Data show that gangs, drugs, and random murders are becoming staples in the lives of U.S. children. Every major U.S. city is facing a deadly gang problem, exemplified by drive-by shootings and teenagers brandishing assault weapons. This document presents witness testimony, prepared statements, and panel discussions that examine the problem of gang…

In recent years, communities across the country have struggled to develop effective solutions to the problem of gun violence. Many have approached the United States Department of Justice for help in identifying solutions. This publication was developed in response to these requests. It is designed to provide state and local elected officials,…

The extended parallel process model (EPPM) is receiving increasing attention in many undergraduate and graduate persuasion and health communication textbooks and classes. The EPPM is concerned with the effect of four variables on behavior: (1) perceived susceptibility; (2) perceived severity; (3) response-efficacy; and (4) self-efficacy. The first…

The Maryland Gun Violence Act, enacted into law in 1996, explicitly authorized courts to order batterers to surrender their firearms through civil protective orders. It also vested law enforcement with the explicit authority to remove guns when responding to a domestic violence complaint. In order to assess how these laws were implemented, we…

Law enforcement officials, experts in public health, criminologists, educators, and youth offered testimony intended to help Congress understand the scope of the threat of guns and firearm violence to young people and the strains of the firearm problem on public and community services. A fact sheet points out that: (1) increasing numbers of youth…

An April 2000 telephone survey queried a nationwide sample of 1,000 adults, including 283 parents of children ages 5 to 17 years, concerning school violence and other issues in the news. The vast majority of those surveyed said they believe it is the responsibility of parents to ensure that school shootings, such as occurred at Columbine High…

Describes a statewide childhood gun safety program in New Mexico aimed at reducing the availability of loaded guns at home. Focusing on increasing safety awareness of communities, health care professionals, parents, and gun owners, the program will be continued with a new three-year funding grant. (SLD)

This report contends that most U.S. history and government textbooks give only cursory attention to the Second Amendment "...the right of the people to keep and bear arms..." to the U.S. Constitution, and most endorse a particular political view of the amendment, rather than providing the necessary background for an informed political…

The role of content validity in policy-relevant research is illustrated in a study contrasting results of surveys concerning public opinion toward gun control. Inadequate content validity threatened inferences about the overall level of support for gun control, but not about opinion difference between sexes or respondents of varying political…

Responses to youth violence include intervention programs to teach children alternative skills for solving problems and to challenge superficial beliefs about the glories of violence. Children on a destructive path need someone they can trust who will guide them. Lists 29 measures in response to school violence and the percentage of school…

In school systems with a zero-tolerance policy, principals must recommend that students who carry weapons on campus be expelled. Some critics say zero-tolerance policies do not allow enough room for exceptions. Describes the Gun-Free Schools Act. (MLF)

This issue is intended as a collection of teaching and learning resources. It presents news, issues, information, ideas, activities, and discussion questions on social justice. Articles that focus on learning how to make a difference areas follows: "What Is Civic Participation Anyway?"; "The Hundredth Monkey: When You're Not Sure,…

This report focuses on the causative factors of violence in school children. It summarizes information about the demographic and mental health characteristics of students who carry weapons to school and includes comments from students on the reasons why they carry them, as well as what the research says. Results of the 1999 Youth Risk Behavior…

Learning how to recognize and anticipate the legal risks associated with student affairs practice is a crucial skill all successful administrators must develop. This can be done by developing a sense for scanning the broad legal environment and being aware of legal issues in other parts of the education enterprise. (Contains 1 figure.)

Each day 13 children are murdered, killed by accident, or take their own lives with guns and at least 30 more are wounded each day. This hearing was held to hear the voices of children on the issue of guns to assist in the creation of a crime bill. Opening statements were made by the following U.S. Representatives (in order): Charles E. Schumer,…