bluestar.gif (929 octets)Violence in schoolsbluestar.gif (929 octets)

About and around the film "Elephant"

CBS News (with an interactive reminder of the tragedy)
http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2003/05/21/entertainment/cannes/main554996.shtml

BBC News (notice that one of the actors is a home-schooler)
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/entertainment/3038449.stm

The Stanford Advocate
http://www.stamfordadvocate.com/entertainment/movies/sns-ap-cannes-school-violence,0,1289397.story?coll=sns-ap-movie-headlines

CNN
http://edition.cnn.com/2003/SHOWBIZ/Movies/05/18/cannes.killings.reut/

International Herald Tribune (first 4 pages of the article)
http://www.iht.com/articles/96772.html

On the official Cannes Festival website (with synopsis, extracts from script, full cast, trailer, etc.)
http://www.festival-cannes.org/films/fiche_film.php?langue=6002&id_film=4071982

Unofficial Gus Van Sant site (with his biography, filmography, and everything about the day to day making of Elephant)
http://www.geocities.com/SunsetStrip/Club/9542/elephant.html
http://www.geocities.com/SunsetStrip/Club/9542/vansant.html

About and around the film "Bowling for Columbine"

the Guardian :
http://film.guardian.co.uk/cannes2002/story/0,11895,716923,00.html
La plume noire:
http://www.plume-noire.com/movies/reviews/bowlingforcolumbine.html
Indiewire (independent films) :
http://www.indiewire.com/film/reviews/rev_02Cannes_020522_Bowl.html
an article which explains the title:
http//www.jointogether.org/gv/news/summaries/reader/0,2061,550719,00.html  
From The Baltimore Sun: October 7.
http://www.sunspot.net/news/nationworld/nation/wire/sns-ap-schools-terrorism1007oct07.story
Faces Behind the Guns  (from the New York Times)
http://www.nytimes.com/learning/teachers/lessons/19990913monday.html?searchp

An interview of Mike Moore and videos :
http://www.abc.net.au/arts/film/stories/s654932.htm
Official website of the film with the trailers in all formats:
http://www.bowlingforcolumbine.com/
photos and articles :
http://dir.yahoo.com/Entertainment/Movies_and_Film/Titles/Documentary/Society_and_Culture/Social_Issues/Bowling_for_Columbine/
Denver Post, with this statement from Marilyn Manson : ""Keep people afraid
and they consume," the rocker Marilyn Manson tells Moore backstage at a Denver concert."
http://www.denverpost.com/Stories/0,1413,36%257E54%257E832006%257E,00.html
A short synopsis :
http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/BowlingforColumbine-1117183/about.php
And Mike Moore's website (Alain Krizic on e-teach advises you to see
"Operation oily Residue - war is fun when you know you won't die" with
embedded links to many news articles about Bush and Irak:
http://www.michaelmoore.com/

Violence in schools in the News

Page de liens pour une utilisation directe par les élèves

Jonesboro, Arkansas, March 24th 1998 (infonews du 27/03/98)

Four dead in Arkansas school shooting (CNN Wed Mar 25)
http://cnn.com/US/9803/24/school.shooting/
Judge orders boys held in Arkansas shooting (CNN Thu Mar 26)
http://cnn.com/US/9803/25/school.shooting.pm/
Funerals for 2 Jonesboro girls to be held Friday (CNN Fri Mar 27)
http://cnn.com/US/9803/26/school.shooting.pm/
Interactive map of the shootings
http://cnn.com/SPECIALS/1998/ar.shootings/
Thousands gather in arkansas to honor victims of ambush (see related sites at the end of the page)
http://cnn.com/US/9803/31/jonesboro.memorial/  
The hunter and the choir boy (Time Magazine)
http://www.time.com/time/magazine/1998/dom/980406/cover1.html
 [infonews] n°36 du 09/05/99

