Teens in the United States make-up almost half of all victims of violent crime over the age of 12. Teens from underserved populations, such as ethnic minorities and teens with disabilities, are often victimized at even higher rates than the general teen population. While most teens have limited access to qualified, age-appropriate victims services, teens from underserved populations have even fewer options. Often times, teens from underserved populations face additional challenges and barriers to accessing victim services.

The National Partners created the Underserved Teen Victims Initiative (UTVI) with these two goals in mind:

    * To raise awareness of teen victimization and identify promising strategies for reaching and supporting underserved populations of teen victims.
    * To build the capacity of victim service professionals to reach and support these underserved teen victims.

The UTVI project will tap into the creativity and energy of youth leaders and local organizations and support them with a national network of training and technical assistance.