Teen Think Tank Summary – Session 2

Saturday, October 30, 1999
Charlotte Wood Middle School

• Agenda for the Day
• Summary of Feedback
• Causes of School Violence
• Solutions to Causes of Youth Violence
• Ideas for Valley-wide Youth Council

• Agenda – Session 2

3:20 PM Brainstorming the Causes of Youth Violence

4:40 PM Adjourn Teen Think Tank

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• Summary of Feedback

1. Social lives
2. School
3. College
4. Dealing with problems at home and at school (balancing issues)
5. Family
6. Sleep
7. Sex
8. Public images
9. Relationships
10. Independence
11. Confidence
12. Dating
13. Money
14. Drugs
15. Sports

CAUSES OF YOUTH VIOLENCE – Teens were asked to brainstorm and prioritize the leading causes of youth violence. A total of 84 causes were identified. These were narrowed and consolidated down to 47 discrete causes. For the purpose of this report, the top 13 are presented here. The teens also made several comments regarding the various issues – these comments can be found in the raw data.

1. Anger
2. Substance abuse
3. Prejudice
4. Depression
5. Easy access to weapons
6. Gangs
7. Frustrated at the world
8. Mental disturbances
9. Member of a hate-group (KKK, Nazi, etc.)
10. Raised violently
11. Family problems
12. Ignorance
13. Parents abusing them

SOLUTIONS TO CAUSES OF YOUTH VIOLENCE – Teens were asked to brainstorm and answers to the following question; "Based on what we have seen are the causes of Youth Violence, what are your ideas for solutions to these causes?" Students brainstormed solutions for the top 13 causes. These ideas are provided here (To preserve the integrity of the comments, they are presented as raw data [unedited]):

1. anger

• Try a breathing exercise, or write down what you are feeling

• Hit a pillow or some other inanimate object rather than taking the angerout on an individual.

• a way to stop anger is to solvve the issue by talking or working it out non-violently

• Anger can be diffused in several different ways. The most obvious way is to talk things out instead of resorting to violence. It may sound dumb, but it works. If anger is a really big issue and someone seriously can't control it, then anger management classes or education could help.

• A solution for anger is to try to find a way to help people release their anger without actually hurt anyone including themselves.

• I think that if we could monitor the behavior of kids at school and other public places then the problem would be identified and it could be possible to get that person help in dealing with it.

• we need to spot the problem causing these feelings early and help the person to deal with them, with counceling, or some kind of peer assisents

• an intervention program (in which a student has been identified as being repeatedly angry, violent or upset with others) where a teacher adminisyrator, parent ect. is rquired to report this behavior to the school counselor or psychologist

• people get angry for all sorts of reasons. Anger is a healthy emotion but oly when used in the proper way. Some displays are not approperate in anyway however, thier are healthy ways of reliveing this anger in a safe and non-hurtfull ways.

• I propose that to difuse anger there should be certain programs which let people express that anger in the least violent way possible such as exercise and therapy. The problem about actually GETTING those people there is that they won't want to go in the first place because they may be like: "Geez, how embarrassing to be here with a bunch of 'psychos'". Perhaps teachers or parents or peers, etc, if any evidence is shown, can "make" those people join in.

• If people were able to talk out their problems or knew of places they could go to have somebody listen and they could let out their emotions to their might be less violence. If these place were well publisized then the teens would know about it and they could get help

• If a child is angry than it most likely has originated in the home or school. Since many kids have trouble talking to their parents about issues they are dealing with, the place you are most likely going to be able to help the child is in school. There is where they will act and react normally to issues around them. Therefore, I think it is important that all teachers should be watching for behavioral problems in students, such as crude comments towards others and acting out in genereral. Therefore, maybe each school should have a special trained and liscenced physcologist who can geal with children who are having these problems.

• my brother is a very angry person, many things that have happened in his life have brought much pain, he doesn't know what to do with the anger so he releases it in a physical sense of distruction of my house and family relationships

• I think that if in the children show anger in a classroom at a young age then the teacher should know how to deal with it and if this behavior continues then the teachers should know where to send the child and how to get them help. just giving them chance after chance is not going to help the child. They obviously have issues that they need to deal with.

