This report profiles the issue of youth violence: the history of its appearance in U.S. culture, the recent escalation of gang activity in U.S. communities, and the strategies put forth in smaller cities to meet this challenge. The report notes that there has been an explosion of gang violence in the United States that has been fostered by a vacuum in economic opportunity and a lack of purpose in life, with both conditions further aggravated by the narcotics business. Centering violence-prevention strategies on penalty and incarceration only causes the community to further estrange itself from its youth. New strategies are needed that are more broad based and community wide that stress education, employment, and the health care needs of youth and their families. Small cities are in a unique position to meet the challenge because gang violence is a fairly new problem for them, and a timely intervention could potentially eradicate it. Several small city efforts in stemming gang violence are highlighted. Lessons learned in addressing youth violence are that gangs are a symptom of social ills that can best be cured by education, training, and jobs; that interdisciplinary partnerships can help bridge generational gaps and break down traditional barriers in the community; and that youth interventions targeting younger children pay big personal and community dividends. (GLR)