$1M youth anti-violence program in Chicago

CHICAGO, Nov. 19 (UPI) -- The University of Chicago opened a $1 million anti-violence program for Chicago's public schools that it will methodically assess to see if it's cost effective.

The Becoming a Man-Sports Edition program seeks to help 550 teenage boys curb their impulse to fight and shoot each other to settle disagreements, University of Chicago Crime Lab Director Jens Ludwig said.

"Gun violence makes life nearly unlivable in some communities in Chicago," Ludwig told the Christian Science Monitor.

More than 500 Chicago Public Schools students have been shot since 1997.

The program, run with two community groups, addresses the problem using character education and counseling along with training in Olympic sports such as wrestling, archery, judo and boxing, organizers said.

The character education is run by Youth Guidance, a non-profit group that provides counseling to troubled teens. The sports component is run by World Sports Chicago, originally formed to support Chicago's bid for the 2016 Olympic Games and now bringing Olympic sports to Chicago's youth.

University evaluators will use a research model akin to clinical medical trials to determine if the 27-week program is effective in reducing violent behavior and helping boys stay in school, Ludwig said.

Researchers don't expect it to be a "silver bullet," Ludwig told the Monitor, but they hope it will prove to be a model for cities dealing with growing violence among young men.