Lynk – Creating a Virtual Youth Violence Prevention Network

Background: Youth violence is widespread in the United States. It is the second leading cause of death for young people between the ages of 10 and 24. Youth violence is an important public health problem that affects everybody, independent of age, gender, race, and geographical area. At a time when resources are limited and there is great competition for those resources, it's essential that efforts to prevent youth violence take advantage of what is known about what really works. Methods: In 2008, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's Division of Violence Prevention embarked on the redevelopment of the National Youth Violence Prevention Resource Center to address the above challenges of disparate youth violence prevention efforts. CDC created lynk, an online, interactive youth violence prevention network. Results: lynk provides access to data and resources that help local government leaders, community planners, and public health professionals to implement and evaluate a comprehensive and coordinated approach for youth violence prevention. lynk is a novel web-based tool that features: 1) online training modules on the public health approach to youth violence prevention 2) personalized assessments and prevention planning tools, and 3) information resources to inform the adoption of evidences-based practice. Conclusions: lynk supports comprehensive approaches to address youth violence through establishing community networks dedicated to youth violence prevention. Community-wide partnerships are key in creating and sustaining efforts to effectively address the needs and challenges of a community. lynk supports communities by providing training, information, and collaborative tools designed specifically for preventing youth violence.