Littleton, Colorado, april 20th 1999 ([infonews] n°36 du 09/05/99)

the facts :
all the articles about the shooting, day by day :
--> http://www.insidedenver.com/shooting/shooting.shtml
voir le premier article : School War Zone
--> http://www.insidedenver.com/shooting/0420aas00.shtml
[en lycée : travailler la supposition et comment rapporter des faits non vérifier: supposedly, reportedly, was said to...]
voici quelques autres articles: [piste d'exploitation : à des élèves de lycée habitués à lire de long articles, distribuer un article différent à chaque groupe de 2 ou 3 élèves, qui en feront la synthèse, puis organisez une mise en commun orale : la diversité des informations doit déchencher une discussion globale riche et constructive....en conclusion: rediger un
compte rendu à partir de notes prises au cours de la discussion]
Friendly faces hid kid killers
--> http://www.insidedenver.com/shooting/0422bdag7.shtml
[à partir de cette page, cliquer à gauche sur 'Massacre main page' où vous trouverez des articles par ordre chronologique, puis cliquez en haut à droite sur ' Complete shootings package and updated news from AP pour accéder à d'autres articles, des sondages, des photos, des vidéos....un dossier si complet que cela frôle le voyeurisme!]
Massacre main page
--> http://www.denverpost.com/news/shotmain.htm

autre ressources pour compléter l'étude:
Checklist of Characteristics of Youth Who Have Caused School-Associated Violent Deaths
--> http://www.nssc1.org/reporter/checklist.htm
Indicators of School Crime and Safety, 1998 (department of justice)
--> http://www.ojp.usdoj.gov/bjs/abstract/iscs98.htm

Student Pledge Against Gun Violence (LESSONS> Lesson Stop * April 25, 1999)
-----------------------------------------------
Adults can get involved in preventing school violence and students can
pledge never to use guns inappropriately.
--> http://www.pledge.org/home.htm

National PTA Violence Prevention Kit (LESSONS> Lesson Stop * April 25, 1999)
-----------------------------------------------
The PTA has provided an online kit that includes help for organizing
the community, and how to identify problems, set goals, and provide
solutions.
--> http://www.pta.org/events/violprev/index.htm

Family Education Network (LESSONS> Lesson Stop * April 25, 1999)
-----------------------------------------------
>From the Family Education Network, this resource contains articles
about recognizing the warning signs of violence in students, helping
students feel safe in school, and a checklist for school violence prevention.
--> http://familyeducation.com/topic/front/0,1156,1-2179,00.html

Center for the Prevention of School Violence (LESSONS> Lesson Stop * April
25, 1999)
-----------------------------------------------
The Center provides resources at all levels - research, public
awareness, and service and support.
--> http://www.ncsu.edu/cpsv/

SCHOOL SAFETY CENTER VIOLENCE WARNING SIGNS (USA Ed.Net Briefs, April 26,
1999)
-----------------------------------------------
The National School Safety Center in Atlanta compiled this list of warning
signs by analyzing school-associated violent deaths from 1992 to the present:
(1) Has a history of tantrums or angry outbursts;
(2) Resorts to name-calling, cursing or abusive language;
(3) Habitually makes violent threats when angry;
(4) Has previously brought a weapon to school;
(5) Has serious disciplinary problems at school and in the community;
(6) Has a background of drug, alcohol or other substance abuse or dependency;
(7) Is on the fringe of his or her peer group with few or no close friends;
(8) Is preoccupied with weapons or incendiary devices;
(9) Has been truant, suspended or expelled from school;
(10) Abuses animals;
(11) Has little or no supervision and support from parents or a caring adult;
(12) Has witnessed or experienced abuse or neglect at home;
(13) Has been bullied and/or bullies peers or younger children;
(14) Blames others for difficulties and problems he or she causes;
(15) Consistently prefers TV shows, movies or music expressing violent
themes and acts;
(16) Prefers reading about violent themes, rituals and abuse;
(17) Reflects anger, frustration and the dark side of life in writing;
(18) Is involved with a gang or an antisocial group;
(19) Is often depressed and/or has significant mood swings; and
(20) Has threatened or attempted suicide.
Cox News Service, Seattle Post-Intelligencer, April 22, 1999, A15 National
School Safety Center Web site
--> http://www.nssc1.org/

