When Jake Baker wrote a violent, sexually themed story about one of his classmates and emailed it to a friend, the case that ensued highlighted how new technologies have created fresh ways for students to harass, oppress, or be oppressed by others. This article examines concepts of violence and cultural imperialism oppression, primarily as defined…

Video games today give players an unprecedented opportunity to become part of the game. They literally put players in the game. And with rapid technological improvements and endless creativity, games are only becoming more realistic. They are also becoming more violent. Today's games allow players to kill, maim, dismember, and torture victims by…

A new video game in which the player stalks and shoots fellow students and teachers in school settings is drawing fire from school district officials. "School Shooter: North American Tour 2012" is a first-person game that allows the player to move around a school and collect points by killing defenseless students and teachers. The game,…

Of the three branches of government, the Supreme Court usually receives the least national attention. Not so this year. In addition to another changing of the guard with the retirement of Justice Stevens and the nomination of Elena Kagan, the 2009-2010 term generated a great deal of controversy. And in a number of instances, the public's keen…

In the wake of institutionalized homophobia afflicting public schools, the nation faces a unique opportunity to acknowledge and transform the assumption that all people are or should be heterosexual and gender-conforming. In this article, the author examines how people, as a nation, can reform schools to be more inclusive of diverse student…

River Run High School, located in rural west central Florida, was the site for a case study of student conflict precipitated by the wearing and display of Confederate flags on campus. Following a series of tense student encounters over Confederate and other racist symbols, a conflict resolution team was invited to intervene. Team members created a…

Reviews U.S. court decisions on cases in which a child or young adult was the victim of violence that was said to have been induced by the media. Suggests that the courts have generally hesitated to hold media organizations accountable for inciting the violent acts of individuals. (NKA)

Comments on the Meese Report on pornography and why the library community should pay attention to the actual text. Positive alternatives to censorship are suggested to counter the commercialization of sex, e.g., giving women more decisive roles in media production and strengthening alternative media. (EM)

Provides an update of the case law dealing with assaults on school personnel, including an illustrative Arizona case followed by a question-and-answer discussion posing certain hypothetical situations concerning the facts and law of the case. Draws implications for policy and practice. (Contains 13 references.) (PKP)

Analyzes Arkansas case wherein the Eighth Circuit held 6-5 that letter written by seventh-grade student threatening violence against his former girl friend was not protected by the First Amendment even though a friend took the letter from student's home without his knowledge and gave it to the girl. Upheld board's decision to expel student.…

The Arizona Court of Appeals, in the first court decision regarding public school uniform policies, held that mandatory school uniforms do not violate students' First Amendment rights. Discusses the Arizona decision and its effect on the structuring of school uniform policies and their potential successful institution at the high school level. (31…

Argues that school policies of "zero tolerance" of threatening speech may violate a student's First Amendment right to freedom of expression if speech is less than a "true threat." Suggests a two-step analysis to determine if student speech is a "true threat." (PKP)

According to Jay Worona, general counsel for the New York State School Board Association, "Balancing safety and student constitutional rights is not easy. It has to be a careful balance. School officials must be prudent and not overreact. But one part of the equation has to be paramount. And safety should be the primary concern"…

This book argues that it is time for Americans to rebuild their television system and that translating the public interest into a commitment to the nation's children will take time, education, and public debate. The book affirms that American adults need to consider what public interest means with respect to those who are too young to vote, who…

The Law section of the Proceedings contains the following 10 papers: "The Driver's Privacy Protection Act of 1994: Does Congress Have the Constitutional Authority to Override State FOI Laws by Regulating Access to State Driver's Licenses?" (Joey Senat); "The Truth Hurts: Intentional Infliction of Emotional Distress as a Cause of…