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++++++++++ Ask the Children...................... Youth & Violence: Students Speak Out for A More Civil Society Here’s a unique idea. Ask the kids about the violence in their lives. According to a new study just released by the Families and Work Institute and The Colorado Trust this study is the first to ask a nationally representative sample of kids what they would do to stop violence in any aspect of their lives. In the study young people describe teasing that goes beyond being playful, put-downs and cruel gossip as a very real violence to them and as triggers for the physical violence that almost half of them endure. Key findings from the study: Many young people experience emotional violence. - Two-thirds of young people (66%) have been teased or gossiped about in a mean way at least once in the past month. Over half of young people (57%) have teased or gossiped about someone else at least once in the past month.
- Almost one third (32%) have been bullied at least once and 12 percent have been five times or more in the past month. Twenty-three percent have bullied someone else at least once and six percent five times or more.
Almost half of young people experience physical violence; one in 12 experience extreme violence. - Forty-six percent of young people have been hit, shoved, kicked or tripped at least once in the past month, and 18 percent have been physically hurt five times or more in the past month.
- Thirty-seven percent have carried out this behavior at least once
- Eight percent have been attacked with a weapon at least once
- Four percent have had this experience five times or more over the past month.
- Four percent have done this to others at least once and two percent five times or more.
Young people who have been harmed are much more likely to harm others. - Thirty-five percent of those who have been attacked with a weapon at least once attack others – compared to two percent who have not had this experience.
Young people with supportive relationships with mothers, fathers, teachers, and friends are much less likely to be either victims or aggressors.
The report contains specific implications/recommendations for parents, teachers, schools, communities, for government at all levels, and for everyone. A four page summary and discussion guide is available to download and the complete report may be ordered on site as well. There are a number of other interesting reports and on-going studies at this site. I draw your attention to the The Fatherhood Project. It is a national research and education project examining the future of fatherhood and developing ways to support men's involvement in child rearing. The publications section contains a number of publications dealing with work and family issues, practical advice for working moms and dads. ++++++++++ Offenders Incarcerated for Crimes Against Juveniles – describes the characteristics of violent adult offenders who victimize juveniles and the nature of their offenses. Some statistics from this Juvenile Justice Bulletin: § Most offenders incarcerated for crimes against juveniles (65%) were sex offenders. § Most offenders incarcerated for crimes against juveniles had victimized someone in their family or household or an acquaintance. The majority of offenders against adults had victimized a stranger. § The majority of offenders incarcerated for crimes against juveniles were white, were over 30 years old, and had been married. The majority of offenders against adults were nonwhite, were under 30, and had never been married. § Offenders incarcerated for crimes against juveniles, particularly those who victimized children age 12 or younger, were more likely to have been physically or sexually abused as children. This publication is 12 pages, downloadable, lots of graphs and charts. ++++++++++ Perspectives on Crime and Justice: 2000-2001 Lecture Series The most recent published National Institute of Justice annual lecture series includes these articles you may find of interest: The Juvenile Psychopath: Fads, Fictions and Facts - presented by Laurence Steinberg, Professor of Psychology at Temple University, Research Network on Adolescent Development and Juvenile Justice Why Is Crime Falling – Or Is It? Presented by Alfred Blumstein, Professor of the H. John Heinz III School of Public Policy and Management, Carnegie Mellon University +++++++++++ National Teen Gun Survey The Uhlich Children’s Home, a multi-service agency for at-risk children and their families in Chicago, commissioned its third annual National Teen Gun Survey, a nationally representative sampling of teen opinion (+/- 3% margin of error) of more than 1000 respondents from around the country. American teens answered 17 questions about gun violence and school security. | Here are some highlights from the survey: - Many American teens (40.9%) know someone who has been shot.
- About one-third (36.2%) of American teens believe they have easy access to handguns.
- More than one-third (34.8%) of American teens know a teenager who has threatened to kill someone.