Early Warning, Timely Response: A Guide to Safe Schools (LESSONS> Lesson
Stop * April 25, 1999)
-----------------------------------------------
This guide, developed by the Department of Education and the Department of Justice, was created to help identify and help troubled students and prevent school violence.
[version courte, assez proche de l' article précédent :
--> http://www.ed.gov/offices/OSERS/OSEP/Products/earlywrn.html  
pour une version longue et commentée, voir:
--> http://www.air-dc.org/cecp/guide/earlywarning.htm   ]

The Smoking Gun (Clickables Issue #24 April 24, 1999)
-----------------------------------------------
Using material obtained from government and law enforcement sources, via Freedom of Information requests, and from court files nationwide, we guarantee everything here is 100% authentic. The Smoking Gun is a Pierre Salinger-free zone.
--> http://www.thesmokinggun.com/
[ sur ce site, vous pouvez trouver des infos inédites sur 'Columbine massacre' comme les originaux de leurs rapports de probation:
--> http://www.thesmokinggun.com/archive/columbine1.shtml

~~~~~~~~~~~
The aftermath
~~~~~~~~~~~
TRAGEDY JOLTS INTERNET FUTURE (BENTON> Communications-related Headlines for 4/30/99)
--> http://www.zdnet.com/anchordesk/story/story_3341.html
[ voir aussi l'article 'Did the Internet contribute to Littleton?'
--> http://www.zdnet.com/zdnn/stories/news/0,4586,2248394,00.html   ]

IN SEARCH OF LAW AND ORDER (PBS> PBS Previews: May 3-9, 1999)
-----------------------------------------------
Tackle tough questions about juvenile crime, justice and rehabilitation with this timely site. Explore
crime facts and figures, read episode descriptions to the companion PBS documentary, and access a community action kit and a set of useful resources.
--> http://www.pbs.org/lawandorder/
[ des textes courts et précis, qui considèrent tous les aspects du problème. Utilisable en autonomie par des élèves de lycée pour constituer un dossier sur le sujet]

PTA WEB SITE PROVIDES RESOURCES TO DEAL WITH VIOLENCE (USA> USA Ed.Net Briefs 5.3.99)
-----------------------------------------------
The National PTA has launched a Web site as the first part of its comprehensive campaign, "Violence, Kids, Crisis: What You Can Do." The Web site contains a variety of resources including tips on how to talk with children about violence, National PTA's violence prevention kit, "Kids Need a Future, Not Funerals," and excerpts from their advocacy training program. They would like you to participate in their effort to help prevent further instances of violence in our nation's schools. See their banner at
--> http://www.pta.org/programs/crisis/ad.htm  
and feel free to post it on your Web site with a link to
--> http://www.pta.org/crisis
National PTA Information: Info@pta.org

PARENTS HAVE JEKYLL/HYDE VIEW OF INTERNET (NewsScan Daily 4 May 1999)
-----------------------------------------------
A survey taken by the Annenberg Public Policy Center has found that about 40% of parents with kids who use the Internet are "online worriers," who recognize the educational benefits but fear it as well. The author of the Annenberg report says, "We found this incredible conflict. People trust their kids with the Internet, but they don't trust the Internet with their kids." Another 40% of parents with kids are "gung-ho" enthusiasts for the Internet. The remaining 20% are "disenchanted" and not at all
convinced that the Internet offers anything of real value for their children.
(AP/San Jose Mercury News 3 May 99)
--> http://www.sjmercury.com/svtech/news/breaking/merc/docs/068822.htm

