This is the second published volume of the House Committee on the District of Columbia's hearings and findings on the problems of urban centers in America and the Federal government role. The earlier volume focused on Washington, D.C. as a central model and viewed urban problems very broadly. Based on findings presented in the earlier volume, the…

Over 500 black and 500 white boys born in 1957 and attending Philadelphia schools were interviewed along with their mothers. The data were analyzed to discover how educational aspirations, social values, quality of life, fear of crime, victimization, family structure, father-son interaction, social attachments, and gang affiliation affected the…

This final report is designed to present a concise and practical overview of violence and vandalism with a particular emphasis on some of the factors underlying these problems and the various strategies that may be helpful in mitigating them. The report is intended primarily for the administrators, students, teachers, parents, and school staff…

Describes a study which examines the relationship between a rise in juvenile crime and the school term. Concludes that adolescents act out in the community the roles they acquire in schools. Journal available from Joan Watson, Distribution Secretary, The New Era, 54 Fontarabia Road, London, SWII 5PF. (KC)

This issue of the "School Intervention Report" contains a reprint from the "Youth Gangs: Guidelines for Educators and Community Youth Leaders." The juvenile gang has the power to motivate, direct, and positively sanction violence by its members. In examining the power of the gang to amplify violent conduct, there are at least three sets of causes…

For many decades communities have been troubled by the criminal activities of youth gangs. This report looks at almost 30 years of information collected on gang problems in nearly 4,000 communities. The number of localities reporting gang problems increased between the 1970s and the 1990s, representing a tenfold increase in the number of cities…

Results of a behavioral-ecological analysis used to diagnose various community behaviors contributing to Chicano gang delinquency suggested a number of feasible community-based interventions for treatment and prevention. The study also accomplished a replication and extension of similar earlier work performed in a different environment with…

In "Stephenson v. Davenport Community School District," the U.S. Eighth Circuit Court of Appeals ruled that schools cannot adopt unduly vague policies to regulate student expression, in this case, a cross-shaped tattoo. (LMI)

Examined the relationship between public school uniforms and student self-worth and student and staff perceptions of gang presence and school climate. Surveys of middle school students and teachers indicated that although students' perceptions did not vary across uniform policy, teachers from schools with uniform policies perceived lower levels of…

Notes that the 19th-century problem of street children parallels contemporary problems of homelessness, youth gangs, and violence. Suggests that past and present programs developed to deal with these problems have many similarities and that understanding the origins of both the problems and the child welfare response is crucial to avoiding past…

Critical factors in the behavior of Chicano gang youth are family disintegration, cultural dissolution, abusive family relationships, and histories of interpersonal violence. Specific treatment modalities (individual, family, group) are discussed, and the importance of a multimodal approach is emphasized. Case studies highlight family dynamics and…

Discusses a comprehensive, youth-violence-prevention program in New York City called The Door--A Center of Alternatives. This holistic program addresses the root causes of youth violence such as alienation and lack of empowerment. The Door provides life-skills training and services related to the consequences of poverty, unemployment, low levels…

Getting tough on youthful offenders has been a 1990s political slogan. Unfortunately, many reforms of the juvenile-justice and education systems fail to foster understanding between those systems' creators and the youth they serve. Viewing these systems through the eyes of several young people confers important lessons. Contains 21 references.…

Mentoring students via programs such as HOSTS (Helping One Student to Succeed) helps kids avoid or tackle problems associated with substance abuse, pregnancy, gangs, and academic and social failure. A Dupont-sponsored program in Wilmington, Delaware, has helped students improve relationships with peers and adults. (MLH)

This ethnographic study of 50 male African-American gang members constructs a portrait of the culture in which these young men lived and points out factors that helped 11 of them begin to escape gang life, in contrast to the other 39 who lacked these supporting factors of families, teachers, and peers. (SLD)