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http://www.townhall.com/columnists/kathleenparker/kp20010404.shtml

Kathleen Parker=20


April 4, 2001

Children's anger lies at root gun problem

Certain statistics grab you by the throat and leave you breathless, such =
as this one released Monday: One in five high school boys brought a =
weapon to school last year.=20

If true, you don't wonder that the occasional student takes a bullet. =
You wonder why there aren't more casualties. With that kind of heat =
packed in pockets and backpacks, you have to figure any given hour at =
any given school holds the potential for a Sam Peckinpah revival.=20

The statistics were provided by the California-based Josephson Institute =
of Ethics and are based on a 2000 national survey of some 15,000 =
teen-agers. The written questionnaires were administered among students =
at randomly selected middle and high schools around the country. The =
margin of error is plus or minus 3 percent. Other findings were equally =
disturbing:=20

- One in three high school students say they are afraid at school;=20

- Twenty-seven percent of middle schoolers and 31 percent of high =
schoolers say they think it's OK to hit or threaten a person; 70 percent =
have hit someone at least once in the past year.=20

While it is probably irrational to be afraid at school - schools are =
still statistically safer than any other place children gather - it is =
entirely reasonable to say that the rising generation of young Americans =
has a little anger problem.=20

As Michael Josephson, president and founder of the institute put it: =
"When one in three children feels unsafe at school, we think that's =
unacceptable. Something is deeply wrong."=20

One could argue that children would feel safer if we didn't harp on =
statistics like the ones I've just regurgitated, and one would be partly =
right. The media frenzy that follows every teen toter's bully-revenge is =
almost a party invitation to the next slinger.=20

But one could also argue correctly that fear is not entirely misplaced =
if, indeed, 21 percent of high school males are carrying a gun or a =
blade. The survey didn't specifically ask students to define "weapon," =
but conventional wisdom is that a weapon is a gun or knife, according to =
one of the researchers.=20

Which weapon, though relevant to those whose palms begin to sweat at =
mention of guns, is relatively irrelevant to Josephson, who sees guns as =
instruments of a more serious malady. "This isn't about guns," he says. =
"This is about kids and character and the culture of violence."=20

Not surprising words from the creator of the Character Counts! =
Coalition, a partnership of schools and other organizations that try to =
teach children to be more responsible through character-building =
curricula. Yet, even Josephson admits, the survey doesn't tell the whole =
story.=20

We don't know precisely what weapons kids are taking to schools, whether =
in fact they are guns and knives or nail clippers and butter spreaders. =
Nor do we know which kids are carrying weapons. The institute didn't ask =
questions about race or family background because schools are reluctant =
to ask personal questions.=20

Are we talking about kids from intact or broken families? Are we talking =
about children from homes where they're abused and neglected, or where =
they're coddled and overindulged. It probably doesn't matter, says =
Josephson. "Happy" little yuppie children, from prosperous, dual-parent =
families are as likely as anyone to suffer from advanced =
"self-esteemia," the narcissistic notion that life (and death) flow =
through oneself even at the expense of other lesser lives. What does =
matter is that we have a generation of children who don't know how to =
handle simple obstacles (bullies) or inevitable failures (rejection), =
and who, owing to their culture of violence, delusions of self-grandeur =
and habit of instant gratification, are comfortable resorting to the =
quickest remedy.=20

So, no, guns aren't the problem. A March 1994 Department of Justice =
study ("Urban Delinquency And Substance Abuse") shows, in fact, that =
boys raised with legally owned guns are less likely to be delinquent and =
to resort to violence. But anger, and our failure to teach self-control, =
is a huge problem. Which alone is sufficient cause for fear.=20