- An overwhelming majority of teenagers (70.8%) believe that there should be stronger handgun controls.
- In contrast to suggestions by America ’s gun lobby, nearly all teenagers (86.3%) reject the idea of arming teachers and principals.
- Nearly half (47.7%) of America ’s teenagers believe metal detectors in school don’t make them safer.
- In general, teens don’t believe the media can cause violent behavior. (58.9%)
- A slight majority of teens think that violent young people learn their behavior from their parents (51.5%)
- An overwhelming majority, 63.1% of American teens, believe that there are too many handguns in society.
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For the full survey results, broken down by gender, age, ethnicity and region go to www.uhlich.org. ++++++++++ Fight Crime: Invest in Kids Fight Crime is an association of police chiefs, sheriffs, prosecutors and crime survivors dedicated to preventing crime and violence. The organization’s reports and literature are always short, readable, with very nice graphics and good to use as handouts when the occasion occurs. Here are two recent reports: America’s Child Care Crisis: A Crime Prevention Tragedy – Discusses the relationship between quality child care and crime prevention. Some statistics from the brief: - Chicago’s government-funded Child-Parent Centers have served 100,000 three-and four-year-olds since 1967. New research tracked for 15 years 989 of those children and 550 similar children not in the program. The children who did not participate were 70% more likely to be arrested for a violent crime by age 18.
- An earlier 22-year study of the High/Scope Perry preschool program showed that leaving at-risk children out of this program multiplied by five times the risk that they would become chronic lawbreakers as adults.
Click on the title on the site’s home page. Two page brief. Full report with citations available too. America’s After-School Choice: Juvenile Crime or Safe Learning Time – Maybe your mother, like mine, used to say nothing good happens after midnight . As it happens, daylight hours aren’t so hot either. This report discusses the prime time for juvenile crime: school days from 3-6 PM . The hours between 3 and 6 pm are the peak hours for: - Teens to commit crimes.
- Innocent kids to become crime victims
- 16 and 17 year olds to be in or cause a car crash.
- Teen sex.
- Kids to smoke, drink or use drugs.
Click on the title on the site’s home page Two page brief. Full report with citations available too. ++++++++++ Children, Youth, and Gun Violence (Click on Future Highlights) This latest issue of The Future of Children journal, due to be released on July 18, covers kids and guns in depth. You can read the Table of Contents at the site now by going to the Future Highlights page. This Journal is available to you absolutely free -- so, when you visit the Packard Foundation web site take a look at becoming a subscriber and note that you can still get back issues simply by asking for them. (Click on "online order form.") (Click on "online order form.") I find the value in this journal, which is published twice a year, to be in the thorough coverage of the subject and the credentials of its editors and writers. Top people in the field are recruited to write for each issue. +++++++++++ Law Enforcement and Juvenile Crime – This new bulletin is part of the Juvenile Offenders and Victims National Report Series published every four years. Describes the extent and characteristics of juvenile arrests – arrest rates for violent and property crimes, drug and weapon offenses, and violations of alcohol, curfew, and loitering laws. Trends for males and females. Details characteristics of victims and the perpetrators of homicides committed by juveniles. Below, data and statistics on juvenile homicides: - Between 1980 and 1999 most victims of murders involving juvenile offenders were male (83%). Slightly more victims were white (51%) than black (47%). In 27% of murders by juveniles the victim was also a juvenile.
- Victims in 70% of murders by juveniles were killed with a firearm; 25% were murdered with another type of weapon; and 5% were murdered with hands or feet.
- Of all victims killed by juveniles 2% were parents, 12% were other family members, 55% were acquaintances, and 31% were strangers.
Between 1980 and 1999, the large majority (93%) of known juvenile murder offenders were male. More than half (56%) were black. Of known juvenile murder offenders, 42% were age 17, 29% were age 26, and 17% were age 15. 88% were age 15 and older.
