Becoming a Man (BAM) — Cognitive Behavioral Therapy
University of Chicago Crime Lab / Youth Guidance · Chicago, IL, USA · 2015
Summary
The BAM experiment is unusual in simultaneously reducing violent crime and improving schooling outcomes through a low-cost, school-based intervention. The mechanism — cognitive behavioral therapy targeting automatic responses to perceived threats — had not previously been tested at scale in a public school setting. The 44% reduction in violent crime arrests during the program year was more than double what researchers anticipated. A four-year follow-up found sustained effects on graduation rates. The cost-per-arrest-avoided ($1,100) was a fraction of the social cost of a violent crime. BAM has been replicated in multiple cities and is among the most well-evidenced school-based crime prevention programs in the United States.
Research question
"Does in-school cognitive behavioral therapy reduce violent crime involvement and improve schooling outcomes for high-risk young men?"
Methodology
Intervention
Weekly in-school group sessions (1 hour) of cognitive behavioral therapy focused on automatic decision-making patterns; facilitators trained in Youth Guidance BAM curriculum; offered during school day as elective
Assignment
Randomized controlled trial (school-level randomization)
Sample size
2,740 students across 18 Chicago public schools
Primary outcome
Violent crime arrests; school engagement; graduation rates
Effect estimate
Violent crime arrests: −44% during program year; school engagement: +14%; graduation rates: +19% in 4-year follow-up
Decision
BAM expanded to 160+ Chicago schools; New York City, Denver, and London adopted variants; University of Chicago Crime Lab published replication with comparable results
Result
Positive
Violent crime arrests: −44% during program year; school engagement: +14%; graduation rates: +19% in 4-year follow-up
Evidence strength
Strong
Randomized trial, replicated across multiple sites or studies.
Replication status
Replicated
Institution
University of Chicago Crime Lab / Youth Guidance
Location
Chicago, IL, USA
Year
2015
Policy area
Public Safety
Mechanism
Human capital