• people say that fighting never solves anything but one time a kid stole my sandwich so i punched him in his lip, got my sandwich back and never heard from him again. How wasnt my problem solved?

• teach people that it is ok to be angry but there are other ways to go about dealing with it.

• fear leads to anger , anger leads hate, hate leads to violence, violence leads to suffering. Try to stay calm and control your temper

• Participate in a support group, such as AA.

• Go get help at a certain meeting. Stop abusing the substance!

• you can't just make substance abuse illegal. In order to eliminate it you have to eliminate the need or want for the substances.

• to stop substacne go to a clinic and if they abuser does not go get the parntes involved in the problem

• Stop the distribution of drugs and alcohol to teens.

• try and spot the abuse early and help them either with counceling or a clinic of some kind

• more help within the school or easier access to support groups

• I learned in my DVC class (adolecent devolpment) that people that experament with drugs and alchoal but do not abuse it tend to lead happier and more complete lives. unfortuantly thier will always be abusers even if the laws are against it. I thing all we can do is offer rehabilitation for those who need it.

• Substance abuse is a problem that has been around forever and time has shown us that there really isn't any way to stop it unless the person with the problem is willing to admit it and get help. Therefore, I really don't believe there is anyway to prevent teens from abusing alcohol and drugs, because they will have access to it no matter what. The only thing you can do is to teach them about the consequences and hope that they wills make the right decisions. Basically it all starts in the home and has to deal with how the teen has been raised.

• I know that when people drink alcohol or do other substances that are out there then they get very violent. I think after the first incidence they get caught on they should be immediately put into a rehabilitation program because the problem will not jut fix itself and more then likely it will reoccur.

• make the streets safer, a lot of drug deals occure on the streets. have more safety in school and school related event.
• In school teach kids what happens to teens ad adults who abuse different substances.
• 90 percent of people are addicted to cigaretts before they graduate, i think tht early on we need to educate kids more.

• Drugs can cause different factors in what kind of violence it causes: people using the drugs hurting people who don't and drug addicts fighting for getting drugs. If drugs are legalized then there will be nothing to fight about but when they are used and cause hate crimes and things then they should be stopped. In short: stop drugs except for medical usage.

• Become educated in the differences of others as well as the way that other types of people are influential to society.

• Dont live in an area where you are going to feel this way. Dont join a hate group and if you do have someone, keep it to yourself.

• Education in order to teach the person that the color of their skin or their sexual preference does not make them inferior.

• Find a way that those people are like you instead of showing how they are different to you.

• to stop pejudice you need to stop the source and hope for the best. be come educated or live in an rea where you can evoid these conflicts

• try and educate the people on these topics and help them with any kind of insecure feelings they might have on any topic

• There is no easy way to make people become diversified and liking it. How those "prejudice" people were brought up will dominate their thinking. So, I propose, to difuse this there should be survey's and field trips to different cultural holidays. This may have them see that there is a greater side to be who you are.

• more education in the schools about ethnicity and sexual preference. The fact that hate and prejudice can hurt people needs to be realized felt and understood by everything. Maybe mor one on one or dealing with smaller groups of people, have a speaker come in and talk about the problem (instead of in an assembly)

• I think that prejudice is in people's blood. It is a back-ally for those that need someone to blame... this is very hurtfull and causes a lot of unwanted violence. This problem steams from people's lack of knowlage in how to relieve stress in a safe and healthy way.

• Racism is something that is taught in the home, so until it is out of the home it will be an issue. The only thing is to have the fact that everyone is equal, no matter what your color, be stressed at school, and to make kids challenge what they have been taught.

• prejudice is usually taught by the family and if the people are more educated about the group or what they are predujice aginst it should stop. people are not born prejudice but born into prejudice. they are raised prejudice

• prejudice has to do with self-esteem. I think its all about more education, especially in areas where there are more conflict. Teach young kids repeatedly self-worth and difference aren't a threat they are just different, no better, no worse.

