Noting that the spread of small firearms worldwide creates a serious global problem, especially for children, this pamphlet presents information on the physical and emotional damage done to children from small arms and light weapons and describes the work of UNICEF to counteract the damage. Highlighted in the discussion are the use of child…

Describes community reaction to an elementary school principal's decision to suspend a boy for brandishing an unloaded pellet gun at a classmate. The aftermath stretched out for six months, and both the unabashed perpetrator and his traumatized victim transferred to other schools. Alternative crisis-management strategies are offered. (MLH)

To investigate risk factors for suicide in veterans of peacekeeping, 43 suicides and 41 fatal accidents in Norwegian peacekeepers (1978 to 1995) were compared in a psychological autopsy study. Mental health problems were the most important risk factor for suicide. Both living alone and the break-up of a love relationship contributed uniquely to…

Batterers with access to firearms present a serious lethal threat to their partners. The purpose of this exploratory study is to estimate the prevalence of and risk markers for gun possession among Massachusetts men enrolled in batterer intervention programs. The authors found that 1.8% of the men reported having a gun in or around their home.…

This guide is intended to assist classroom teachers in developing lessons revolving around New York's 1980 handgun control law. It contains model lesson plans and a section on resource materials designed to provide insight into the law and its ramifications. The guide is designed for use in intermediate, junior and senior high schools. (Author/APM)

The Gun-Free Schools Act (GFSA) requires that each state or territory receiving federal funds under the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA) have a state law that requires all local educational agencies (LEAs) in the state or territory to expel from school for at least one year any student found bringing a firearm to school. (See Appendix…

The U.S. Congress bolstered the increase in expulsions by passing into law the federal Gun Free School Act of 1994. All states receiving federal funds were to pass laws requiring schools to expel students who brought firearms to school or to school activities. There is evidence that schools are safer, but expulsion rates continue to climb. With…

Noting that firearms outnumber children by a margin of almost three to one in the United States, this report advocates gun safety policies to protect children. The report provides information on trends in youth firearm deaths and finds the statistics alarming, despite recent decline. The first of three tables in the report delineates 1979-1999…

The Gun Free Schools Act (GFSA) requires states to report information about the implementation of the act annually to the Secretary of Education. This report starts by presenting information on data interpretation and quality. Three sections summarize the 1998-99 data submitted by the states. The first section is a brief summary of the overall…

Each year the Constitutional Rights Foundation creates a mock trial that addresses serious matters facing young people. This year the lesson confronts the recent shootings at U.S. schools and the subsequent criminal trials. The nature of such violence and its causes including unresolved peer conflict, questions of responsibility, peer pressure,…

The United States leads the developed world in youth violence, with the highest homicide and suicide rates among young people. Exposure starts early. To reduce violence in U.S. schools, we must control handguns, abolish television violence, isolate violent students, and change the ways that juvenile offenders are punished. (MLH)

Attempts to place the shootings at Columbine High School in Littleton, Colorado, in a historical perspective. Describes the shootings in Littleton and the high school shootings since 1996. Interprets the possible reasons for the Columbine shootings, such as the role of the high school, access to guns, and violence in the mass media. (CMK)

The first of several hearings on the Gun Violence Prevention Act of 1994 introduced and discussed the Act as comprehensive legislation to address gun violence through six discrete initiatives: (1) handgun licensing; (2) prohibition of firearms possession by persons convicted of violent misdemeanors; (3) regulation of gun dealers; (4) limitation of…

In an effort to reduce the current epidemic of gun violence among children and adolescents in the United States, this fact sheet presents various approaches to reducing access to and interest in carrying firearms. Suggested approaches to reducing access include: (1) urging parents to turn in their guns to police; (2) repealing anti-gun control…