20020823

School Anti-Violence Programs Found Successful

Tue Aug 6, 5:22 PM ET

NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - School-based programs that teach conflict resolution, anger control or social skills appear to lessen students' aggressive behavior, new study findings show.

Every year, 1 out of every 25 schoolchildren in the United States fall victim to some type of violent crime, either at school or on their way to or from school, according to study author Dr. Julie A. Mytton of Oldham Primary Care Trust in England and her colleagues. Hundreds of violence prevention programs are currently being implemented, but their effectiveness has rarely been assessed, the researchers write.

Mytton and her colleagues therefore analyzed the results of 28 trials of violence prevention programs in elementary, middle and high schools to determine their effectiveness. All of the trials included students who were at high risk for violent or aggressive behavior, such as fighting and bullying.

In general, the various violence prevention programs used in the trials were effective in reducing children's fighting and bullying, the investigators report in the August issue of Archives of Pediatric and Adolescent Medicine. They were also effective in reducing the schools' or agencies' actions--detentions, suspensions, etc.--in response to the children's aggressive behaviors.

The programs were more effective in reducing detentions, suspensions and other school actions in secondary schools than in primary schools, but were similarly effective in reducing aggressive behavior in primary and secondary schools, the investigators report.

Also, children benefited both from programs that taught conflict resolution, anger control and other related skills and from programs that taught relationship skills, the report indicates.

Most of the violence prevention programs were geared toward boys, but programs appeared to work best when targeted toward both boys and girls, study findings indicate.

SOURCE: Archives of Pediatric and Adolescent Medicine 2002;156:752-762.

http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/nm/20020806/hl_nm/schools_violence_dc_1

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There are 3 messages in this issue.

Topics in this digest:

1. GLOBAL - 16 DAYS OF ACTIVISM AGAINST GENDER VIOLENCE

From: "Susan Marais-Steinman" <tamnun@global.co.za>

2. Reuters - School Anti-Violence Programs Found Successful

From: "Frederic Caufrier" <fcaufrier@hotmail.com>

3. AP - Japanese students skip school in record numbers in 2001

From: "Frederic Caufrier" <fcaufrier@hotmail.com>

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Message: 1

Date: Thu, 22 Aug 2002 08:32:11 +0200

From: "Susan Marias-Steinman" <tamnun@global.co.za>

Subject: GLOBAL - 16 DAYS OF ACTIVISM AGAINST GENDER VIOLENCE

The activists in this group should consider participating this global initiative and also take it to the workplace. Women are more likely victims of physical violence in the workplace and this forum provides an opportunity to focus on workplace violence and women.

16 DAYS OF ACTIVISM AGAINST GENDER VIOLENCE

November 25 - December 10

What is the 16 Days of Activism Against Gender Violence Campaign? The annual 16 Days of Activism Against Gender Violence Campaign (November 25 to December 10) has been an organizing strategy by individuals and groups from around the world to call for the elimination of all forms of violence against women. Growing out of the Global Center's first Women's Global Leadership Institute in 1991, the Campaign links violence against women and human rights, emphasizing that all forms of violence, whether perpetrated in the public or private sphere, are a violation of human rights. The dates that participants chose for the Campaign symbolically make this link: November 25 marks the International Day Against Violence Against Women and December 10 is International Human Rights Day. The 16-day period also highlights other significant dates including December 1, which is World AIDS Day, and December 6 which marks the anniversary of the Montreal Massacre.

For the past eleven years, over 1, 000 individuals and organizations from over 100 countries have sponsored activities in their communities during the 16 Days of Activism Against Gender Violence, November 25 - December 10, to raise awareness about all forms of violence against women. The 16 Days of Activism Against Gender Violence has become an annual event in many towns, states and regions. Activists have used this 16-day period to create a solidarity movement that raises awareness around gender-based violence as a human rights abuse. The movement works to ensure better protection for survivors of violence and calls for the elimination of all forms of violence against women.

