Unit 4: An Introduction to the Author & Steve’s World

Gun Violence American children are more at risk from firearms than the children of any other industrialized nation. In one year, firearms killed no children in Japan, 19 in Great Britain, 57 in Germany, 109 in France, 153 in Canada, and 5,285 in the United States. (Centers for Disease Control)

Gun Violence In one year, more children and teens died from gunfire than from cancer, pneumonia, influenza, asthma, and HIV/AIDS combined. (Children's Defense Fund)

Gun Violence In a single year, 3,012 children and teens were killed by gunfire in the United States, according to the latest national data released in That is one child every three hours; eight children every day; and more than 50 children every week. And every year, at least 4 to 5 times as many kids and teens suffer from non-fatal firearm injuries. (Children's Defense Fund and National Center for Health Statistics)

Gun Violence Between 1994 and 1999, there were 220 school associated violent events resulting in 253 deaths % of these involved firearms. Handguns caused almost 60% of these deaths. (Journal of American Medical Association, December 2001)

Teens & Gun Violence About 9% of murders in the U.S. were committed by youth under 18 in An estimated 1561 youth under the age of 18 were arrested for homicide in Fox, J.A., Zawitz, M.W. (2002). Homicide Trends in the United States. Washington, DC: Bureau of Justice Statistics.Homicide Trends in the United States

Teens &Gun Violence Youth under 18 accounted for about 15% of violent crime arrests in Federal Bureau of Investigation (2002). Crime in the United States, Washington, DC: Federal Bureau of Investigation, Table 41.Crime in the United States, 2001

Teens & Gun Violence One national survey found that for every teen arrested, at least 10 were engaged in violence that could have seriously injured or killed another person U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. (2001). Youth Violence: A Report of the Surgeon General. Executive Summary, p. vii. Comparison of data from the Monitoring the Future Study from the University of Michigan’s Institute for Social Research and data from the FBI’s Uniform Crime Reporting programYouth Violence: A Report of the Surgeon General. Executive Summary

Gun Violence In Schools The National School Boards Association estimates that more than 135,000 guns are brought into U.S. schools each day. (NSBA, 1993)

Gun Violence In Schools In academic year, 3,523 students were expelled for bringing a firearm to school. This is a decrease from the 5,724 students expelled in for bringing a firearm to school. (U.S. Department of Education, October 2000)

Bullying & Gangs More than 1 in 6 students in grades 6 to 10 say they are bullied sometimes, and more than 1 in 12 say they are bullied once a week or more Nansel, T.R., Overpeck, M., Pilla, R.S., Ruan, W.J., Simons-Morton, B., & Scheidt, P. (2001). Bullying Behaviors Among US Youth: Prevalence and Association With Psychosocial Adjustment. Journal of the American Medical Association, 285(16), Journal of the American Medical Association

Bullying & Gangs Jurisdictions Reporting Youth Gangs by Area Type 72% -- Large City 33% -- Small City 56% -- Suburban County 24% -- Rural County 51% -- Overall 1997 National Youth Gang Survey - OJJDP (US Dept of Justice)

Bullying & Gangs Jurisdictions Reporting Youth Gangs by Region 74% -- West 52% -- Midwest 49% -- South 31% -- Northeast 51% -- Overall 1997 National Youth Gang Survey - OJJDP (US Dept of Justice)

Bullying & Gangs Reported Gangs and Members Gangs -- 18,267 Gang Members ,385 Estimates to Include Areas not Responding to Survey Gangs -- 30,533 Gang Members , National Youth Gang Survey - OJJDP (US Dept of Justice)

Bullying & Gangs One in every 113 men is incarcerated or on parole or probation. One in every 1,754 women is incarcerated or on parole or probation National Youth Gang Survey - OJJDP (US Dept of Justice)

Bullying & Gangs Percent of Sentenced State Inmates by Type of Offense % - Rape/Sexual Assault 10% - Public Order 11% - Assult/Other Violent 13% - Murder/Manslaughter 14% - Robbery 21% - Drug 22% - Property 1997 National Youth Gang Survey - OJJDP (US Dept of Justice)

Institutionalized Crime? Boys are responsible for 9 out of 10 alcohol and drug violations at school. High school boys are much more likely to be involved with crime and violence on school property than are girls: –Three times as many boys as girls carry weapons to school. –Twice as many have been threatened or injured with weapons at school. –Twice as many have been in physical fights at school. The Mid-Atlantic Equity Center Annual Conference “Promoting the Achievement of Culturally Diverse Young Males” March 24, 2006

Institutionalized Crime? In general, African American and Latino boys are more likely than other boys to be involved with crime and violence on school property. Within the nation’s 75 largest counties in 2001, 92% of juveniles who appeared before the criminal courts were male. Two-thirds of the juveniles who appeared in adult criminal court were African Americans. The Mid-Atlantic Equity Center Annual Conference “Promoting the Achievement of Culturally Diverse Young Males” March 24, 2006

Institutionalized Crime? An African American boy born in 1991 stands a 29% chance of being imprisoned at some point in his life, compared with a 16% Latino boy and a 4% chance for a white boy. Young African American men are more likely to be in jail—or otherwise in the court system—than go to college.

Institutionalized Crime? Teenage boys are five times more likely than girls to commit suicide, even though girls are more likely to attempt suicide. Although white males have the highest rate (60%), the suicide rate for African American boys has doubled during the last 20 years. The Mid-Atlantic Equity Center Annual Conference “Promoting the Achievement of Culturally Diverse Young Males” March 24, 2006