Turning Chiraq Back Into Chicago

This post will require a little investment in time but it is well worth it [everything can’t be fed to us in bite-sized pieces or 140 characters.]  I was listening to NPR the other day and they ran this spot on alternative crime prevention techniques that caught my ear.  It was interesting because it did not present the findings as a panacea but rather just worth it – worth the cost to change the pathways for urban male populations of color who are largely heading down a dangerous path.  They focus on how cognitive behavioral therapy or CBT can set young brothers on another path.  Again, their research says it won’t help everyone forever but, for the guys who are helped, there is a benefit to all of us.  CBT does not look at the deep seated root causes for certain behaviors rather it tries to change behavior and reactions [regardless of why the bad behavior exists.]  This was a good listen.  These are the kind of findings that make you question local and federal government agendas, these techniques are relatively cheap and show promising results – do folks not know about this research or do they simply not care what becomes of young Black boys?  Even if CBT can’t help everyone and won’t necessarily last without continued intervention, why not help the cats we can help [especially when the rest of us benefit too.]

Take a listen.  Shake your head.  Share your thoughts.