OVC Bulletin banner


Safe Harbor: A School-Based
Victim Assistance/Violence Prevention Program

January 2003

Contents

Message From the Director

Introduction
The Safe Harbor program addresses violence prevention and victim assistance in school-based settings.

Program Background
Developed in 1991 by Safe Horizon in New York City, Safe Harbor addresses the underlying causes of violence associated with youth and its impact on families and the community.

Program Components
The centerpiece of the program's five core components is creating a "safe room" in the school where students can receive support throughout the school day in a protective environment.

National Replication
The success of the program led OVC to provide Safe Horizon with funding to replicate the Safe Harbor model on a national level.

Safe Harbor Replication Sites
Ten school sites, chosen because of their diverse student populations, are used to illustrate how replication sites adapted the program to meet their particular needs.

Problems Experienced by Replication Sites
Most school personnel said their interest in the program stemmed from a desire to raise awareness about youth violence, to provide a safe space for students in their schools, and to change students' violent behaviors.

Program Evaluation
A 4-year study by the New York University School of Social Work and a second study on two pilot sites revealed positive program benefits.

Reference

For More Information

OVC Resource Center: 301-519-5500
Toll-Free: 1-800-627-6872
TTY: 301-947-8374
OVC Training and Technical Assistance Center: 1-866-OVC-TTAC
(1-866-682-8822)

Additional Information
Safe Harbor replication project participants.

This document was prepared by Safe Horizon, under grant number 1997–VF–GX–0015, awarded by the Office for Victims of Crime, Office of Justice Programs, U.S. Department of Justice.The opinions, findings, conclusions, and recommendations expressed in this document are those of the author and do not necessarily represent the official position or policies of the U.S. Department of Justice.

Download This Bulletin

  • 8-page PDF file (551 kb)

Related Publications

Related Site(s)

OVC does not exercise control over external Web sites. Read the
Web site links disclaimer.

e-only icon
This document is available online only.


Office for Victims of Crime logo
Office of Justice Programs Seal

The Office for Victims of Crime is a component of the Office of Justice Programs, which also includes the Bureau of Justice Assistance, Bureau of Justice Statistics, the National Institute of Justice, and the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention.

Get Acrobat Reader

Download Adobe Acrobat Reader to read all PDF documents.