Summer Teen Jobs Cut Violence

A study following teens who had summer jobs found violent crime in that population almost cut in half, during and following the employment. Cynthia Graber reports. December 8, 2014 | |

is more than a problem. It’s also a public health issue. More than 6,000 people are injured annually due to violence, mostly young people in low-income neighborhoods. Jobs programs for teens done with school have proven costly and seem to do little to reduce violence. But summer employment for kids still in school may be effective, according to a study by criminologist at the University of Pennsylvania.

She followed more than 1,600 young people, many of whom took part in a Chicago program called One Summer Plus. It offers 8-week stints at jobs such as camp counselors, community gardeners, or government office workers at minimum wage.

One group of kids worked 25 hours a week, with an adult mentor. Another group worked 15 hours and got 10 hours of social-emotional education. A control group got nothing. Based on school and police records, Heller found a 43 percent decrease in violent crime in the two groups that had jobs. This lasted long after the program ended. [Sara B. Heller, , in ]

The work apparently helps students learn to manage conflict, reduce frustration and improve self control. Heller concludes that intervention programs can be low-cost and effective, “even for a problem as destructive and complex as youth violence.”

—Cynthia Graber