What is Alternatives to Violence Project?
Alternatives to Violence Project (AVP) is a volunteer organization that offers three-day full immersion experiential workshops that enable people to lead more enriching and fulfilling peaceful lives through attitude change and personal transformation. AVP provides the experience and interpersonal communication tools to prevent, resolve and heal inter-personal and intra-personal conflict through increased self-awareness, empathy, emotional management, and personal responsibility. AVP has proven results with a variety of groups in diverse settings such as: schools [teachers and students], organizations, governmental agencies, corrections [staff and inmates], refugee camps, post-civil war and genocide communities, veterans, and with street gangs. The efficacy of the AVP methodology is consistent with current brain research, specifically neuroplasticity, and aids in trauma healing. Over 20,000 AVP workshops have been provided over the past 50 years in the US and overseas.
Anger Studies with incarcerated citizens
State Anger [current level of anger] before AVP workshop was 67 percent higher than community norm, but after the workshop, it dropped to 97 percent below the community norm. Also, 50 percent of participants were at the lowest level possible.
Trait Anger [tendency to become angry] before the workshop was 62 percent above the community norm and after it dropped to 63 percent below the community norm and didn’t increase two years later.
Recidivism dropped from 58 to 31 percent and violent offenses dropped to 5.7 percent in three years post release.
AVP with youth
Memphis Street Academy was the most violent school in Philadelphia [located in high crime, drug and prostitution area] where police were stationed on all corners when school let out. Students and staff experienced AVP and serious incidents [drug sales, weapons, assaults, rapes in hallways] dropped 90 percent and learning improved overall 60 percent [math 82%, reading 65%, science 452%, writing 15%] and a majority of students felt safe at school.
Chester (PA) Middle School: urban, poor, majority minority; a violent school had no violent incidents when AVP was provided to only a few classes.
Santa Barbara (CA) Schools: AVP provided for in-school and out-of-school suspended students: 88 percent reduction in suspensions, 64 percent drop in fights, 42 percent reduction in truancy, 33 percent fewer office referrals, and grades improved 19 percent.
Australia School District: bullying dropped by 85 percent.
AVP with prison staff
Documented use of force dropped 95 percent in one prison and 96% in another.
AVP in North Carolina
AVP provides community workshops throughout the state and in several state prisons [pre Covid], including the federal prison in Butner. A unique attribute of AVP is that community members can easily be trained to provide the workshops, thus increasing credibility and empowerment of the community.
AVP North Carolina: info@avpnc.org, website avpnc.org.