• Write down what you are feeling. Talk about what you feel.

• Talk with another person. Let someone know how you feel.

• discuss what is depressing you. Do things you enjoy and that make you happy

• If somethings not fun, don't do it

• Discuss your situation with someone you trust and you know can provide good advice.

• dont look down on your self alwas look at the bright side of things. Go out and do stuff maby for others or comuntiy servese

• don't hold the feelings in, tell people they have people they have people they can talk to, reach out to those you feel have a problem, even if they don't ask for help

• More early detection and intervention. Students need more access to support groups, maybe offer on campus support so that students don't feel so alone. Make it easier to get help.

• The only way to deal with depression is to have the child get help, but even then it has to be recognized by someone, therefore it should be important to have teachers keep an eye out for any such behavior. I think that teachers should have to take a course on how to determine certain illnesses.

• depression is a little differnt way of venting, unlike anger depsession is directed at ones self. this a very hard thing to change. perhaps the only things found to work is tharapy, prozac, and sex. those are the only "unhurtfull ways" of helping that i can think of.

• I think depression comes from people not caring for one person so they become depressed due to a need to be loved and and needed. when they dont feel either they fell a felling of worthlessness and they fell they are not wanted or needed so they become depressed and usually concider suiside.

• depression has to be clinically treated, if someone is acting depressed or suicidal don't be afraid to say something to a counslor. Reassure kids that it is good to talk about there feelings and make sure people are there to really listen.

• not allowing loaded weapons in the house

• Dont put them in a area where you feel tempted. Talk with someone about what you feel when you see these weapons so they can get you help and so you dont go kill people.

• Try to find a way to make guns less acessible.

• If weapons are necessary, take the weapon apart and lock up each part individually. That way, by the time the weapon is put together, the anger/reason might be a little less.

• The actual places that sell weapons should be more careful of who they sell it to.

• All weapons owned by adults with children around should be hidden, locked up, or have a trigger lock on the weapon.

• by safs or other itemes used to protect wepons like safes or gun locks.

• get government involved, write to senators or congress to make laws banning guns where ever possible

• this really upsets me, for it is so easy for teens to get weapons. i no longer feel safe. my school could have been Columbine, but it wasn't. this isa big issue and i think it really needs improving because i don't want my children to be afraid to go to school. our government is losing control and if we lose anymore we are all in trouble.

• More gun control, no selling of weapons of any type (including knives guns etc.) to minors

• There should be laws, laws, laws, laws, and more laws on stopping the distribution of guns and any other weapons. Some, yes, are for defense and are needed for wars, but for the general public there should be more of a ridgid line between what it may be used for which cannot be controlled. This can be stopped by eliminating these distributions once and for all to protect the public.

• it isent that easy to get ahold of weapons inthis valley cause most of the people in the valley are hip gangster wannabsys so you dont have to worry about your kid getting a gun cause no kids in the valley have the balls to shoot anybody

• this is BS if anyone here has acctually fire a gun i would be supprised. they want to take them away whenall they ned to do is understaind them.

• I think thst people can just go down to big 5 or another store and they can get a gun and just because they have a 15 day cooling period that does not mean the feeling goes away if they have the feeling of killing they will not get over it in 15 days so I feel guns are unnessesary and there should be as many laws as needed to get rid of them

• have different activities so young poeple can get more involved

• i think that schools should get some boxing clubs started where students can come lift weights and beat on each other, sober, while they progress in skills

• gangs are so laim to solve the problem with gangs is to eliminate the head member easy ways to do this is to torter the other gang members

• Easy. Dont join a gang. Move away.

• Open up places for kids to come after school, allowing them to participate in worthwhile activities.

• Think about the pros of joining a gang- there are none.

• Create other options if the teens have better things to do, they'll ignore the gangs.

• open activits to the publick that all groupes would like. Keep the ocupied. Give them a brake once and a while

• gangs are a hard thing to stop, so many kids feel it is the answer to the family they never had, we need to educate kids on the negative side of gangs, many don't understand that they could die because they think that they are invinsible

• start a youth center, create more youth activites with in the communites, decrease the amount of frustration with having nothing to do and you can decrease to amt. of time spent creating "exciting" things to do. (such as joining a gang)

• There should be no more gangs in America or anywhere else in the world.

