Anti-violence mentoring recommended

BALTIMORE, Nov. 5 (UPI) -- One-on-one mentoring on how to safely avoid conflict and diffuse threats helps make teens less likely to become repeat violence victims, U.S. researchers say.

Researchers at Johns Hopkins Children's Center in Baltimore and Children's National Medical Center in Washington initiated the mentoring program for 113 teens ages 10-15 when treated for assault injuries, including gunshot, knife and fist-fight wounds, in their emergency rooms between 2001 and 2004.

Half were treated then referred by an emergency room doctor for at least six sessions with a mentor and three parent home visits. The other half were referred to community resources and received two follow-up phone calls.

The study, published in the journal Pediatrics, found those

who got the personalized counseling and forged a mentoring relationship with their counselors reported 25 percent fewer fights and 42 percent fewer fight injuries six months later, compared to those who received referrals only.

"There can be a cycle of violence fueled by fear and retaliatory feelings," Dr. Tina Cheng, head of general pediatrics and adolescent medicine at Hopkins Children's and lead investigator, said in a statement. "When we see youth with assault injuries in the ER, we have a golden window of opportunity to step in and interrupt this cycle."