My findings
----------------
KIDS THESE DAYS ARE LAZY, SPOILED, AND RUDE, SAYS SURVEY (ASCD Education Bulletin--May 7, 1999)
-----------------------------------------------
Americans, including parents and teens, remain pessimistic about the next generation, a tracking study by the nonpartisan, nonprofit Public Agenda has revealed. As was the case in 1997 when Public Agenda's benchmark survey of American attitudes toward young children and teens was released, relatively few respondents say today's children will grow up to make America a better place. *Kids These Days '99: What Americans Really Think About the Next Generation* finds that the public continues to be disturbed by the lack of values such as honesty, civility, and responsibility in America's youth. 
Children and teens are described by the majority of Americans in negative terms. In both the 1997 and 1999 surveys, 53 percent characterize children with words such as "lazy," "spoiled" and "rude." About seven out of ten call teens "irresponsible" and "wild". Fewer than half of adults--and only one-third of teens--say the next generation will make America a better place.
Those responding to the survey tend to blame irresponsible parents for problems with today's youth, although they admit that being a parent is a tough job in today's world. The public also believes parents compete with outside forces, such as drugs, violence and crime, while attempting to raise good kids.
But the public's skepticism about young people has yet to make Americans give up on the next generation. Overwhelming majorities say giving kids a good start in life is the most important issue facing the country, and say that any child, no matter how troubled, can be turned around. And rather than rely on government social programs, Americans would turn to their own schools, employers, and communities to help families.The second in a series of five studies, *Kids These Days '99* is based on two national telephone surveys: one with 1,005 adults, including 384 parents of children under 18, and one with 328 children aged 12 to 17.
[ For more information, visit Public Agenda's Web site: des chiffres, des tableaux, des résultats d'enquête, et des solutions...à :
http://www.publicagenda.org/specials/learning/tipsheet.htm     ]