16 DAYS OF ACTIVISM AGAINST GENDER VIOLENCE

CREATING A CULTURE THAT SAYS NO TO VIOLENCE AGAINST WOMEN

November 25 - December 10, 2002

Many of the organizations that have been involved in previous 16 Days campaigns, have suggested that this year's campaign activities explore the intersection of culture and violence against women. In all regions of the world, culture has been used by individuals and institutions to support beliefs, norms, practices and institutions that legitimize and perpetuate violence against women. Although culture is still not an easy word to

define; we can begin by understanding that culture relates to shared patterns such as values, attitudes, beliefs, rituals, goals and behaviors. These patterns can be seen in all societies; members of communities can share similar cultural practices, times of war can invoke certain attitudes and practices etc. However, it is important to remember that culture is not static; it is always changing. There are creative ways to challenge the cultural patterns in communities, cities and nations. For example, many cultures offer examples of how violent acts targeted at women have been changed. No culture is immune to historical and political change.

During this year's campaign, advocates are encouraged to discuss and strategize around the link between culture and all forms of violence against women: violence that women experience in their homes, in their communities, by the state, by non-state actors, during times of war and during times of peace. It is important that we continue to critically explore and challenge the history and construction of claims that use culture as a justification for violence against women. We must also examine who has constructed or is constructing the cultural beliefs that legitimize violence against women and whose interests are served by these claims. We should question whose cultural views and values are being privileged and why.

The organizing strategies employed by groups during the Campaign vary and reflect the region and its current political situation. We encourage activists to use this 16 day period to raise awareness in student, local, national and regional communities by coordinating events such as tribunals, workshops, festivals, etc. By the beginning of September 2002, the Center for Women's Global Leadership will have compiled a list of suggested activities for this year's campaign (available on-line or by contacting the Center for Women's Global Leadership - see reverse side for contact information). If you have suggestions you would like to share, please send them to us as soon as possible. The International Calendar of Activities from all previous Campaigns can be found on-line at http://www.cwgl.rutgers.edu and is illustrative of the various organizing strategies that groups have used in the past.

Join the 16 Days electronic discussion!

We invite you to join a new recently launched 16 Days of Activism against Gender Violence electronic discussion taking place in the form of a listserve. The discussion will allow activists to collaboratively develop themes and strategies for the annual 16 Days of Activism against Gender Violence Campaign. In addition, we can use it to discuss how groups are raising awareness about gender-based violence as a human rights issue at the local, national, regional and international levels, to uncover and learn from the ways in which activists have strengthened local work around violence against women, to continually resurface the link between local and international work to end violence against women, to share and develop new and effective strategies, to show the solidarity of women around the world organizing against violence against women, and to help develop further tools to pressure governments to implement promises made to eliminate violence against women.

If you are interested in joining the discussion or if you have any questions, please contact Lisa M. Clarke at the Center for Women's Global Leadership at lmclarke@rci.rutgers.edu.

Join the 16 Days movement!

Become part of an already existing student, community, national or international activity for the 16 Days or take actions on your own. Submit your planned activity to us for posting to the International Calendar of Campaign Activities and become part of the growing global movement organizing during this time. Your submissions will also enable the Center to refer other individuals/ organizations that are interested in your activities to you. Please send a description of planned activities for the 16 Days of Activism Against Gender Violence to:

Lisa M. Clarke, 16 Days Campaign Coordinator, Center for Women's Global Leadership,160 Ryders Lane, Rutgers University, New Brunswick, NJ 08901-8555, USA. Fax: (1-732) 932-1180. E-mail: lmclarke@rci.rutgers.edu

Submit your materials!

Participants in the 16 Days of Activism Against Gender Violence Campaign have been instrumental in bringing issues of violence against women to the forefront in local, national, regional and global arenas. The strategies employed by groups and activities organized during the Campaign period continue to be unique and innovative. The Center asks that all participants of the 16 Days Campaign - past as well as present participants - send documentation from their events i.e. posters, pictures, t-shirts, video footage, poems, songs, statements, reports, etc. to the Center (see contact information below). If you have photographs, documents, examples of your work that you can send in an electronic version, please do so and we will post it on the website.

Get Involved - On-line!

