PHILADELPHIA (KYW Newsradio) — As National Crime Victims’ Rights Week begins, the Philadelphia District Attorney’s Office is highlighting services to help violent crime survivors, families, and witnesses — especially for the city’s youth.
“The result of so much violence is that people are desensitized to it,” said District Attorney Larry Krasner. “It seems normal.”
Each incident of violent crime leaves a community, a parent, loved ones, and — in many circumstances — school officials having to deal with the trauma.
As shooters and gunshot victims have become increasingly younger, Krasner advocates having a relationship with youth in the city before any violent crime happens as a critical component of prevention.
“Treating young people like they matter makes it possible to reach them when they have a crisis,” Krasner said. “This is part of the reason we have been so strong in our emphasis on prevention when it comes to youth, and prevention with youth as we move into the warm months.”
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So far, the city has partnered with 14 schools to provide trauma assistance, according to DA's Office Community Engagement Unit Director G. Lamar Stewart.
“In partnership with our victim service advocates and other trauma care professionals, we’re able to bring immediate response in trauma care through our partners to those young people and their families,” said Stewart.
The Anti-Violence Partnership of Philadelphia partners with more than 40 schools in the city to provide grief counseling and therapy.
“We also provide psycho-educational support to school administrators. We have unfortunately seen an increase in these requests in the last year,” said Natasha Danielá de Lima McGlynn, the organization’s executive director. She said their goal is to destigmatize mental health and make it more accessible to youth of color.
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“We’re providing therapy over video games. We’re trying to meet the youth where they are at, trying to understand what they need in order for us to be more accessible to them.”
National Crime Victims’ Rights Week is a program of the U.S. Department of Justice, and was started by the Philadelphia District Attorney's Office in 1975. The week’s theme this year involves “rights, access, equity, for all victims.”
“By enforcing victims’ rights, expanding access to services, and ensuring equity and inclusion for all,” said DA’s Office Executive Director of Victim Support Services Rev. Myra J. Maxwell.
Krasner said there were 10 homicides and 27 non-fatal shootings in Philadelphia just last week. 12 children have died by shootings this year in Philadelphia as of Sunday, with 41 other children being victims of non-fatal shootings.
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Philadelphia anti-violence, crime reporting and victim support resources:
24-hour mental health crisis line from the City of Philadelphia: 215-685-6440
Crime reporting victim services:
- Center City: 215-665-9680
- East: 215-426-4810
- North Central: 215-763-3280
- Northeast: 215-332-3888
- Northwest: 215-438-4410
- South: 215-551-3360
- West/Southwest: 215-748-7780
Related podcast: How youth are playing a part in fighting the gun violence crisis in Philadelphia.