GOAL SEVEN: SAFE, DISCIPLINED AND DRUG-FREE SCHOOLS (NEGP Weekly for 5-6-99)
-----------------------------------------------
Littleton: The Aftermath
The news - electronic and print - has shifted focus from the shock of Littleton to what is being done to prevent an incident like this from happening again. One point underscored in many news reports is that, despite the horror of Littleton, school violence is not going up. The WALL STREET JOURNAL, TIME Magazine and others noted the National School Safety Center's Report on School Associated Violent Death, which found that, outside of Littleton, nine students were murdered in U.S. schools this school year. Last school year, there were 42 killings, down from 54 in the 1992-1993 school year. Only 10 of every 1,000 students were the victims of serious violent crime at school in 1996, albeit 10 too many. Yet, real and imagined violence is spreading through schools nationwide in the wake of Littleton. The NEW YORK TIMES reports on a series of bomb threats that have frightened teachers, students and parents from New Jersey to California (McFadden, 4/30). Threats have been posted on the Internet, or called into the school. School officials are not dismissing the possibility that any of these threats may be real. In some cases, schools have closed and police officers are roving school corridors. "Before Littleton, less than 1 percent of the schools across the country have experienced a violent death on campus in the last seven years," said June Arnette, associate director of the National School Safety Center, in Westlake Village, California. "But since Littleton, there has been a ripple effect. Schools everywhere are in a panic mode, receiving bomb threats, threats of terrorist attacks. Nobody can ignore those things. Whether or not schools are safe is not the issue. It's the perception of safety at this point that matters." Following are brief summaries of reports that sum up the news on the aftermath of Littleton, which falls into several categories: school security measures, need for counseling and conflict-resolution and surveys of students and parents. School Security: Safety experts anticipate intensified efforts to heighten security at schools, even schools in the "leafy suburbs," according to the WALL STREET JOURNAL (Bulkeley and Pereira, 4/23). "The suburbs have slept on the issue of youth violence, because the dominant number of students there aren't as needy," said Steven Leonard, headmaster of Boston's Jeremiah Burke High School. While some schools rely on conflict-resolution strategies and funding of counselors to handle troubled students, others resort to a strong law enforcement presence  on school campuses. Mandatory metal detectors, clothing restrictions and stronger relations with local police are several strategies in use in schools nationwide. However, some resentment over the need to travel this route has risen among educators. One principal, Jim Ratledge, of Montvale School in Maryville, Tennessee, who was held hostage by a 14-year-olds with a gun, protests the need to install metal detectors.
"We're a school, not a prison," he said. "My goodness, we've got children in here, not convicts." TIME Magazine cites a study published in the journal "Urban  Education" that found the most commonly reported prevention plan noted by school administrators is to place teachers in the hallway, followed by alternative schools for troubled students. (Cloud, 5/3) Since the outbreak of violence in Jonesboro through Littleton, school officials have added "paranoia to their prevention plans," writes TIME. Unmanned metal detectors are out and hand-held wand detectors are in, according to TIME. The adoption of school uniforms, or at least clothing restrictions, also has become popular in schools nationwide. Surveillance cameras and "fancy fire alarms that guard against pranks" also are sprouting up in American schools, writes the magazine.
Counseling and Conflict-Resolution: After listing a series of security measures some school have adopted nationwide, TIME Magazine writes that "real prevention is much harder; it means addressing the underlying causes of violence." (Cloud, 5/3) The magazine notes that the boys arrested last year's school atrocities shared three traits: they were estranged from family and friends, they had immersed themselves in a violent subclture, and they had access to guns. One group attempting to bring about social change is Fight Crime: Invest in Kids, notes TIME. Based in Washington, D.C., the group espouses a four-point plan: give kids something to do after school, make sure young children have access to quality child care, help schools identify troubled kids early and provide counseling for them, and prevent child abuse. TIME also reports that dedicated mentors and programs that "help bullies  deal with frustration have been shown to reduce school violence." From the magazine: "All are things that should be done in any case. But they are just the sort of pricey domestic programs we reward politicians for flaying." TIME notes the "harried" schedule most school psychologists face. In many schools, they must see 10 students every day just to see each student once during the year. Some schools do not even have a psychologist on staff. In an editorial for TIME, Tipper Gore, the Vice President's wife and a long-time advocate of mental-health reform, writes of the need to drop the stigma still associated with seeking psychological help that deters many families with children in need of guidance and counseling from seeking help. "If we are serious about stopping the violence and helping our children,   we as adults need to erase the stigma that prevents our kids from getting the help they need for their mental health," she advises. "If we know a child had a broken arm, we would take that child to an emergency room. And if we know a child is depressed or alienated, we need to take emergency action and stay involved with the problem."
She goes on to encourage adults to help children "pick their way through minefields in today's society." Gore: "It is better to give  children a rule to break than to give them no rules at all." Parents need the support of the community - "from theaters turning away kids from adult-rated movies to networks promoting the V chip. Parents need the community to come up with new protections, especially on the   Internet," she writes.  (TIME Magazine's 5/10 cover issue features a story titled "Growing Up Online," which offers tips to parents).
Jose Garcia, principal of a Florida middle school, expresses the frustration faced by school staff across the country. "The society outside our schools today means the unbelievable availability of weapons and the reinforcement of the violence culture by the media," he said. "No principal can shut that out of a school. Nobody can." Surveys and Summits: Americans, including parents and teens, remain pessimistic about the next generation, according to a tracking study
by the nonpartisan, nonprofit Public Agenda. Only 37% of the general public
in 1997 and 38% in 1999 said today's children will grow up to make
America a better place.
The survey, "Kids These Days 99: What Americans really Think About
the Next Generation," finds that the public continues to be disturbed
by the lack of values such as honesty, civility and responsibility in
America's youth. Findings from the poll include:

53% of those surveyed in 1997 and 1999 characterize children with
words such as "lazy," "spoiled" and "rude." About seven out of ten call teens
"irresponsible" and "wild," 67% in 1997, up to 71% in 1999;

almost half of the respondents blame "irresponsible parents," compared
to those who say problems stem from social and economic pressures on
families (37%);

81% of families in 1997 and 78% in 1999 say it is much harder to be a
parent these days;

nearly seven in ten say kids abusing drugs or alcohol, or kids seeing
too much violence or sex in the media are "very serious" problems;

"very effective" solutions noted by the respondents include:
improving public schools (68%); more after-school activities for kids (60%);
employs offering parents more flexible work schedules so they can spend more
time with their children (59%); and greater involvement by volunteer
organizations dedicated to kids (52%).

