Existing literature on drug dealing and inner-city adolescents was reviewed. Around one in six urban adolescents has had some involvement with drug dealing, with rates higher for African-American males males over age 16. For inner-city teenagers, there are many problems associated with drug dealing, and few efforts to prevent it. (SLD)

This brief presents an overview of a comprehensive school safety plan that combines calm and sound attention to the violence that currently pervades children's lives. With regard to the absolute probability of encountering violence or being victimized by crime, schools are the social setting in which students are most protected and least likely to…

Most of what the world envisions of the period of westward expansion in America has been crafted through Hollywood cinema. The myths of the West are so ingrained in America's culture that they have taken on a truth all their own. In a series of recent films, which began with the release of "Boyz N the Hood," Hollywood is at it again, presenting…

Articles in this theme issue counter the myths of youth violence and probe the realities in school, the community, and the juvenile justice system. Most articles highlight the situations of urban youth of color. Alternative perspectives are presented, including some consideration of the situation of young women and girls, and some artwork and…

Assessed the effects of exposure to nonviolent rap videos on black adolescents' perceptions of teen dating violence. Results from 60 black adolescents and teenagers indicate a significant interaction between gender and video exposure: male acceptance of the use of violence was not a function of viewing the videos, whereas video-viewing females…

Catholic schools have had astonishing success in working with inner-city children. Recent research has confirmed that the performance of students in Catholic schools surpasses that of urban public school students, usually at lower cost. A recent survey also indicated that 83% of public school parents and 82% of inner-city poor parents want…

Examines rap music's origins as street music and poetry in the early 1970s and as an expression of Black youth experience. Discusses rap groups, women and Whites in rap, Christian rap, copyright disputes, and distribution difficulties. Rap is an informal educational medium that affects adolescents' values and attitudes. (JB)

A pattern of increased homicidal violence among adolescent youth in American inner cities has been documented and studied for some time. This elevated lethal violence has been observed to be a major cause of death in this age group and has been observed to be a particularly male phenomenon, especially for ethnic minorities. Both victims and…

In examining both non-school and school conditions and resources that may affect learning, this paper focuses on the education of poor, minority, and low achieving inner city children. First, the external environment of urban schools is discussed in terms of structural factors (such as racial isolation and inadequate employment, housing, and…

This paper explores the recent two decades of school reform efforts and focuses on application of the Effective Schools movement's ideas in urban, economically depressed communities. Five common characteristics of effective schools are teacher and other staff who believe that all children can learn; safe, orderly, and work-oriented environments;…

This book evolved out of a presentation on the psychosocial problems of black adolescents and youth at a colloquium jointly sponsored by the Bay Area Black United Fund and the School of Social Welfare at the University of California at Berkeley in the Spring of 1982. The problems of black inner-city males are so severe that society tends to ignore…