• The only way to keep kids out of gangs it to set up more after school programs that children whose parents work would be able to attend. Also, it is important for children of have someone to look up to, and be able to talk to other than their parents. Therefore, programs such as Big Brothers, Big Sisters should be more accessible.

• gangs are as primitive as pack of wolfs. It's cowardly and weak. however it is still in exsistance. the onlt cure i can think of is kinda like cancer... kill them all.

• gangs are a group of people who need support who are not getting tha at home. I think tht the family needs to be notified and eith er removed from the environment or helped with immediatly.

• gangs need to be detected by the law enforcement agencies and theny they need to be gotten rid of.

• find groups and orgnization can can help with what ever you think is wrong with the world. Go for results.

• Talk to a councleor about your problems. Talk about why you are angry and what you can do to help you not be so angry at the world. Try so love one another.

• Talk with people who can help vent your anger and give you advice.

• People who are frustrated with the world are usuallyfrustrated with it because they have yet to find their place in it and a group could help them find it.

• Try to figure out what is really wrong and fix it in a non-violent way.

• Take time off to relax, go somewhere fun and get away.

• Remove yourself from the things in the world that frustrate you, move away and get a knew start

• Dont think that the world is out to get you thik that it is helping you grow up into the real world. Dont lose your temper so easaly

• I think this goes along with being misunderstood, and depression. the biggest issue here it that students need to know that they aren't alone and they aren't the only ones feeling this way.

• talking with someone about problems, sometimes just talking about a problem can make it seem less stressful,
• there are people who can help you manage your time better or help with any problems you might have

• often it seems that life sucks. I feel that this is the view that the government supplies us with . keeping the world sad keeps them in contrl

• some people can't take pain and suffering that well, they feel that their lives are much more difficult then others and that the world is against them, personal view when so many bad things happen in my life or I see others lives we wonder what we did to deserve pain and hardship and sometimes there is no one or nothing to blame so we get frustrated with the world in general and some can't hold their frustration for long so they release it violently

• I think that people are mad at the world because they are not treated correctly and they need to feel the need to be loved and treated right by the rest of society

• i think that anyone who would kill has some kind of mental disorder, there for we should start young so that people know that it isn't ok to promote violence so they don't get into the habit.

• Talk to a specialist or a doctor who can help you deal.

• You can go get help from doctors. Take certain pills that will help you to controll yourself. Go see a phyciatrist.

• Talk to others and ask for help.

• Take care of your self see a doctor or some one who can help your situation

• you can't really end mental disturbances because many are genetic, but if we treat them well they will be less likely to be violent

• recognizing the problem is the first step to helping the person out

• need to treat mental disorder to decrease the rates of violence

• I think that there should be a fuul time pshycologist present on campus at all times. The psychologists or counselors should be reqired to observe all students (in one class like all the english classes) and be watching for behavior, social or other types of problems.

• It isn't easy noticing mental disturbances. But even with the slightest inclination that person or people should be sent to get help in a non-"emergency" way so as not to cause embarrassment.

• I think that parents and teachers must be more aware of the signs leading to a mental disorder, therefore when they begin to spot them they can get the child help.

• if people are violent by nature the parents need to take charge of the person and get them to see a doctor

• well if your in a hate group they you are ignorant, and that has to e stopped when the person is young.

• All hate-groups are stupid and unneeded. To stop them there should be, if any, an amdendment or law, etc, which can either limit or fully stop hate-groups and their crimes.

• Education about fear or hate of other people

• Dont be a member any more. Drop out of the group. Dont live in an area where you will be subjected to these kinds of groups. Talk with some of the people you hate. You might find out that they are not so bad after all. Keep your hatred to yourself.

• dont join in the first place leave imedatly tell the police immedeatly

• Voice your opinions in a non-violent manner. Become educated about the group(s) that you hate and realizing that everyone is needed to keep the world running.