For more information on the survey and interesting charts see:
http://www.publicagenda.org/issues/pcc_detail.cfm?issue_type=crime&list=8

A NEWSWEEK poll found that most Americans believe that parents today
do not spend as much time with their teenagers as they should,
including 90% of both the general population and of parents with tens.
Over four in ten of the overall sample (43%) also say that baby boomers are worse
parents because the experiences they had in the 1960s and 1970s now make them
less able to provide firm guidance to give teens a strong moral base.

Other findings:

53% acknowledge that it is more difficult to raise kids today because
of what they are exposed to on the Internet, television and in movies and videos;

60% approve of the government putting major new restrictions on the
Internet to limit access to pornography, hate speech and information about bomb-making or other crimes;

61% say the best way for parents to prevent their teens from getting
into trouble because of Internet content is not to monitor more closely but
to make stronger efforts to teach their kids the right values so that what they see online won't affect them.

The survey is part of NEWSWEEK's 10 May 1999 issue, which includes a
feature on "The Secret Life Of Teens."

A TIME/CNN survey found that 83% of teens put a great deal of trust
in the information they get from their parents, far more than they
place in information on the Internet. Of the teens who have been to the
Internet (82% of those surveyed), few have been to a site that instructs on how
to build a bomb (14%); where to buy a gun (12%); or has information about
hate groups (25%). However, 44% have been to a site that features sexual or X-rated content.
Most teens surveyed say they feel totally safe in school (74%). But nearly 70% say there is too much violence on television.

Other findings:

45% report that their parents know a little about the websites they
visit, 38% say their parents know a lot, and 17% say their parents know nothing;

57% say their parents have rules about the Internet, such as what sites to visit.

Survey results are published in TIME's 10 May 1999 edition.

[infonews] n°38 du 23/05/99

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Violence in schools : faits, commentaires et réactions
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
un dossier par Alain Nowak (message sur [e-teach])
----------------------------------
Vous trouverez ici un dossier sur les tragédies adolescentes
américaines réalisé par un enseignant.
--> http://www.ac-nancy-metz.fr/enseign/anglais/violence/littleton.htm
[ voyez les 'classroom suggestions']

Columbine (NOTES> May Edunotes for Educators Sunday, May 16)
----------------------------------
encore des liens, j'ai retenu pour les enseignants le texte de Jim Drush,
qui dénonce le matérialisme des parents et s'appuie sur la Bible : culturellement intéressant!
--> http://www.mlode.com/~ra/ra8/whyatcolumbinehigh.htm   ]

Commentary: Reflections on Columbine (NOTES> May Edunotes for Educators
Sunday, May 16)
----------------------------------
A former teacher's reflections on high school social settings.
--> http://www.edweek.org/ew/vol-18/35wagner.h18
[ voir aussi l'article 'a methaphor for Parents, with reference to Animal's farm...
--> http://www.edweek.org/ew/vol-18/35lanier.h18   ]

Friend of Mine by Cohen brothers (NOTES> May Edunotes for Educators Sunday, May 16)
----------------------------------
--> http://columbine.net/friend.html
Lyrics of the song. How to order their CD.

