Highlights
- Program Type: Intervention
- Ages: 10-24
- Effectiveness: Promising gang program (Read the criteria for this rating)
The Alliance of Concerned Men (ACM) is a 501(c)(3) community-based organization that provides outreach, prevention, intervention, social services, cultural enrichment, and recreational activities for low-income, at-risk youths and families within the District of Columbia.
The purpose of ACM is youth crime and violence intervention/prevention. Its three key operating principles are (1) that every individual has infinite worth and dignity, (2) that every individual harbors an innate desire to become a positive contributor to society, and (3) that a comprehensive approach of interrelated strategies aimed at community mobilization, suppression, social intervention, opportunities, and education and training will bring about changes in attitudes and values essential to leading humane and productive lives.
ACM work takes place at three different levels. First and foremost is the community level. The Alliance maintains personal relations with residents throughout the District of Columbia, particularly in neighborhoods most likely to need its services.
The second set of partnerships is with private organizations. ACM works with schools, churches, and other organizations for specific events or for general outreach. The shared goal is to build better communities, strengthen families, and motivate individuals to improve their own outlooks on life.
The third level is formal authority. ACM has worked under contract with government agencies such as the DC Housing Authority, the DC Child and Family Services Agency, and the U.S. Executive Office of Weed and Seed.
In dealing with gang problems, ACM successfully established a violence-free zone in the Washington, DC, Benning Terrace public housing project with assistance from the DC Housing Authority. ACM members carried out grassroots intervention in intergang conflicts and successfully negotiated a truce. The permanence of the gang truce was buttressed by job opportunities the DC Housing Authority provided for gang members, such as refurbishing the neighborhood, removing graffiti, and landscaping. In February 2004, residents celebrated the seventh anniversary of the Benning Terrace Truce.
Risk Factors
Individual
Exposure to firearm violence
Few social ties (involved in social activities, popularity)
High alcohol/drug use
High drug dealing
Illegal gun ownership/carrying
Physical violence/aggression
Violent victimization
Family
Delinquent siblings
Family history of problem behavior/criminal involvement
Family poverty/low family socioeconomic status
Family violence (child maltreatment, partner violence, conflict)
Living in a small house
Poor parental supervision (control, monitoring, and child management)
School
Frequent truancy/absences/suspensions; expelled from school; dropping out of school
Low school attachment/bonding/motivation/commitment to school
Poor school attitude/performance; academic failure
Poorly organized and functioning schools/inadequate school climate/negative labeling by teachers
Community
Availability and use of drugs in the neighborhood
Availability of firearms
Community disorganization
Economic deprivation/poverty/residence in a disadvantaged neighborhood
Exposure to violence and racial prejudice
Feeling unsafe in the neighborhood
High-crime neighborhood
Neighborhood physical disorder
Neighborhood youth in trouble
Peer
Association with antisocial/aggressive/delinquent peers; high peer delinquency
Association with gang-involved peers/relatives
Gang membership
Peer alcohol/drug use
Endorsements
National Gang Center: Promising program structure
Contact
Mr. Tyrone Parker
Executive Director, Founder
Alliance of Concerned Men, Inc.
3227 DuBois Pl SE
Washington, DC 20019
Phone: (202) 575-7544
E-mail: [email protected]
Web site: http://www.allianceofconcernedmen.com