Alameda County may not be as big or busy as its southern counterparts, but by at least one measure, it outpaces almost every rival: According to a study released Monday, more youth die by violence here than in any county except Los Angeles.

Alameda County suffered the second highest rate of youth homicide in California, just behind Monterey County, according to Lost Youth, a study by the Violence Policy Center in D.C., funded by the California Wellness Foundation. It also ranked second in the total number of young people killed, trailing Los Angeles County.

A closer look at the numbers reveals several disturbing trends: Of the 56 youths and young adults slain here in 2009, the overwhelming majority were young men and boys, shot in the street in Oakland, many by someone they knew. Eighty percent of victims were male, and nearly 60 percent were African American.

"The statistics mirror a problem that people don't want to talk about," said Crystallee Crain, project coordinator for Heal the Streets, an Oakland-based mentorship program whose youth activists include several local students. "Oakland's population is only 35 percent African American, but there's a discrepancy in what's okay to happen in low-income communities."

Forty-four young people between the ages of 10 and 24 were killed in the East Bay's largest city, dwarfing statistics from nearby communities. County-wide, fifty-two were shot. Thirty-nine died in the street, six at home or at the home of their assailant.

Five were killed in gang-related disputes, seven in arguments and one in a drive-by—but most weren't related to any other criminal activity. In fact, for more than half of the victims, police know very little at all about the circumstances of their death.

But numbers alone don't tell the story, particularly for young people, Crain said. 

"Often left unstated is the fact that the effects of violence extend far beyond the flesh and blood toll measured in homicides and non-fatal injuries," Lost Youth's authors wrote. "An additional heavy price is exacted on family members and entire communities: the psychological stress of living with such violence that often haunts residents for a lifetime."

Still, Crain emphasized, there are bright spots. Groups like the Ella Baker Foundation (which sponsors Heal the Streets) and Hayward-based Congregations Organizing for Renewal have partnered with community members, elected officials and law enforcement to try to stem the bloodshed.

"(Young people) know how to get the guns, they know who are using them," Crain said. "Why not ask them how to create the solution?"