Searching for Solutions to Youth Violence

Forum for service providers and youth explores a many-sided issue

The media today is full of stories concerning gangs and violent behaviour among youth. Clinicians and service providers often deal with the aftermath in their daily practice. While the general public struggles to understand why the incidence of youth violence seems to escalate, CAMH and other parts of the mental health profession believe that youth violence is a public health issue.

Recently, over 260 people gathered for “Youth Violence: ‘Mental Health Issue or Criminal Behaviour?’ - A Public Health Discussion for Prevention” a forum organized by CAMH and George Brown College’s Centre for Preparatory & Liberal Studies. This 9th Annual Mental Health Conference attracted not only clinicians but attendees from government agencies, the justice system, funders, housing, service provider organizations, and youth practitioners.

Former Children and Youth Minister Mary Anne Chambers, who moderated the morning panel on youth violence for service providers and professionals, speaks with forum organizer Lew Golding, CAMH’s Manager of Substance Abuse Program for African Canadian and Caribbean Youth (SAPACCY).

Lew Golding, a forum co-organizer and manager of CAMH’s Substance Abuse Program for African Canadian and Caribbean Youth (SAPACCY) said he was pleased to see the "next generation of practitioners and service providers" in attendance and that they were engaged and supportive of viewing the issue of youth violence through the mental health lens and not with a criminal focus.

Former Minister of Youth and Children Services Mary Anne Chambers moderated the opening panel discussion featuring mental health and community safety experts. Lew presented “Public Health Framework for Understanding and Prevention of Youth Violence.”

A highlight of the day was a special youth panel discussion to allow Toronto-area youth to represent their views and recommendations.

Youth offer their own perspectives on violence

LaToya Rodney (R), who broke a cycle of gangs and violence to turn her life around, sat on a youth panel with Natalie Crooks (L) and three others, who told service providers to look at underlying root causes of violence and to strive for ‘unconventional’ ways of addressing it. The forum was organized by CAMH in partnership with George Brown College.

These days, LaToya Rodney considers herself “a resource hustler” for kids who want to break the cycle of violence in their lives. She knows the cycle well, having broken it herself after multiple expulsions from school, joining a gang and going to jail, where she says she developed post-traumatic depression. But after two of her brothers were shot as a result of gang violence LaToya decided her life had to turn around.

“Growing up, the only resource I had was the Driftwood Community Centre,” LaToya said during the afternoon panel discussion, where five young men and women recounted their experiences and offered their own perspectives on finding solutions to youth violence. “We had no anti-bullying workshops, no counselling, no diversity programs.”

For Rahel Appiagyei, who’s worked with neighbourhood organizations in her native Jane and Finch community, the number one issue in dealing with youth and violence and mental health is racism. “It’s penetrated our judicial system, it’s on our education system. You will never have peace without justice,” she said, a point which was echoed by Lekan Olawoye, who grew up in Toronto’s Jamestown community and coordinates the Rexdale Involve Youth Project.

Social determinants of health important

Lekan Olawoye says that any approach to youth violence and mental health has to be holistic. “It’s about our self-identity and understanding what our roots are, how we fit with our community and our society as a young black person or a young Asian person, or whatever.”

Lekan spoke passionately about the need for a holistic approach to youth and violence and mental health, imploring community workers and service providers to look at the whole picture, and to develop programs that really get at the root causes or as he put it, “programs that help us deal with our issues, or is it just keeping youth busy? We’re more than arts and basketball, man!”

“I’m violent as a result of something. (It’s because) I’m hungry. You’re looking at me when I’m frustrated,” he said.

“It’s about our self-identity and understanding what our roots are, how we fit with our community and our society as a young black person or a young Asian person, or whatever,” Lekan said, adding, “As a young black man, I don’t see a whole lot of people in management positions or as role models.”

“We need more cultural education – Caribbean or European or Asian cultures may all look at mental health is really different ways.”
Natalie Crooks

“(Do we have) programs that help us deal with our issues, or is it just keeping youth busy? We’re more than arts and basketball, man!”
Lekan Olawoye

Natalie Crooks, who’s implemented youth programming in life skills, health sexuality and anti-racist education, spoke about the influence of culture on her family as they grappled with a brother who had schizophrenia. Her family wanted some support, she said, “but we didn’t want anybody to know, so it was ‘go see the pastor.’”

“We need more cultural education – Caribbean or European or Asian cultures may all look at mental health is really different ways,” she said.

We need more than conventional approaches

Most of the panel speakers also agreed that true solutions looking at the root causes of violence would have to go beyond conventional approaches. Lekan pointed to panel moderator Kehinde Bah, who co-founded The Remix Project and chaired or served on a number of boards and community organizations, as someone who’s story isn’t ‘conventional’ but who’s affected the lives of hundreds of youth.

“LaToya has a criminal record and we do not hire people with a criminal record, but she can effect more change than anyone I know of,” he said.

Lew Golding was heartened by the attendees' comments that they are ready to move forward and reassess their working frameworks to include the mental health and social determinants focus begin practicing (with) 'informed proaction'.