=A92001 Tribune Media Services




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<DIV><FONT size=3D2><A=20
href=3D"http://www.townhall.com/columnists/kathleenparker/kp20010404.shtm=
l">http://www.townhall.com/columnists/kathleenparker/kp20010404.shtml</A>=
</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=3D2></FONT>&nbsp;</DIV>
<DIV>
<P><FONT face=3D"Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size=3D4>Kathleen Parker=20
</FONT><BR></P>
<P><FONT face=3D"Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">April 4, 2001</FONT></P>
<P><FONT size=3D5>Children's anger lies at root gun problem</FONT></P>
<P><FONT face=3D"Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">Certain statistics grab =
you by the=20
throat and leave you breathless, such as this one released Monday: One =
in five=20
high school boys brought a weapon to school last year.=20
<P>If true, you don't wonder that the occasional student takes a bullet. =
You=20
wonder why there aren't more casualties. With that kind of heat packed =
in=20
pockets and backpacks, you have to figure any given hour at any given =
school=20
holds the potential for a Sam Peckinpah revival.=20
<P>The statistics were provided by the California-based Josephson =
Institute of=20
Ethics and are based on a 2000 national survey of some 15,000 =
teen-agers. The=20
written questionnaires were administered among students at randomly =
selected=20
middle and high schools around the country. The margin of error is plus =
or minus=20
3 percent. Other findings were equally disturbing:=20
<P>- One in three high school students say they are afraid at school;=20
<P>- Twenty-seven percent of middle schoolers and 31 percent of high =
schoolers=20
say they think it's OK to hit or threaten a person; 70 percent have hit =
someone=20
at least once in the past year.=20
<P>While it is probably irrational to be afraid at school - schools are =
still=20
statistically safer than any other place children gather - it is =
entirely=20
reasonable to say that the rising generation of young Americans has a =
little=20
anger problem.=20
<P>As Michael Josephson, president and founder of the institute put it: =
"When=20
one in three children feels unsafe at school, we think that's =
unacceptable.=20
Something is deeply wrong."=20
<P>One could argue that children would feel safer if we didn't harp on=20
statistics like the ones I've just regurgitated, and one would be partly =
right.=20
The media frenzy that follows every teen toter's bully-revenge is almost =
a party=20
invitation to the next slinger.=20
<P>But one could also argue correctly that fear is not entirely =
misplaced if,=20
indeed, 21 percent of high school males are carrying a gun or a blade. =
The=20
survey didn't specifically ask students to define "weapon," but =
conventional=20
wisdom is that a weapon is a gun or knife, according to one of the =
researchers.=20
<P>Which weapon, though relevant to those whose palms begin to sweat at =
mention=20
of guns, is relatively irrelevant to Josephson, who sees guns as =
instruments of=20
a more serious malady. "This isn't about guns," he says. "This is about =
kids and=20
character and the culture of violence."=20
<P>Not surprising words from the creator of the Character Counts! =
Coalition, a=20
partnership of schools and other organizations that try to teach =
children to be=20
more responsible through character-building curricula. Yet, even =
Josephson=20
admits, the survey doesn't tell the whole story.=20
<P>We don't know precisely what weapons kids are taking to schools, =
whether in=20
fact they are guns and knives or nail clippers and butter spreaders. Nor =
do we=20
know which kids are carrying weapons. The institute didn't ask questions =
about=20
race or family background because schools are reluctant to ask personal=20
questions.=20
<P>Are we talking about kids from intact or broken families? Are we =
talking=20
about children from homes where they're abused and neglected, or where =
they're=20
coddled and overindulged. It probably doesn't matter, says Josephson. =
"Happy"=20
little yuppie children, from prosperous, dual-parent families are as =
likely as=20
anyone to suffer from advanced "self-esteemia," the narcissistic notion =
that=20
life (and death) flow through oneself even at the expense of other =
lesser lives.=20
What does matter is that we have a generation of children who don't know =
how to=20
handle simple obstacles (bullies) or inevitable failures (rejection), =
and who,=20
owing to their culture of violence, delusions of self-grandeur and habit =
of=20
instant gratification, are comfortable resorting to the quickest remedy. =

<P>So, no, guns aren't the problem. A March 1994 Department of Justice =
study=20
("Urban Delinquency And Substance Abuse") shows, in fact, that boys =
raised with=20
legally owned guns are less likely to be delinquent and to resort to =
violence.=20
But anger, and our failure to teach self-control, is a huge problem. =
Which alone=20
is sufficient cause for fear.=20
<P></FONT></P>
<P><I></I></FONT></P>
<P></P>
<P><FONT face=3D"Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">=A92001 Tribune Media=20
Services</FONT></P>
<P>&nbsp;</P></DIV></BODY></HTML>

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