injury Control Research Centers (ICRCs), Prevention Research Centers, national youth violence prevention organizations, and other Academic Centers of Excellence. ACEs nurture community partnerships to prevent violence, help to organize people and agencies across different sectors (e.g., public health, justice, education, business, faith communities), assess community resources, and map community assets. The focused, comprehensive approach the ACEs use enables a fuller understanding of and response to the nature and dynamics of local violence. ACEs also train, provide technical assistance to, and/or mentor health professionals, researchers, practitioners, students, and community members, covering a range of topics of interest to local youth violence prevention efforts.

The goal of the Academic Centers of Excellence is to enhance the capacity of communities and universities to prevent youth violence. Surveillance data, programs, publications, and research findings from the ACEs inform policies and practices adopted by local and state health departments, schools, community-based organizations, and other public agencies. Local agencies and organizations will be better equipped to implement and maintain effective violence prevention programs and services. Universities with ACE programs will have an improved academic infrastructure for service learning and student practicum opportunities. Both professionals and community members will develop violence prevention skills.