Training healthcare professionals in youth violence prevention: an overview

Youth violence prevention (YVP) is a top priority for all healthcare providers. Violence ranks among the leading causes of death for children and adolescents. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention established the Academic Centers of Excellence on Youth Violence Prevention (ACE YVP) to address this important national problem. One of the tasks of each ACE YVP is to develop YVP curricula for healthcare professionals. This article describes the experience of three ACE YVPs in developing curricula for nurses, allied health professionals, and physicians, including the identification of national resources, incorporation with local community resources, and areas of commonality and difference for incorporation at other sites. Each of the ACE YVP curricula described uses a multidisciplinary approach to teach learners. Two of the sites developed separate courses for students (University of California, San Diego and University of Puerto Rico) whereas the third integrated teaching through the medical school (University of Hawaii).