Youth Violence: Breaking the Cycle
Youth Violence -- Breaking the Cycle
Every day we hear gruesome stories of violent acts committed by young people: school shootings, gang wars, bullying. But why are so many kids turning to violence, and how do we stop it? Experts have begun to figure out some of the answers; other answers come from the kids who live through the violence. This program brings you the insights of both these groups. Visit a young man in his neighborhood in Newark, New Jersey - one of the toughest cities in the country - and see how he has managed to stay clear of the violence around him. Meet his mother, and discover the role she has played in his success. See first-hand how one innovative program reaches out to four year olds, showing them effective ways to resolve problems without resorting to violence. Join host Dr. Winnie King as she devotes a special half-hour to teaching all of us how to break the cycle of violence.
Guests:
Erin Bruno - Clinical Supervisor/Director of Training, Behavior Research Training Institute at the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey; Child Life Specialist Coordinator, Elizabeth General Medical Center Trainer/Consultant, Resolving Conflict Creatively, Educators for Social Responsibility; Counselor, Hackensack Medical Center
Peter Elikann - Criminal Defense Attorney, Boston, MA; Member, American Bar Association's Committee on Corrections and Sentencing; Author, Superpredators: The Demonization of Our Children by the Law and The Tough on Crime Myth
Eden Sherman - Social Worker, Family Connections, Orange, NJ (in video report)
Ronald Slaby, PhD - Senior Scientist, The Center for Violence Prevention, Education Development Center, MA; Lecturer, Harvard University; Co-Author of Early Violence Prevention: Tools for Teachers of Young Children; Aggressors, Victims, Bystanders: Thinking and Action to Prevent Violence; and Social Development in Young Children
John Surface - Director of Program Development, Family Connections, Orange, NJ (in video report)
Keith Williams - 14 Years Old
Ramona Williams - Keith's Mother
Tips:
Some major causes of Youth Violence
- Violence in the Home - Either a child is the victim of abuse, or witnesses abuse and violence in his/her home.
- Violence in the Community - Either a child is the victim of violence in the neighborhood, or witnesses a violent act perpetrated on others.
- Fewer Adults in children's lives, leading to less oversight and less mentoring.
- Violence in the Media - An increasingly violent media, which could be anesthetizing kids to violence.
Signs & Symptoms
Children communicate their distress in many ways. In the days and weeks after a traumatic and/or violent experience, children may exhibit the following common reactions:
- Sleep disturbances
- Separation anxiety
- Hyper-vigilance
- Physical complaints
- Irritability
- Regression
- Withdrawal
- Distractibility
- Changes in Play
Breaking The Cycle
How can parents and the rest of the community help break the cycle of violence in today's youth?
- Early Childhood Interventions
- School-Based Interventions
- Educational Programs to Reduce Prejudice and Hostility
- Psychological Health Services for young perpetrators, victims and witnesses of violence
What Parents Can Do
- Keep violence out of your home
- Try to keep your children from seeing too much violence in the media
- Teach your children ways to avoid and to stand up against violence
- Give your children consistent love and attention
- Make sure your children are supervised
- Show your children appropriate non-violent behaviors by the way you act
Resources:
American Psychological Association
Phone: 800-374-2721
http://www.apa.org/National Youth Violence Prevention Resource Center
Phone: 866-723-3968
http://www.safeyouth.org/Adults & Children Together Against Violence
http://www.actagainstviolence.org/The Parenting Project
Phone: 888-PARENTS (888-727-3687)
http://www.parentingproject.org/Massachusetts Medical Society: Committe on Violence
860 Winter Street
Waltham, MA 02451-1411
Phone: 800-322-2303 / Ext. 1015
Free Violence Prevention Tip Cards - Ask for "Parent Education Cards"