• Don't allow the hate groups to spread there ideas. People will follow almost anything and teens are especially impressionable.

• those people are just ignorant, and many times it is hard to break through to them on what the correct answer should be to handling other people and their problems, but all you can do is talk to them and hope that your words get through to them some how

• After school programs

• Mor support groups. students need to have a better understanding of their actions. Begining in kindergarten students should be taught that everyone is equal, wich should eventually evolve into the education of fear and hate of others.

• Learn that just because your parents or family are violent doesn't mean you have to be.

• When a child is against the law and if we can find a confortable way to have the children inform someone then we can stop their children from doing it.

• GET HELP. go live with a diffrent family. You should contact the authorities if you are being abuse so you dont turn out like your abusive parents!!

• your are your wn person be your self not others and if your cant see that for yor self go to a dooctor with your parents to have a supervise discusion wit them

• Be involve with outside groups, such as youth groups or sports teams while you are young. This way, you spend time out of the house doing something that doesn't harm another.

• if you were the one raised violently don't do what you didn't like done to you. Seek help and learn from others mistakes.

• Train teachers and those who work with children to recognize signs on abuse.

• first that person should be taken out of that home into a safer environment, then they should seek counceling, and the parents should be dealt with accordingly

• There a signs when a student is being abused, I think there must be more recognition of this, and that there should be more invovement with social servecies.

• These children need to get help, but they will most likely not be the first one to do it. People need to be more aware of those around them and the people that they come in contact with everyday. Therefore, it is up to the community to help these people help themselves.

• When the person is raised with a violent nature it needs to be treated and it usually relates to child abuse

11. Family problems

• when my father was alive he and my brother would get into physical fights, which caused many family problems but now after 4 years my brother has taking those family problems and taking his violence out on my house, broken windows, doors,put holes in thewall, completely trashed the house, and become a person that hides true feelings.

• find someone to talk to like a mentor or counslor. Get your feeling out through words rather then violence.

• Talk them out with your family and a counselor, or find a friend who can give advice on what to do.

• Family problems can most likely be solved by discusion.

• Try to work things out among your family. If that doesnt work, go to family theropy and talk about your problems until they are settled. Try to prevent some of these problems your self by staying clear of the person until you can get along. Maybe all you really needed was some time apart.

• Talking it out doesn't always work- it may even cause more anger or conflict. (personal experience)

• Go to a dooctor to work out the problems have a supervised discusion

• Talk with friends or other people you trust. These people will be able to help. Also, get involved with outside activities that involve other people and good relationships with others.

• Start early and begin building good relationships within your family. Promote good values and religion. With morals and family values imprinted in your families minds at n early age there will be less likely to be conlficts

• maybe the whole family should seek counceling

• same as the abuse above.

• It is up to the members of the family to get help for those in the violence, since it may not be the same people every time. It is important for people to speak out and get help because it will NOT only affect your family, it will affect everyone around you

• Learn- ask questions so you become knowledgable

• Ignorance is bliss but when it comes to ignorance causing violence it should be controlled. There should be more programs in teaching and educating today's youth and even adults (parents, teachers, etc) that there is no one to hate or kill or hurt.

• learn that life is short and there is not enough time to be violent so learn self-contol

• If you are ignorant talk with people that are not. Get educated and do what is right. Use common scence. Talk with an adult about what you should and shouldnt do. Ask advice from someone that is knowledeable.

• Read a book or learn about the things of which you are ignorant. Be involved with those of which you are ignorant and learn about them.

• people hate to be ignored especially by people that claim to love and care for them, sometimes when one ignores the other its like pushing a button and saying I do not love you I was only pretending. people need to learn to talk about problems rather then physical release them

• Hi megan

• learn about all area of life around you. If you understand why things happen then you aren't ignorant

• Education is the only way to win against ignorance

• More education about hate and fear with in the schools

• ingnorance is why people want to take away guns an it is why blacks and whites are in racal conflict. ignorace is stupidity and a lack to learn or care. it is pathetic and needs to be solved. it think we should round up all the ignorant people and elminate them form the gean pool.

