Peer Pressure Leading Kids to Commit Cyber-bullying and Other Online Crimes

By |

Peer pressure doesn’t end when kids are alone in front of a computer, new research shows, and it’s leading kids to commit cyber-crimes such as cyber-bullying and music piracy. The study, published online in the American Journal of Criminal Justice, found kids in middle and high school whose friends committed cyber-crimes were more likely to engage in the same illegal activities, especially if they also exhibit a lack of self-control. “These are the more risk-taking, impulsive kids; they’re more likely to act on opportunity,” study co-author Thomas Holt, Ph.D., assistant professor of criminal justice at Michigan State University, told PsychCentral.com.  “It’s important to know what your kids are doing when they’re online and who they are associating with both online and offline.”

Researchers surveyed 435 students in one suburban Kentucky school district.  Cyber-crime also includes activities such as hacking and viewing online pornography (which is illegal if the viewer is under 18).  

 

50 Cent Aims to Help Kids with New Anti-bullying Book

By |

Gangsta rapper 50 Cent is best known for being “In Da Club” but his new young adult novel takes him to an unlikely place: the playground.  The semi-autobiographical book, titled “Playground,” explores what happens when a 13-year-old bully must face the consequences of his actions. The novel arrives in the midst of a growing debate about the dangers of bullying in an age where, thanks to social websites such as Facebook, kids often can’t escape the abuse. Drawing on his own experiences as a teenage bully, 50 Cent hopes the novel will  “have a positive influence on all teenagers,” according to a statement released this week.  A similar book would have been helpful to him growing up, he said. The novel will be published in January by Razorbill Books and follows two previous books by 50 Cent—the 2005 memoir about his days as a crack dealer, “From Pieces of Weight,” and the 2008 follow-up, “The 50th Law.”

 

Suicide: A Preventable Epidemic in Young Adults

By |

Teenagers and college students live in tumultuous times. Physical changes, high school graduation, going off to college, moving away from the parents — all of these things can cause personality and mood changes in young adults. So how does one know the difference between “normal” bouts of depression, sadness and erratic behavior, and what could potentially be a red flag for suicidal tendencies? Every 15 minutes (about the amount of time that it takes to down a cup of coffee) one person will commit suicide, according to The American Foundation for Suicide Prevention. Many of these deaths could have been prevented by intervention from those close to the victims, but often the warning signs were ignored because the subject is awkward, according to Mary Ann Camann, PhD, an associate professor at the WellStar School of Nursing at Kennesaw State University near Atlanta.

Conference Searches for Solutions to Stop Underage Drinking

By |

KENNESAW, Ga. – Convening policy-makers, law enforcement officials and representatives from the courts, The Cobb Alcohol Task Force on Monday hosted a conference to develop plans to reduce underage drinking. The daylong Justice System Response to Underage Drinking: Roadmap for Improvement held at Kennesaw State University in Kennesaw, Georgia, brought the “significant players to the table,” according to Alisa Bennett-Hart, Cobb Alcohol Taskforce’s public relations specialist. “Sometimes we have to get everybody together to listen to what they have to say,” Bennet-Hart said.  “This [conference] is us listening.”

The morning began with presentations and an hour-long roundtable panel discussion by a mixture of experts from law enforcement, the courts and advocates. After lunch, participants split into smaller breakout sessions where they could discuss potential strategies.  Each session included a mixture of law enforcement, judicial representatives and policy makers.

Justice Hines: Single-Parent Households Wreaking Havoc On Georgia Children, Contributing To Criminal Behavior

By |

Georgia State Supreme Court Justice Harris Hines is sharing some provocative views about the troubled state of Georgia’s children. During an address earlier this month to a joint meeting of the Covington (Ga.) Kiwanis and Covington Rotary Clubs, Justice Hines proclaimed that children born to unwed mothers is the single most serious problem faced in the state in regards to children. The impact, he says, trickles down into the juvenile justice and criminal justice systems. Justice Hines shared his perspective with JJIE.org’s Chandra R. Thomas. JJIE: What initially inspired your comments? Justice Hines: Alcovy [Ga.] Judicial District Court Judge Ken Wynne, a former district attorney, invited me to speak to the joint meeting.

The Ambassadors’ Deep Bench, The Mothers Behind a Winning Team

By |

Stacey Strozier found her son lying in the street in a pool of blood. Sonya King prayed her baby wouldn’t get caught up with the wrong crowd. And Felecia Calhoun’s worried her son was a cocky kid who thought an education wasn’t all that important. The mothers of the L.E.A.D. Ambassadors -- an Atlanta inner-city baseball team that thrives of civic-minded goodness and specializes in sending its players to colleges on scholarships -- all have a story to tell. Having a story of adversity to tell is essentially a prerequisite of Ambassador founders, C.J. and Kelley Stewart.

Attorney Andrew Agatston on Bullying Laws in GA

By |

Bullying has forever been a fact of life for school kids, but the advent of social media and the Internet has extended the reach of bullies into the victim’s homes.  Attorney Andre Agatston of Marietta, Ga., wants to raise awareness of cyberbullying and give parents and kids the tools to stop the harassment.  Agatston is a former member of the Executive Board of the Children’s Advocacy Centers of Georgia and currently serves on their Advisory Board.  His practice has a special focus on children’s advocacy issues and victim’s rights.  

Teens Face More Consequences from Sexting than Congressmen Do

By |

U.S. Rep. Anthony Weiner may not have broken any laws by texting lewd photos of himself to younger women he didn’t know. In many states, however, teens who send pictures of themselves to their own girlfriends or boyfriends can be prosecuted for child pornography. Allyson Pereira calls that hypocrisy. She should know. She’s spent six years dealing with the consequences of “sexting” one topless image of herself to an ex-boyfriend.

A joint. JJIE file photo. Ryan Schill / JJIE.org

20/20 Finds the Source of Fake Pot and it’s Not Local

By |

Packages of synthetic marijuana are one place you won’t find a “Made in China” sticker.  But in a report airing tonight, ABC’s 20/20 discovered that the pouches of dried leaves and herbs—sold as incense—probably should. The “incense” gets its punch from a variety of synthetic cannabinoids sprayed onto the dried plant matter and ABC’s investigation traced the source of the chemical back to suppliers in China. A few weeks ago we reported on the dangers of smoking products such as “K4” and “Spice Gold.”  In most states they are completely legal and sold in convenience stores and smoking shops.  Because they are marked “Not for human consumption,” the FDA does not regulate them and no ID is required to purchase them.  You don’t have to be 18 years old to buy a pack of fake pot. For the full story, go read our report, “The Straight Dope on Fake Dope.”

 

Atlanta Warns Parents About Their Kids’ Summer Curfew Violations

By |

If it’s 11 p.m. on a weekday and you live in the city of Atlanta, you’d better know where your children are. In an effort to keep kids safe over the long, hot summer, Mayor Kasim Reed and other city officials announced Tuesday that they plan to enforce the city’s long ignored curfew law. The curfew law requires children 16 or younger to be at home and supervised by a parent, legal guardian or authorized adult from 11 p.m. to 6 a.m. Sunday through Thursday, and from midnight to 6 a.m. on Fridays and Saturdays. But the big change from previous enforcement threats came in the form of punishment threats  —  for parents. The first violation will result in a warning, city officials announced.