Ribbon of Promise (NOTES> May Edunotes for Educators Sunday, May 16)
----------------------------------
A non-profit organization to raise awareness of School violence.
--> http://www.ribbonofpromise.org/

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Violence in schools : réactions positives et essais de solutions
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Early Warning, Timely Response: A Guide to Safe Schools (NOTES> May
Edunotes for Educators Sunday, May 16)
----------------------------------
research-based practices designed to assist school communities
identify warning signs early and develop prevention, intervention and crisis
response plans.
OSEP(Office of Special Education Programs)
--> http://www.ed.gov/offices/OSERS/OSEP/Products/earlywrn.html
[à télécharger, le guide sur lequel s'appuient beaucoup des autres sites]

Warning Signs (CLN> CLN UPDATE for Monday, May 17, 1999)
----------------------------------
This on-line brochure from the American Psychological Association
covers the following topics briefly: reasons for violence; recognizing
violence warning signs in others; what you can do; dealing with anger; are you
at risk; controlling your own risk for violent behaviour; and violence against self.
--> http://helping.apa.org/warningsigns/reasons.html
[pour lycée, une brochure bien faite]

Bully B'ware (CLN> CLN UPDATE for Monday, May 17, 1999)
----------------------------------
This B.C. organization offers online assistance to schools who are
attempting to raise students' awareness of the problems of bullying.
Resources include information about bullying (what it is, common
characteristics, what makes a bully, what schools can do, and more) as
well as news stories about bullies.
--> http://www.bullybeware.com/
[ site canadien. des infos utilisables dès la 4ème, pour amener les élèves
à réfléchir à leur attitude envers les autres: des récits:
--> http://www.bullybeware.com/story.html
et des solutions
--> http://www.bullybeware.com/tips.html   ]

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Violence in schools :statistiques et sondages
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Kids These Days '99: What Americans Really Think About the Next
Generation -- Public Agenda Online (The Scout Report for Social Sciences May 18, 1999)
----------------------------------
Public Agenda -- a nonpartisan, nonprofit research organization
devoted to public opinion, policy analysis, and citizen education (see the
February 23, 1999 Scout Report for Social Sciences) -- has recently released a
report based on the findings of a national survey of American
attitudes toward children and teenagers. The 1999 report, a follow-up to Public
Agenda 's 1997 benchmark survey, concludes "that the public continues
to be disturbed by the lack of values such as honesty, civility, and
responsibility in America's youth." Key findings from the survey are
presented as graphs, tables, and charts in seven discrete sections
within the report: Negative Reactions, A Focus on Values and Respect, Putting
the Blame on Parents, Difficult Circumstances, Little Willingness to Write
off Kids, The Role of Government, and Positive Attitudes among Teens. Kids
These Days '99 is the second of five tracking surveys on America's
youth conducted by Public Agenda, with three more scheduled before 2002.
--> http://www.publicagenda.org/specials/kids/kids.htm
[des sondages intéressants...pour réfléchir sur les sondages!]

[Infonews] n°39 du 30/05/99
Kids & Violence: A Resource Guide (NEGP Weekly for 5-26-99)
----------------------------------
MSNBC.com reported on the Georgia school shootings and also
published a section called "Kids & Violence: A Resource Guide."
Read an excerpt from his latest book, “Parents Under Siege.”
--> http://www.msnbc.com/news/623913.asp  

