Message From the Director

Every day, violence in schools, and in the families and communities where students live, challenges students’ ability to perform well in school and develop to their greatest potential. Because violence happens in multiple settings and has multiple causes, prevention and intervention strategies must address both individual and social factors.

The Safe Harbor victim assistance and violence prevention program developed by Safe Horizon in New York demonstrates the benefits of this multidimensional approach. First implemented in New York City in 1991, Safe Harbor offers an innovative combination of victim assistance and violence prevention strategies for schools to increase the safety and well-being of their students and address family and community concerns.

In 1997, the Office for Victims of Crime funded Safe Horizon to launch a national replication of the Safe Harbor program.This bulletin discusses the Safe Harbor model and the replication process. It also describes the training and technical assistance available through Safe Horizon for schools and communities interested in joining this replication effort.