In February, a 13-year-old boy was arrested on suspicion of brutally stabbing a 15-year-old to death at Santana Row in San Jose.
In March, three teenagers were among seven people taken into custody in Oakland for a slew of alleged violent crimes including murder, shootings and armed robberies.
Earlier this month, two 13-year-old boys in Redwood City were apprehended by police after they were accused of shouting homophobic statements and throwing fireworks at a Pride celebration.
What makes this all the more shocking is not just how young the suspects are, but the growing frequency of these acts of youth violence in the Bay Area. The alarming trend of youth-based violence is happening among those between the ages of 10 to 24 who intentionally use physical force or power to threaten or harm others.
Youth violence prevention organizations across the region are noticing those in need of intervention are getting younger and younger. It’s a situation exacerbated by social media, as its content can expose kids to violence and provoke mental health issues.
In San Francisco, Alive and Free executive director Joesph Marshall said more younger students are coming to his agency to share their experiences with anxiety, depression and suicidal thoughts. The organization runs multiple programs and activities for at-risk youths that emphasize leadership skills, college preparation and peer connection.
“The topics we (Alive and Free) talk about, they’re hard,” Marshall said. “Although we sort of tone it down for kids, you’ll be surprised. Little kids, they know everything, they see everything.”
In Oakland, where the city’s crime rates are consistently higher than San Francisco and San Jose, staff at the violence prevention program Youth Alive report a growing demand to work with kids younger than their usual 15- to 19-year-old demographic.
Sometimes violent interactions between kids will stem from videos they see online, especially if the content encourages retaliation, according to Miguel Avila, a community services manager for the organization.
“We have seen over the last few years the ways in which conflict arise on social media and end up spilling out into the streets,” he said.
In San Jose, the city’s Safe Schools Campus Initiative (SSCI) also are bringing their expertise on deescalating violent incidents and gang mediation to middle school classrooms. The SSCI is a partnership between the city’s Parks, Recreation and Neighborhood Services, the San Jose Police Department, local school districts and Santa Clara County Department of Probation.
Jon Cicirelli, director of Parks, Recreation, and Neighborhood Services said kids are using social media to imitate others. Sometimes they’ll post content of themselves online wearing gang colors, or engaging in other activities that aren’t appropriate because they think it’s “cool,” Cicirelli said.
“They see images like that online, this wild behavior … and they idolize it,” he said. “They want to emulate it, they think it is true.”
Viewing videos, pictures and comments that display acts of violence and self-harm can be a trigger for teens who are already predisposed to, or at risk for developing mental health issues like anxiety or depression, according to Omar Gudiño, a local child and adolescent psychologist.
Gudiño, who is also deputy clinical director for the Child Mind Institute’s Bay Area office, said youths living in the technology-rich region have a “certain level of comfort” with tech that is uncommon in other part of the country. Interacting with social media content on a daily basis can influence youngster’s relationship with themselves, and with others.
“It shapes their sense of self, how they view of other people and what they expect from the world,” Gudiño said.
Youths who feel overwhelmed by social media and its contents should consider taking a break from their device and speak with a trusted adult, he said. With social media becoming a prominent aspect in teenager’s lives, Gudiño said its important for families, communities, schools and youth-violence prevention organizations to make a “unified effort” to keep kids safe.
Its advice that other local leaders like Circierrlli agree with.
“It’s a very impressionable time in their lives,” he said. “It’s an important thing for us to be able to be there to say, “There is a better way.”
At Alive and Free, Marshall said the programs are meant to these help foster trust and community among teens and staff.
Student Elda Tesfai who recently graduated from Lowell High School in San Francisco, said she appreciates these efforts. Tesfai said she doesn’t post or scroll through social media apps like Instagram and TikTok as much as her peers do. However, she’s noticed people her age negatively affected by what they see online.
The 17-year-old said she values the safe space Alive and Free creates for teenagers to express their emotions and shared experiences. They can talk about everything at the organization, she said, from their experiences with violence and self-confidence issues to thoughts about Black History.
“I feel like (in school) there is a pressure to be mindful of what you say,” Tesfai said. “But Alive and Free is a place where you can talk about your own lived experience with no judgment.”
RIO GRANDE VALLEY – The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley (UTRGV) men’s and women’s tennis teams will host a free junior clinic on January 10 at H-E-B Tennis Center in Harlingen prior to the men’s tennis dual match against Arkansas.
The youth tennis clinic is free and open to all participants. Participants must be enrolled in grades 5-10 to register. The clinic will run from 3:30 to 4:30 p.m. and those participating in the clinic will be treated with food at the conclusion of the clinic.