• make a safe environment for kids to go-let kids know tha it is very important for them to tell someone. Reach out to people who maybe don't show or tll you stuff, but just be there for other people.

• Tell someone and try as best you can to get out of the situation.

• go to adoctor and have a supervised conversation

• GET OUT OF THERE! Contact authorities and get the help you need. You need to be put in a foster home. Tell a teacher or someone that can help you so they can throw your abusive parents in jail. Dont allow them to do this to you. Its not right even if they are your parents.

• Get involved outside of the house. Talk with friends, other family members, or a professional. Also, talk with your parents about the abuse. Help them try to deal with their problems in a way that doesn't involve abuse.

• Create a place where abused kids can go to where they know they will be safe

• Get out of that situation and into a safer environment, and talk to someone!

• same as raised violently.

• this comment can go in any catorgory i just decidied to put it in this one. people of america believe that school violence comes from tv, radio, video games, and media, but the truth is the real form of violence that we are exposed to is the violence we see and release at the homes. we as children look up to adults for guidence towards life and when we witness fighting or things being thrown across the house, drunk parents acting foolish, or drunk parents downing more and more beers, we think if their doing it, and they have taught us most of what we know already then it must be okay. parents and adults are our rolemodels, they need to start seeing their mistakes and not blaming others

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IDEAS FOR VALLEY-WIDE YOUTH COUNCIL – Finally, teens were asked to brainstorm ideas that a Valley-wide Youth Council might want to implement. These ideas were not prioritized, and are presented here as raw data:

1. youth center

2. parties

3. Tell people that they have someone to go to if they need help

4. more teen activity

5. Involve youth in getting to know others

6. a center for kids to go to talk to others going through the same thing open to everyoe

7. Games

8. dances

9. I think I would make it easier to see a counciler and a person who could help

10. Fun activities

11. Disscussions about whats going on in life

12. liscensed physcologists at schools

13. I think we should make this type of survey available to everyone

14. school functions- not as many restrictions

15. Teen Counseling (group or one on one)

16. an activity every friday night with in the community

17. let youth know they are not alone with their problems

18. more school consalers

19. Enrichment activities that teach youth

20. help people feel secure and even oen up some dating meetings

21. We should have counselors at school that we would feel comfortable opening up to.

22. more school involvement

23. disscuss what is bothering you

24. more activites in general

25. Activities to bring all the kids in the area together

26. Nominate anyone who wants to join this Council

27. Have people giving out advice

28. Teach them how to deal with their problems

29. Trips- Camping/ skiing/ disneyland/cruise- activites that youth can get away from the everyday pressures and problems

30. have more time and places for kids to talk about their problems (youth 2 youth)

31. More education about prejudice and discrimination.

32. more job opertunites

33. a club where we can do and dance, eat, karokee, basically teenage bar

34. weekly teen brainstorming with the teen population of a city

35. A place where students who are having trouble in school can recieve help

36. information/schooling center for kids to obtain info about things they see or hear about in terms of drugs and alcohol products. Basically so they know what they are dealing with.

37. lots of get-to-kow-others activites

38. let kids know where to go to get help

39. Anonymous places where people can talk about their problems and not worry about rumors.

40. have a list of phone numbers for people to call if they need help.(Suicide prevention, Drug,etc.

41. teen one-on-one chatting

42. volunteer work stations

43. more personal with counselors or teachers so you feel comfortable talking about problems or issues

44. not as much teen discrimination(from other age groups other than teens)

45. help finding jobs

46. teen newspaper

47. less rules ( i think ) will=more school spirit

48. Open a comfortable place to be

49. dances and social events

50. Have peer counselors at school instead of adults.

51. Sports are always a great way to bring people together

52. charity work

53. organize clubs or parties or anything to take teens minds off the destrctive track that there on

54. getting kids to know where they can talk to their peers with the same problems

55. publicizing youth activities and accomplishments

56. some kind of career center available to everyone

57. more ways to get consaling other than school

58. let kids know where to go where they can feel not so alone

59. more counciling

60. communtity

61. start support groups on campus for teens (during and after school) to give hope or

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