The article discusses a study conducted between December 2007 and March 2008 that involved 19 gender-stratified focus groups with African American parents and adolescents from Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, to explore the process and content of parent-adolescent communication about sex. Discussions about intimate partner violence (IPV) and…

This report surveys nine different toys with "victim" characteristics which are designed for children of 4-5 years and older. The toys were on display in toy shops, department stores, and supermarkets. The toys included doll-like figures with disfigurations, mutilations, mental and physical disabilities, heads which fly off, and eyes which can be…

Educators are embracing character education as the latest panacea for schools'"crisis of values." Americans want schools to accomplish what is not occurring at home. Values are learned through observation and practice. The challenge is changing behaviors of those influencing children--work-centered parents, inconsistent teachers, and…

Physical violence, a factor often associated with drug addiction, must be reduced or eliminated in order for drug dependent individuals to reenter society. To examine the extent to which individual violence associated with drug addiction was controllable by the Odyssey House drug addiction rehabilitation program, the violence potential of 47…

Current efforts to create safe schools concentrate on peace-keeping and peace-making strategies (negative peace), that may enforce mutual mistrust and marginalize "suspicious" persons. Peace building tries to build beloved communities by providing nonviolent ways to empower students, model appropriate behaviors, and manage conflicts.…

This report finds that adolescent smoking, drinking, misusing prescription drugs and using illegal drugs is, by any measure, a public health problem of epidemic proportion, presenting clear and present danger to millions of America's teenagers and severe and expensive long-range consequences for the entire population. This report is a wake-up call…

Psychological research has demonstrated that violence is learned, and it has identified some factors that put children at risk of perpetrating or being victimized by violence. Because aggression is often learned at an early age, prevention programs that start early in childhood and continue throughout adolescence have the best chance for success.…

The national issue of school choice and the reduction and prevention of violence among youth are two issues that are critical for African-American educators, parents, youth, and education supporters. In addressing these problems, African-American educators must become role models of empowerment and advocacy for youth. (SLD)