A group of Milwaukee students graduated from a nine-month program aimed at reducing violent crime by teaching conflict resolution and emotional control
MILWAUKEE —
A group of young people in Milwaukee celebrated their graduation as “violence interrupters” Saturday after completing a nine-month program designed to reduce violent crime in the community, particularly among youth, following a recent shooting that claimed the life of an 18-year-old.
The event, organized by Breaking Barriers Mentoring Inc., included about 20 school-aged kids who learned skills to de-escalate incidents. The celebration marking the achievement of these new violence interrupters.
“I feel excited and grateful,” said Anija Williams Sanders, who participated in the program at the encouragement of her father, who works with adults to reduce violence. “I start getting used to it, learning stuff, how to keep my anger under control, and all that.”
Minister Caliph Muab-El, a mentor for the graduating class, explained that the elementary school students learned conflict resolution, emotional control, and peer mediation skills.
“Looking at the critical risk factors, the stressors, the triggers, you know, conflict resolution,” he said.
Muab-El, who spent time in an adult detention facility at 15, founded Breaking Barriers Mentoring Inc. after his release. His life goal is to ensure people become productive members of society.
“My job was to interrupt those cycles of incarceration for our people in our youth,” he said.
Tio Hardiman, who started “Violence Interrupters” in Chicago, has trained about 1,000 violence interrupters nationwide. His message to students is to be the change they want to see in the world.
“It’s important to also make sure young people have a foundation that they can build upon. So if they veer away from the foundation, they can come back to it,” he said. “And, connecting with young people at a very early age, especially learning how to handle their emotions, as well as learning how to address conflict. It’s crucial.”
If you would like to get involved in Milwaukee, check out: https://www.breakingbarriersmentoring.org/get-involved
To learn more about Violence Interrupters, check out: violenceinterrupters.org