School violence has emerged as a critical issue in the U.S. today. While the focus was traditionally on urban school and gangs, recent shootings in suburban and rural schools has brought attention to non-urban school settings. This is a study of a rural, multicultural state with a high at-risk youth population. New Mexico has the highest Hispanic population (38%) as well as a high American Indian representation (22 different tribes). Ranking high in youth violence, substance abuse, poverty, teen pregnancies, and with a significant school drop-out rate, a multicultural intervention effort was initiated to address this phenomenon. The program involves cutlural-centric approaches involving families, schools, and the juvenile justice system.
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