Rent-a-sister: Coaxing Japan's young men out of their rooms

Often social programs at schools fail because they are not implemented fully or over a long enough period. One school in Philadelphia attributes their success in decreasing violence to having a long-term principal, a stable teaching force, and formal training in anti-violence programs.

The Centre for the Prevention of Radicalization Leading to Violence in Quebec has expanded rapidly, becoming a model for programs around the world. What sets it apart from projects in Europe and the United States is that it confronts extremism of all stripes — not just Islamist — and focuses on behavior that signals the risk of violence, not just radical ideas, only involving law enforcement as a last resort.

The City University of New York’s College of Staten Island is among a handful but growing number of colleges that are offering peer advocate training programs to former substance abusers. These certified trainings are enabling vulnerable adults to pursue higher education, acquire skills, and use their experience to not just find employment but also support patients with recovery.

In Montana, an elementary school is changing the dynamics around bullying and suicide through the Say Something Assembly program, which helps create an environment for students to feel safe and empowered to speak up. Montana has the highest rate of suicide in the country and the assemblies are designed to help youth understand it's OK to be struggling and to seek help. School officials also offer a companion program of support from trusted adults who can continue engaging and helping students.

Coaches and players around the world are using sports to teach boys about masculinity and the importance of integrity, both on and off the field. From cricket in India to rugby in Fiji, games are used as a foundation for teaching important life lessons and values. As a result, young men participating in these programs have been found less likely to show aggression and more likely to believe abuse against women is wrong.

Crossroads for Women, a New Mexico nonprofit, is helping formerly incarcerated women find community, support, and recovery. Using trauma-informed care practices, the program offers a comprehensive list of services like housing, mental health treatment, employment counseling, and substance abuse treatment. Underlying all services is the understanding that no individual is trauma free and that community and relationships are crucial to sustainable recovery.

As colleges and universities across the United States have shifted to online classes and shut down their campuses, not every student simply has the ability to move home. To help support these students, many of whom are low-income or international, the Stay Together Appalachian Youth Project began working with local communities to find housing for displaced students, as well as to provide other support like money or supplies.

DOROT is a non-profit organization that matches seniors with younger adult volunteers for social visits to combat isolation and loneliness and to promote intergenerational friendships. Many of the seniors are widowers and social isolation can lead to negative health consequences. The organization also delivers fresh meals and holds other events, but was unable to operate as usual once the Covid-19 pandemic hit, so DOROT helped seniors set up Zoom for online conferencing. The group has matched 500 seniors with volunteers and advises similar programs across the country. Many pairs have formed deep friendships.

Tennessee Reconnect, which started as a small-scale "mentorship and financial support program", has now been adopted and expanded throughout the state as a way to help adults start or continue higher education. Now in its second year, the program matches applicants with "navigators," adult mentors who understand the specific student's financial and social challenges and helps them navigate the process every step of the way. The program also provides funding to students to pay for coursework and is now looking to expand its operations to jails and prisons.

Fearing that consistent homophobic street harassment by a resource center for queer youth was detrimental to their mental health and safety, activists set up a weekly counter protest to drown out the harmful messages. The counter-protest grew from a single person to the Pride Corner on Whyte movement with several hundred social media followers. Over time, the participation of dozens of unhoused and housed queer and trans youth provided opportunities for social service outreach, including a mentorship program that paired youth with older queer and trans participants who offer friendship and emotional support.