Juvenile Justice Information Exchange (https://jjie.org/tag/georgia/page/45/)
According to a report by the National Center for Education Statistics 5.9% of all high school students, nationwide, have carried a knife, gun or club onto campus. Of the students who brought weapons to school, 9% were boys and nearly 3% were girls. The 2009 report breaks down the data even more:
7.3% of students who brought weapons to school were Hispanic
6% of students were black
5.3% of students were white
Craigslist has deactivated its controversial adult services section, under pressure from attorneys general in 17 states. The giant online ad service has been hammered for posting ads that sell underage girls for prostitution. The San Francisco Chronicle is reporting that erotic services links are covered with the word “censored” for locations inside the U.S., but still active outside the U.S.
The Attorneys General sent a scathing letter to Craigslist CEO Jim Buckmaster and founder Craig Newmark. Here’s an excerpt:
The increasingly sharp public criticism of Craigslist’s Adult Services section reflects a growing recognition that ads for prostitution -- including ads trafficking children -- are rampant on it. In our view, the company should take immediate action to end the misery for the women and children who may be exploited and victimized by these ads.
Research funded by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation found that street outreach workers can be an effective strategy to reach and engage youth with the goal of violence prevention and intervention. Street workers are typically members of the community who intervene to prevent conflict and retaliation, and in some programs, also connect individuals with needed services, such as housing and job training. The study evaluated the program run by the United Teen Equality Center in Lowell, Mass., a city of 105,167 residents north of Boston. This program used a process of peacemaking, which typically involves engaging gang leaders in conflict mediation, convening peace circles, participating in peace summits, and organizing a peace council. The results are published in the Fall 2010 issue of Progress in Community Health Partnerships: Research, Education, and Action. For more information about the study click here
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Normer Adams is Executive Director of the Georgia Association of Homes and Services for Children and a writer, speaker and consultant on family and social issues such as advocacy, lobbying, and child welfare policy. Learn more at www.gahsc.org/
By Chandra R. Thomas
Department of Juvenile Justice School System leaders are recovering from a major disappointment, but also celebrating other victories while working toward maintaining the system’s academic standing. First the bad news: The school system did not get any of the Race To The Top grant money received by 26 other school systems in the state. Last month Governor Sonny Perdue announced that Georgia was selected as a winner by the U.S. Department of Education for the second round of the grants. Georgia is projected to receive $400 million over four years to implement its plan to create conditions for education innovation and reform. The fund is a $4 billion grant opportunity provided in the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 to support new approaches to improve schools.
Juvenile drug court is a successful alternative for youth with alcohol and drug problems, according to the U.S. Office of Justice Programs (OJP). A child placed in the juvenile drug court docket meets weekly with a team of professionals to find the best ways to handle his or her problems.
The OJP’s Bureau of Justice Assistance has teamed up with the National Association of Drug Court Professionals to create the new online National Drug Court Resource Center. The Center provides a network of support and information to give understanding to those who are involved or interested in drug courts. At the Resource Center you’ll find training opportunities, research statistics and ways to get funding. You’ll soon be able to follow blogs and chat live with others who also care about this topic.
The DeKalb County District Attorney Gwen Keyes Fleming resigned Wednesday. President Obama has appointed her to the post of the regional administrator for the Environmental Protection Agency. As District Attorney, Fleming managed 13,000 cases a year and oversaw 165 employees. She will now oversee eight states, including Georgia, and six tribal nations, according to the AJC. It’s up to Governor Purdue to appoint a replacement.
The national debate about kids who are convicted of sex offenses is under the microscope in St. Louis. Is it the public’s right to know who these kids are and does it justify the impact on a young person’s life for years to come? As a juvenile, Michael Church was convicted of a sex crime. Now at age 22, Church is in jail again, accused of trying to lure two girls to his home, according to KMOV-TV.
Here’s a new way to teach kids about the juvenile court system from the Center for Urban Pedagogy: It’s a comic strip called I Got Arrested! Now What? This is a fold out poster/comic that was developed for kids in New York. The comic follows one teen through his experience in the system and was developed by The Center for Urban Pedagogy in collaboration with the Center for Court Innovation and the Youth Justice Board. The comic was drawn by graphic novelist Danica Novgorodoff and can be downloaded as a PDF or purchased through PayPal.
Sex, drugs and alcohol are hot topics for some teenagers. So hot, they’ve got a special shorthand text language that leaves adults clueless. Check this out:
IWS = I want sex
Cu46 = See you for sex
a-boot = Under the influence of drugs
WTG 4 a \%/ = Want to go for a drink? No 420? Wiyp? = No weed? What is your problem?
There's a new campaign that focuses on empowering gay students and their supporters to report incidents of bullying, harassment or discrimination to the Office for Civil Rights at the U.S. Education Department. The group called PFLAG (Parents, Families and Friends of Lesbians and Gays) has partnered with the Gay, Lesbian and Straight Education Network to launch the Claim Your Rights campaign, which reveals some surprising facts:
Approximately 85 percent of high school students report being harassed in school because of their real or perceived sexual orientation. Only 18 percent of LGBT students report that their schools have policies offering comprehensive protections. The campaign provides detailed information on how to file a report as well as an easy to print fact sheet. To further check out the campaign, click here.