Youth violence has had a serious effect on the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. Commissioned by the Massachusetts Safe and Successful Youth Initiative (SSYI), this report examines the strategies used by the federal government, states, and cities to address serious violence among youth.

The goal of this work is to provide Massachusetts with a sense of where its own violence prevention efforts fit among the range of initiatives implemented in localities nationwide, and provide additional insights on strategies that SSYI may want to employ in the future.

A team led by the American Institutes for Research and including WestEd and the Justice Resource Institute, produced this strategy review. The review complements the report, What Works to Prevent Urban Violence Among Proven Risk Young Men?: The Safe and Successful Youth Initiative Evidence and Implementation Review.