A recent article in The Guardian highlights a powerful shift in Oakland: homicides have dropped to a 25-year low in 2025, down nearly 50% from 2021 levels. This is real, measurable progress—and for those of us working every day in violence prevention, it reflects years of intentional, community-rooted effort.
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Oakland’s decrease in violence didn’t happen by accident. It reflects sustained investment in community-rooted prevention — including Youth ALIVE!’s School-Based Violence Intervention (SBVI) pilot.
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Over two years working as a school-based violence interrupter at Castlemont, Saffold, 54, has learned to decipher the signs that can precipitate a fight. Yelling is obvious, but sometimes they’re more subtle: A student just seems different one day. Maybe they’re quiet or grumpy.
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Violence Is a Public Health Crisis — and Prevention Works
Last week, ABC News shined a critical spotlight on gun violence in Alameda County — and on the community-based solutions that are helping save lives. Youth ALIVE!’s Executive Director, Dr. Joe Griffin, was interviewed as part of the coverage, elevating both the urgency of this moment and the importance of sustained investment in violence prevention.
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Youth Alive!’s school-based violence interruption program—trusted by students, families, and schools—is now at risk of losing its funding. This comes just days after the shooting at Skyline High School, where our team was on campus providing immediate support and crisis response.
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In the days following the shooting of a Skyline High School student, Youth ALIVE! Executive Director Joseph Griffin spoke with KQED News reporter Katie DeBenedetti about the critical role violence prevention programs play on school campuses—and the severe funding threats now putting these programs at risk.
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Last Wednesday, a Skyline High School student was shot—an act of violence that shook the entire Oakland community and struck painfully close to home for Youth ALIVE!.
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The Oaklandside just published a powerful interview by Ashley McBride with Carla Ashford, Youth ALIVE!’s school-based Violence Interrupter at Skyline High School—a candid look at what it takes to de-escalate conflict, build trust, and keep young people safe in real time.
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In the aftermath of the recent shooting of a 15-year-old on a BART train, Youth ALIVE! was featured on KTVU Fox News 2 to offer a public health perspective on violence, prevention, and healing. The segment highlights the urgent need to invest in young people and community-rooted safety strategies.
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“Violence is inherently a trauma—and not all violence looks the same.”
— Lauren Greenberg, Youth ALIVE!
Following the recent on-air shooting of conservative podcaster Charlie Kirk, our Director of Development & Communications, Lauren Greenberg, spoke with KTVU’s Jana Katsuyama to offer a public-health lens on how acts of violence ripple through communities—especially when witnessed in real time or replayed across media.
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