All participants are encouraged to stay and watch UTRGV’s season-opener against Arkansas which will begin at 5 p.m. at H-E-B Tennis Center.
Those interested in signing up for the youth clinic can do so at GoUTRGV.com/TennisClinic.
“The clinic is going to be a great opportunity for the kids to come out and get on court with Division I athletes, work with them, ask them questions, and then get to see what match day looks like,” head men’s tennis coach Nathan Robinson said. “They will get to see the players warm up and play against a top 50 program in the country in Arkansas. It’s going to be a great afternoon and evening of tennis for the Valley.”
“Our goal is to get kids fired up about tennis and sharing the experiences of our student-athletes to inspire them about sports and education,” head women’s tennis coach West Nott said. “Tennis is a lifelong sport where chasing the yellow, fuzzy ball can provide a lot of health benefits. We want to connect the dots for young kids on learning the values of exercise, sticking with a long-term goal, and most importantly, a way to have fun without being in front of a screen. Beginners are welcome to attend as we will have rackets for players to borrow.”
For more information, please contact assistant coach Ekaterina Vorobeva at ekaterina.vorobeva@utrgv.edu.
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The community of Port Washington, located on the North Shore of Long Island, understands the important role that athletics can play in shaping the development of its youth.
Since 1963, the Port Washington Youth Activities (PYA) organization has played a central role in providing year-round playing opportunities for local youth, with sports offerings ranging from baseball to wrestling, from field hockey to lacrosse.
While most of the PYA’s programs are top-notch, perhaps none is more impactful in the community than the lacrosse program. Registration numbers were at an all-time high last season, with 300 boys’ and girls’ participants from K-6. That’s in addition to a robust “littles” lacrosse program for 3-4 year olds.
“We’re fully invested in developing all kids,” said Morgan O’Connor, who has served as a PYA coach for the past six years and now oversees the girls’ lacrosse division.
O’Connor credits the quality of the PYA’s volunteer coaches as one of the primary reasons for the success of the lacrosse programs.
“We work hard to find the best coaches in the area, and have been pretty fortunate through the years to have so many be a part of our program,” she said.
Community support is one of the hallmarks of the Port Washington youth program, a USA Lacrosse member organization. Having its own outdoor complex — Lions Field — with ample field space helps overcome one of the barriers that many other youth programs face. A strong partnership with the varsity and JV teams at Paul D. Schreiber Senior High School provides additional support.
Matt Lilien, commissioner of the boys’ division, says that the older kids serve as important role models for the younger kids.
“The impact of the high school players is immense,” Lilien said. “Whether they are demonstrating drills at a practice or helping with our winter program, they really have the attention of the younger boys.”
“There’s a great trickle-down effect by having the local high school players helping with beginner clinics and events,” O’Connor said.
Lilien says that while the PYA is committed to providing a quality top-down lacrosse experience for all, the coaches also put some responsibility back on the kids.
“It’s important to us that kids are learning the right way, but also the right things,” he said. “We really harp on kids being good teammates and having the right attitude. Effort, team, and sportsmanship are all really important things that we stress. We want lacrosse to be fun for everyone.”
One of the PYA’s biggest events is the annual Harvey Cohen Youth Tournament, named in honor of the legendary National Lacrosse Hall of Fame member who committed most of his adult life to growing the game on Long Island. The two-day event in late May attracts as many as 80 town teams and serves as a major fundraiser, including donations to charity.
“The tournament is a major undertaking, but it’s a very fun event,” O’Connor said. “We’re fortunate to have so many people who are willing to help.”
Lilien credits Port Washington’s family atmosphere and parental involvement as being strong support pillars for the PYA program.
“Port Washington is a sports town, and people are always looking to help out,” Lilien said. “The more people that we have involved, the better the overall experience will be for the kids.”
Now in its sixth decade of serving the community, the PYA appears top be as strong as ever.
“Lacrosse has always been big here, but we’re very grateful for the commitment of so many others through the years that have helped build this thing to where it is now,” Lilien said. “Our success is due to all of them.”
President Donald Trump announced Thursday the White House will host the “Patriot Games,” a competition with young athletes from across the county, as part of the celebration of the United States’ 250th anniversary next year.
“In the fall, we will host the first ever Patriot Games, an unprecedented four-day athletic event featuring the greatest high school athletes — one young man and one young woman from each state and territory,” Trump said.
Democrats have mocked the athletic competition online, comparing it to “The Hunger Games,” a dystopian young adult novel and popular movie franchise in which children are forced to fight to the death in televised arenas.
The president revealed the plans for the Patriot Games in a video announcement from Freedom 250, which was launched Thursday. It is a “a national, non-partisan organization leading the Administration’s celebration of America’s 250th birthday,” according to a news release.
