Our nation's schools should be safe havens for teaching and learning, free of crime and violence. Any instance of crime or violence at school not only affects the individuals involved, but also may disrupt the educational process and affect bystanders, the school itself, and the surrounding community (Brookmeyer, Fanti, and Henrich 2006;…

In 2006, more than 6 million individuals were victimized by violent crimes. Although violence is below levels of the early 1990s, it remains high. The extent of violence and its impact highlight a critical need to develop and implement effective programs to reduce violence and victimization. Communities have initiated a wide range of such…

There are many practical difficulties in conducting forensic evaluations of adolescents charged with serious crimes. This paper addresses some of the reasons why adolescent forensic evaluations are problematic and suggests four strategies for establishing and maintaining rapport, based on a practitioner's experience in evaluating adolescents…

Prepared by the District of Columbia Street Law Project for its annual city-wide mock trial competition, this instructional handout provides material for a murder trial. The defendant shot the victim in the course of a violent dispute. The prosecution charges murder while the defendant claims to have acted in self-defense. The handout clarifies…

Describes the problem of police violence against street children in Guatemala. Includes details of cases, the problems of street children, and the work of Covenant House in trying to help and protect children. Argues that only education about human rights can obtain and preserve rights for children. (DK)

Presents a lesson plan calling upon students to consider U.S. law from a cross-cultural perspective. Explains that students participate in a mock hearing involving a culturally based defense to a charge of murder. Includes student handouts, arguments for and against the defense, objectives, and procedures. (SG)

Highly practical and accessible, this is an indispensable resource for any mental health practitioner working with adolescents at risk for violent behavior. Presented is a comprehensive framework for evaluating justice-involved youth or those whose behavior in school, therapy sessions, or other contexts raises concern about violence. Detailed case…

Prepared by the District of Columbia Street Law Project for its 17th annual city-wide mock trial competition, this instructional handout provides the material for a mock criminal trial. The federal government charges Martha Monroe with first degree murder for shooting her husband, George Monroe, while he slept. Martha Monroe asserts that she acted…

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,…

Suggests the use of key historical antisocial acts to teach social studies concepts as a means of arousing the interest of adolescents. Recommends overcoming initial sensationalism by shifting emphasis to more appropriate interests. Includes discussion of the Abraham Lincoln and John F. Kennedy assassinations and the Rosenberg spy case. Suggests…

This book is designed to be a systematic guide that incorporates a thorough analysis of grief in a school. It details normal and abnormal grief reactions, factors affecting these grief responses, and the differences in death beliefs and responses of students at different ages and developmental stages. It can also act as a map or a step-by-step…

This unit contains primary documents and teaching activities related to an early 19th-century crime. The packet analyzes a murder that occurred at the Cherry Hill farm near Albany, New York, in 1827. The subsequent trial of the man and woman accused of the murder reveals much about the values and fabric of the society of the time. Elsie Whipple…

This monograph summarizes what is known about youth and violence, identifying 10 myths that confound people's understanding of the real causes of youth violence. It focuses on: what contributes to youth violence (e.g., children exposed to domestic violence are at risk of using violence, children and adolescents use guns when they are easily…

Maintains that the large number of Holocaust victims can be difficult to comprehend. Presents a classroom exercise involving rapid counting that can give meaning to such large numbers. Contends that, along with the rapid counting procedure, there is a need to present the relationship of humanity to the numbers. (CFR)

Straight Talk about Risks (STAR) is a pre-kindergarten through grade 12 curriculum designed to reduce the potential for children and teens to be injured or killed in gunfire. STAR is based on sound prevention practices developed from a pilot project in Dade County (Florida). The flexible format allows activities to fit into a 3-week classroom unit…