MEDIA VIOLENCE: ITS EFFECT ON YOUTH (NEGP Weekly for 5-26-99)
----------------------------------
There is "overwhelming "evidence of a link between watching violent
acts in movies or television and aggressive behavior, according to
Jeffrey McIntyre, legislative and federal affairs officer for the American
Psychological Association. "To argue against it is lie arguing against gravity."
The N.Y. TIMES reports that the U.S. Surgeon General's office has
conducted two comprehensive reviews of existing studies - published in
1972 and 1982 - and both pointed to television violence as a contributing
factor to increases in violent crime and anti-social behavior (Mifflin, 5/9).
While the research does not imply that watching violent media shows
causes people to "directly and immediately" commit violent acts, it is the
cumulative effect of watching violence on the screen that is a "risk
factor" for highly aggressive behavior, writes the paper. "It's not as direct
as 'Oh, they played Doom and then they went and got their guns,'" said
David Walsh, a psychologist who heads the national Institute on Media and
the Family, a Minneapolis group that educates families on coping with the
media. "It's a redefining of our repertoire of responses. If the norm is
respect, an extreme response might be a punch in the nose, but if the norm is
'in your face' hostility then the extreme is something more extreme."
Researcher L. Rowell Huesmann of the University of Michigan, Ann
Arbor, offered the following at a hearing before the U.S. Senate
earlier this month: "Not every child who watches a lot of violence or plays a
lot of violent games will grow up to be violent. Other forces must
converge, as they did recently in Colorado. But just as every cigarette increases
the chance that someday you will get lung cancer, every exposure to
violence increases the chances that some day a child will behave more violently
than they otherwise would."
Huesmann described results of one of his studies to the TIMES.
"Boys at age 8 who had been watching more television violence than
other boys grew up to be more aggressive than other boys. They also grew up
to be more aggressive and violent than you'd have expected them to be on the
basis of how aggressive they were as 8-year-olds."
The paper notes major reviews of scientific studies, conducted from
1990 to 1996, by several groups, including the American Medical
Association, the American Psychological Association, the American Academy of
Pediatrics, the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and the
National Institute of Mental Health, all of which concluded that television
violence leads to real-world violence. While conceding that the studies vary
in reliability, the "findings are consistent, and several meta-analyses...
have found a definite link between watching violent entertainment and
behaving aggressively," notes the paper.
Katheryn Montgomery, president of the Washington, D.C.-based Center
for Media Education, summed up the general views of researchers. "The
accumulation over time is the concern, not a single incident or a
single viewing," she said. "A steady diet of violent content over time
creates a culture that tells kids that violence is the accepted way we solve our problems."
Most researchers also agree that watching a lot of violent shows is
but one of the contributing factors to increased personal aggressiveness.
A new study is being planned by the office of the U.S. Surgeon
General to "take a broad look at the roles of popular culture, peer
pressure, mental illness and the availability of guns in triggering
homicidal rage in young people." (Broder, N. Y. TIMES, 5/10).
"Violence is a serious public health issue that claims the lives of more than 13
young people in the United States every day," said Dr. David Satcher, U.S. Surgeon General.

[infonews] n°40 du 04/06/99

DOJ for Kids and Youth (The Scout Report -- November 12, 1999)
-----------------------------------
This site from the Department of Justice (DOJ) hosts a number of
crime and crime-prevention related resources aimed at younger users.
These can be browsed by targeted audience (K-5 or 6-12) or subject
(Safety, Substance Abuse Prevention, Criminology, US Government,
etc.). The age and quality of the resources vary, but highlights
include Internet Do's & Don'ts, Crime Detection, Famous FBI Cases,
Working Dogs, and an overview of a federal prosecutor's job. A
collection of resources and guides aimed at teachers and parents is also provided. [MD]
--> http://www.usdoj.gov/kidspage/
[ des guides pour la prévention, à utiliser en lycée avec précaution car trop d'explications peuvent donner envie d'essayer...]

Violence and videogames (Ed.Net Briefs October 25)
-------------------------------------------
    Voyez ce dossier complet de Seattle Post Intelligencer.com. des
témoignages d'experts et d'utilisateurs, des enquêtes, et une liste de 'online ressources'.
--> http://www.seattle-pi.com/videogameviolence/

Gun Laws, Gun Control and Gun Rights (LII> [LIIWEEK] October 11)
-------------------------------
A directory to news, current legal cases, legislation, case
law, statistics, and advocacy groups regarding the gun
control debate in the U.S. The emphasis is on the legal
questions raised and providing links both for and against.
In addition, links are provided to the positions of the
Presidential candidates on gun control. - bc
--> http://jurist.law.pitt.edu/gunlaw.htm
[ pour lycée]