Trump previously previewed the competition in July, saying at the time it would be televised and led by Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy.
During the video, Trump also highlighted his plans to begin construction soon on a new arch monument in the nation’s capital.
“We are the only major place without a triumphal arc. A beautiful triumphal arc, one like in Paris, where they have the great, a beautiful arc. They call it the Arc de Triomphe, and we’re going to have one in Washington, DC, very soon,” Trump said.
A UFC fight on the South Lawn is another of Trump’s ideas for the 250th celebration and will take place on his birthday, June 14.
“On Flag Day, we will have a one-of-a-kind UFC event here at the White House. It’ll be the greatest champion fighters in the world, all fighting that same night. The great Dana White is hosting, and it’s going to be something special,” Trump said.
Trump has long touted his desire to shape the nation’s 250th celebrations. In the past year, the Trump administration has moved quickly to align federal funding with the president’s anniversary priorities, and agencies have followed suit.
The Department of Agriculture, for instance, has embraced the president’s Great American State Fair initiative. The idea was first floated by Trump on the campaign trail in 2023, and it asks states to compete to have their fair chosen by Trump as the “most patriotic.”
Meanwhile, the White House is conducting a sweeping review of the Smithsonian Institution and has demanded the 250th content at the nation’s largest museum complex renews national pride.
NAPLES, Florida — The Marana Youth Thunder 12-and-under football team has achieved the pinnacle of youth football success, capturing the Division 3 National Championship in the American Youth Football (AYF) tournament.
The thrilling championship game, held in Naples, Florida, saw the Thunder dominate the Woodbridge Raiders from Delaware with a convincing 40-19 victory. This win marked sweet redemption for the team, as they had previously lost to the same Raiders squad in double overtime the year before, finishing in third place nationally.
Leading the charge was standout player Princeton Britt, who earned the prestigious Most Valuable Player (MVP) award for his exceptional performance throughout the tournament.Guiding the team from the sidelines was head coach Philip Britt, Princeton’s father, adding a special family touch to this historic accomplishment.
This group of young athletes has been a force in recent years, securing an impressive five consecutive city championships along with two regional titles. The national championship represents the breakthrough moment, capping off years of hard work and dedication.
The victory highlights the strength of youth sports programs in Marana and serves as an inspiration for young athletes across the region. Congratulations to the Marana Youth Thunder on their well-deserved national title!
Courtesy photo
Members of the Youth Advisory Council for the Community Foundation for Northeast Michigan pose for a photo. The council allocates money for youth related projects in the region.
ALPENA — Education, arts programs, sports programs, mental health and human services programs are just some of the areas touched by the most recent round of youth grants totaling $22,141.75. Youth Advisory Council grants covering a four-county area of Alcona, Alpena, Montmorency, and Presque Isle Counties include:
– $1,450 to Alcona Community Schools to offer cultural enrichment through field trips, cultural exchanges, and community events for the Alcona High School French Club; to help start the Alcona High School Theatre Club; and to purchase supplies that would help in educating students about distracted driving.
– $500 to Future Farmers of America and its State Association and Local Chapter to provide winter gear for students of Alcona Community Schools.
– $500 to K’Lorne Acres to build a sheltered pavilion for equine therapy students.
– $1,500 to Matrix Community Ministries to host a basketball tournament for community-based recreation for the youth in Alcona and surrounding counties.
– $1,991.75 to Alpena Gymnastics to bring Pied Piper students to the gymnastics center for open gym exercise and fun.
– $2,000 to Ana’s Treasures to provide essentials for foster children and families.
– $2,000 to the Boys and Girls Club of Alpena to help teens build positive peer connections, learn healthy decision-making skills, and enjoy activities that foster life and career development.
– $2,000 to Rayola to purchase care package supplies for foster kids (pictured above).
– $2,500 to Thunder Bay Transportation Authority to transport youth to summer programs at the Boys & Girls Club.
– $700 to Alpena Montmorency Alcona Educational Service District to provide supplies for therapeutic groups for Hillman students in the summer months.
– $1,500 to Atlanta Community Schools to purchase supplies to help grow the new wrestling program.
– $1,500 to NEMCSA to purchase supplies for hygiene kits and tools that would teach students how to maintain good health.
– $2,500 to Michigan Works! Northeast Consortium to purchase supplies for practical care items that promote mental health, stress relief, and personal well-being.
– $1,500 to Posen Consolidated Schools to fund the Students Against Destructive Decisions assembly and after-hours event.
The next opportunity for grants is through the CFNEM Community Impact Grants and the next cycle of the NEMYAC Grants. Applications for both grant opportunities are due on January 15, 2026.
