The prevalence of violent behavior among African American youth poses a serious threat to society in general and to the African American community in particular. Current efforts to stem the tide of violent behavior have focused primarily on mentoring and threat of punishment as deterrents. The authors present the concept of improvisation as a lens through which to view and analyze the behavioral style of African American youth. Information is presented relative to the use of improvisation as a preventive and rehabilitative strategy for intervening with African American youth.
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