Program counters violence in NC county

In North Carolina’s poorest county — rife with low education levels and poverty — UNC is working to make a difference.

Robeson County, a connecting point on a major highway from North to South Carolina, is rich in culture and diversity, but also has the highest violent crime rate in the state, from early childhood to the adult-aged offenders.

With a $6.5 million grant from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, UNC is helping fight this problem through the N.C. Rural Academic Center for Excellence in Youth Violence Prevention, known as ACE, in Robeson County.

The program, which is in its fourth year, combats youth violence by prevention — a tactic that focuses on middle schoolers with the support of parents and the community.

Paul Smokowski, a research professor at UNC’s School of Social Work and the director of ACE, said this program is significant not only to the people living in Robeson County, but also to UNC students because it exemplifies the Carolina Way.

“We are devoted to the state,” he said. “We are a University of the people.”

Smokowski has worked at UNC for 14 years and has researched youth violence prevention for 12 years.

He said ACE’s work in Robeson County is just one example of how UNC research can make an impact on people.

He said an important mission of UNC is to give back — and this county, at this time, needs more giving.

Quentin Tatum, a UNC student from Robeson County, has personally felt the effects of the high crime rates that have stricken his hometown. He said his family members have fallen victim to crimes all the way from theft to murder.

He said he has high hopes for the program, though, and plans to return to the community after he receives his education to help act as a solution to the problem.

“That’s why I think this program relates to UNC students,” he said.

“If we don’t intervene, they won’t have an opportunity to get out of the area and experience this positive life.”

One of the organization’s three tiers, the Positive Action Program, is held in the classroom where teachers are trained to implement lessons of positive behavior twice a week. The lessons are usually 30 to 45 minutes in length.

Director of Implementation Martica Bacallao said the curriculum focuses on building self-esteem and self-worth, teaches the golden rule and wards off peer pressure.

“It’s a very intrinsic motivation,” Bacallao said.

“If you do a good thing, you will have positive feelings, and those positive feelings will motivate you to do more good.”

Parenting Wisely, a second element of the program, teaches parents of violent children how to change their style of discipline into a more effective and positive form.

The goal is to handle situations in a more intimate environment before the behavior problem becomes one where police officers or school officials have to get involved, Bacallao said.

In Teen Court, another branch of the program, first-time offenders are tried by their peers in a court made up of middle schoolers and an adult judge.

This program keeps children accountable for their wrongdoings but does not go on their permanent record, Bacallao said.

Tatum said he wants people to focus on the good things happening in his hometown.

“Despite high crime rates, Robeson County is still filled with good, loving people,” he said.

“I don’t want my home to get a bad reputation. They should be respected for finding a solution.”

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