The Center will post all information about the Campaign online at http://www.cwgl.rutgers.edu

Take Action Kit

Contact the Center for Women's Global Leadership to receive a free copy of the Take Action Kit for the 16 Days Campaign. The action kit includes:

- a campaign profile

- a description of dates

- a list of participating organizations and countries

- a bibliography and resource list

- a list of suggested activities

- a current Campaign announcement

Center for Women's Global Leadership,160 Ryders Lane, Rutgers University, New Brunswick, NJ 08901-8555, USA. Fax: (1-732) 932-1180. E-mail: lmclarke@rci.rutgers.edu

Lisa M. Clarke

Center for Women's Global Leadership

Douglass College

Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey

160 Ryders Lane

New Brunswick, NJ 08901-8555 USA

Tel: (1-732)932-8782, x652

Fax: (1-732)932-1180

E-mail: lmclarke@rci.rutgers.edu

Website: http://www.cwgl.rutgers.edu

[This message contained attachments]

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Message: 2

Date: Thu, 22 Aug 2002 07:27:34 +0000

From: "Frederick Caufrier" <fcaufrier@hotmail.com>

Subject: Reuters - School Anti-Violence Programs Found Successful

School Anti-Violence Programs Found Successful

Tue Aug 6, 5:22 PM ET

NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - School-based programs that teach conflict resolution, anger control or social skills appear to lessen students' aggressive behavior, new study findings show.

Also, children benefited both from programs that taught conflict resolution, anger control and other related skills and from programs that taught relationship skills, the report indicates.

Most of the violence prevention programs were geared toward boys, but programs appeared to work best when targeted toward both boys and girls, study findings indicate.

SOURCE: Archives of Pediatric and Adolescent Medicine 2002;156:752-762.

http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/nm/20020806/hl_nm/schools_violence_dc_1

Send and receive Hotmail on your mobile device: http://mobile.msn.com

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Message: 3

Date: Thu, 22 Aug 2002 07:30:25 +0000

From: "Frederic Caufrier" <fcaufrier@hotmail.com>

Subject: AP - Japanese students skip school in record numbers in 2001

Japanese students skip school in record numbers in 2001

Sat Aug 10, 6:28 AM ET

By MARI YAMAGUCHI, Associated Press Writer

TOKYO - After decades of boasting the world's most studious youngsters, Japan's schools reported a record number of truants last year, according to a survey that spotlights the problems of exam stress and peer pressure.

About 139,000 Japanese elementary and junior high school students refused to attend classes for 30 straight days or longer in the academic year ending March 31, up 3.3 percent from the previous record high in 2000 and more than double the number a decade ago, said the survey released Saturday by the Education Ministry.

Many of the truant students said they were stressed out by exams or had problems getting along with classmates.

While Japan's schools have earned international praise for attaining near 100 percent literacy, children are under extreme pressure to conform and do well in a system based on strict rules, rote learning and intense competition to pass university entrance exams.

Dismayed by the trend, the government plans to set up a special committee to find ways to tackle truancy, the financial daily Nihon Keizai newspaper reported.

The survey also drew attention to another alarming development: the number of children enrolled in Japan's schools sank to a record low, reflecting the country's falling birth rate.

Last year, about 7.2 million children attended elementary schools across the country, and some 3.9 million were at the nation's junior high schools — the fewest since the government began keeping track in 1948. Elementary and junior high school attendance is mandatory.

Japanese schools are trying various initiatives to keep kids in school, including hiring unprecedented numbers of counselors. Some are giving students credit for hours spent with private tutors. There are also hopes that a five-day school week — adopted nationwide this year for the first time since the modern educational system was established a century ago — will help.

But critics say more drastic reforms are needed. They argue some children can't survive the pitfalls of a system that include constant bullying from classmates or physical abuse from teachers. Others wither under the intensely competitive environment, or can't handle the prodding from parents to score high on tests and get into a top college.

"Counselors waiting around at school are useless," said an editorial in the mass-circulation Mainichi newspaper. "They should visit truants at home. They should reach out."

Analysts say the actual number of truants is probably higher than reported because the survey doesn't include students who attend school but end up spending class hours at the nurse's office — where victims of bullying often go in Japan.

About a third of the truants said they felt uneasy or unmotivated at school, while about a fifth blamed stress from bullying and other problems with classmates. Ten percent of truant junior high students cited the pressure to do well, the survey said.

http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/ap/20020810/ap_wo_en_po/japan_truancy_1

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