Between 1980 and 1999, an annual average of about 35 juveniles age 12 or younger were identified as participants in murders. For young offenders, the victim was more likely to be an acquaintance (46%) than a family member (37%) or a stranger (17%). A firearm was involved in 53% of the murders committed by these young offenders.
If this data piques your interest, there is a lot more for you in this 32 page Bulletin. Downloadable pdf file. ++++++++++ Short- and Long-Term consequences of Adolescent Victimization - This report is from the Youth Violence Research Bulletin Series. It is a collaboration between OJJDP (Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention) and the CDC (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention). The series presents the latest research finding on critical topics related to youth violence. Using data from the National Youth Survey, this Bulletin examines the consequences of adolescent victimization, focusing on how being a victim of crime during adolescence affects the likelihood of certain negative outcomes in adulthood, among them: It increases the odds of being a perpetrator or victim of violence in adulthood (including domestic violence). It is a risk factor for failure to make a successful transition from adolescence to adulthood. It has a substantial impact in terms of financial loss, physical injury, and short-term associations with other problem behaviors and outcomes. These effects are found both in adolescence and in adulthood. 5
Downloadable pdf file. 16 pages. ++++++++++ Legal Education About Mental Illness This article reviews the movement to include education about mental illness in continuing legal education for judges and attorneys. Describes Florida ’s and New York ’s initiatives in this area. Florida now includes mental illness awareness as a CLE offering. Angela Vickers, Florida mental health advocate and attorney, has developed a CLE course titled Mental Illness Awareness and Substance Abuse:The Basics. Florida Judge Stephen Leifman has developed and presented a course explaining how judges can divert certain defendants with mental illness into treatment rather than jail. In New York , a newsletter, web site, and a telephone hotline on mental health topics are being created as resources for the legal community. The New York State Office of Court Administration sponsored a judicial seminar on mental health last October. The training included information and presentations on medications, assessing competence, statutes and regulations pertaining to mental health, fact sheets on psychiatric disorders. ++++++++++ The Rise and Fall of American Youth Violence: 1980-2000 (scroll down the page to the What's New section) New Report Examines What Portion of the Recent Drop in Crime Can be Attributed to Juveniles This new report by Jeffrey Butts and Jeremy Travis was released by the Urban Institute last week. It analyzes what portion of the recent drop in crime can be attributed to juveniles (under age 18) and young adults (ages 18-24). The results show that while young people helped to generate the growth in violence before 1994, they contributed even more to the decline in violence after 1994. Most of the recent decline in violent crime, in fact, was due to falling rates of violent crime among the young. “The Drop in Juvenile Violent Crime” section of the report brings these statistics to the reader’s attention: | Between 1994 and 2000, arrests for murder dropped 68 percent among juveniles. Robbery arrests were 51 percent lower. Burglary arrests fell 33 percent and juvenile arrests for motor vehicle theft were down 42 percent. | | The authors say the decline would have been larger if not for offsetting increases in arrests for some of the less serious offenses. For example, juvenile arrests for diving under the influence were up 54 percent between 1994 and 2000, liquor law violations grew 33 percent, and arrests for drug abuse violations increased 29 percent. | | Juveniles and young adults combined (all youth underage 24) were responsible for 32 percent of the increase in violent crime arrests between 1980 and 1994, but they accounted for 58 percent of the subsequent drop in arrests between 1994 and 2000. |
A concluding paragraph from the report has this to say about future policy and research on juvenile violence: “Clearly, something happened to cause the increase in violent youth crime seen during the 1980s and early 1990s, and just as clearly, other factors combined to bring down violent crime after 1994. Such rapid changes in violent behavior argue against the hypothesis of demographic inevitability that led some researchers to predict a violent crime wave in the late 1990s. Rather, crime trends over the past two decades suggest that changes in violent crime may be associated with fluctuations in unemployment and economic distress, the nexus between violent drug markets and firearms, and general levels of community disorder and the quality of everyday life for children, youth and families.”
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