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We live in a society where youth violence is often viewed as inevitable. It’s not.

Most people don’t realize that we have decades of research and on-the-ground experience that demonstrates youth violence can be prevented.

Youth violence shows up in many forms — from bullying and fighting to gun violence and mass shootings. And while violent events that appear in the headlines may seem sudden, their roots are embedded in trauma, disconnection, inequality and lack of opportunity. These aren’t “youth issues.” They are reflections of our adult decisions and societal priorities.

Young people exposed to violence often face lifelong consequences, including higher rates of anxiety, depression, substance use and chronic health issues. Communities suffer, too. Violence undermines economic stability, widens inequities, and erodes trust. In the United States, youth violence costs an estimated $122 billion each year.

Effective violence prevention begins early and continues through childhood and adolescence. It builds strong local systems that reduce risk and strengthen support. These systems use evidence-based programs tailored to each community’s needs, fill resource gaps, and reinforce what’s already working on the ground.

At��, we’ve partnered with schools and communities across Colorado and beyond to build prevention systems that work. In one recent effort in Denver, we saw a 75% reduction in youth arrests for violent crime using a science-backed, community-led approach.

Yet most funding goes to policing and incarceration, instead of investing in proven prevention strategies that can stop violence before it happens.

We need public understanding. We need political will. And we need to stop asking whether youth violence can be prevented - and start asking why we’re not doing more to prevent it.��

The solutions are here. The question is whether we’ll use them.

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Illustration by Kara Fellows