In the wake of the shocking, cell-phone video recorded beating death of Derrion Albert in Chicago there has been a renewed focus on the issue of teen violence in the mainstream press.

A new survey by the U.S. Department of Justice concludes that over 60% of children are exposed to some form of violence, directly or indirectly. The survey took a rather broad approach to the definition of exposure, as USA Today reports:

The survey's authors defined exposure to violence as being a victim, or having witnessed violence, or learning about violence against a relative, friend, or hearing about a threat to their school or home.

That approach raised questions for some.

In Chicago, a new plan is being put into place to try and stem the tide of violence that has overwhelmed the city by targeting 10,000 students who have been identified as the most at risk to be either the victims or perpetrators of violence. From The New York Times:

Financed by federal stimulus grants for two years, the $60 million plan uses a formula gleaned from an analysis of more than 500 students who were shot over the last several years to predict the characteristics of potential future victims, including when and where they might be attacked. While other big city school districts, including New York, have tried to focus security efforts on preventing violence, this plan goes further by identifying the most vulnerable students and saturating them with adult attention, including giving each of them a paid job and a local advocate who would be on call for support 24 hours a day.

As The New York Times points out, cities across the U.S. are watching to see if the new Chicago plan might be a model for other cities hit hard by violence.