To inform a city-wide youth Violence Prevention Initiative, we explored youth narratives about their exposure to violence to gain insight into their understanding of the causes and effects of violence in their communities. At-risk youth were recruited through street outreach for individual interviews and focus group sessions. Types of experiential violence identified included (1) street, (2) family/interpersonal, (3) school, (4) indirect exposure (e.g., neighborhood crime), and (5) prejudice/discrimination. Reactions ranged from motivating positive effects (resilience, determination to escape) to negative effects (fear, paranoia, and aggression). For some, experiences with violence motivated them to pursue educational achievement and positive lifestyles. Causes of violence were described by participants as existing at a number of different levels (societal, neighborhood, interpersonal, and individual), reflecting a social-ecological perspective. Our findings highlight a need for violence prevention efforts that focus on a broad definition of violence, as well as on the poly-victimization of children and youth. At the same time, our findings highlight the challenges of conducting effective community-based prevention programs in urban settings characterized by spatial inequalities and social exclusion of community residents. 1. Introduction Injury and violence prevention are recognized as public health priorities in Healthy People 2020 [1] and by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention [2]. Violence is pervasive and costly to society and causes considerable years of potential life lost. Youth violence, in particular, is a significant problem. According to the CDC, homicide is the second leading cause of death for youth and young adults aged 15–24 years and the leading cause of death among minority youth [3]. Youth living in inner city neighborhoods are at increased risk for exposure to violence. It is estimated that between 50 and 96% of urban youth have witnessed or experienced some form of violence in their community [4]. In the National Survey of Children’s Exposure to Violence [5], 60% of youth reported experiencing or witnessing violence in the past year. Over 85% of respondents who had experienced lifetime violence had experienced or witnessed violence within the past year, while slightly over a third of participants had experienced or witnessed multiple forms of violence in the past year. Exposure to violence during childhood and adolescence, in terms of both direct victimization and secondary exposures such as witnessing violent acts, puts
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