BEFORE THE TRIGGER

BEFORE THE TRIGGER-A SERIES OF DOCUMENTARIES EXAMINING SOME OF THE CAUSES OF YOUTH VIOLENCE

LOSS OF YOUNG LIVES CONTINUE

IN ORDER TO FIND A SOLUTION YOU MUST KNOW AND ADDRESS THE PROBLEM. IN ORDER TO ARRIVE AT A SOLUTION THOSE WHO ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR THE PROBLEM MUST FIRST OWN UP TO ACCOUNTABILITY, ADMIT THEIR MISTAKES AND ATTEMPT TO ARRIVE AT A SOLUTION. SO FAR, NO ONE IS DOING THIS. THERE ARE THOSE WHO CAN HELP START THE IMPETUS FOR CHANGE--WHO ARE EERILY SILENT! THIS IS A MULTI-LEVEL PROBLEM WITH A PLETHORA OF CAUSES. WE MUST ALL BE PREPARED TO TRY AND FIND SOLUTIONS. OUR YOUTHS ARE DYING. IT IS OUR RESPONSIBILITY AS ADULTS IN THIS SOCIETY TO RISE TO A CALL FOR ACTION! STAND UP! STEP UP AND RE-BUILD OUR COMMUNITIES! OUR YOUTHS ARE DYING. THEY ARE OUR FUTURE.

GUN CONTROL THE ANSWER?

George Bush, as a result of another student massacre at an Illinois University signed off on the first major federal gun control measure in more than 13 years. This is an interesting article from ABC News tackling the controversy of gun control vs. students right to carry weapons on campus.

TRAILER FOR BEFORE THE TRIGGER

Chicago Police to use M4 carbines

http://abclocal.go.com/wls/story?section=news/local&id=6105848&status=ok

TEEN TRUTH:LIVE ON ABC NEWS

BEFORE THE TRIGGER(excerpt)

IN HONOR OF SLAIN STUDENTS

Deadly Lessons

One week ago a local television station CLTV presented the second installment of an award winning documentary Deadly Lessons, exploring the problem of school violence. Over 24 CPS students have been lost due to violence in the current school year. Host Gaynor Hall did a weeklong series of interviews of Chicago youths, parents of slain CPS students, Chicago Public Schools CEO Arne Duncan, community activists and public officials that were both riveting and informative. This series is a must see as we delve into this devastating crisis within our community.

weblogs.cltv.com/news/local/chicago/deadly_lessons/

Where Do We Start?

There are many paths we can take to begin to find solutions. This video by Tung Pham, a young videographer from Listen Up!Youth Media Network exemplifies one positive and proactive action.
It's a start!

http://www.archive.org/details/GunViolence120050423042939

Children, School and Inequality

This link is to a very informative video about the effects of socio-economic disadvantages of children in disadvantaged economic areas.

http://www.archive.org/details/openmind_ep398

Facts and Stats

According to The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention:

Youth Violence: Fact Sheet

Occurrence

Youth violence is an important public health problem that results in deaths and injuries. The following statistics provide an overview of youth violence in the United States.

* In 2003, 5,570 young people ages 10 to 24 were murdered—an average of 15 each day. Of these victims, 82% were killed with firearms (CDC 2006).
* Although high-profile school shootings have increased public concern for student safety, school-associated violent deaths account for less than 1% of homicides among school-aged children and youth (Anderson et al. 2001).
* In 2004, more than 750,000 young people ages 10 to 24 were treated in emergency departments for injuries sustained due to violence (CDC 2006).
* In a nationwide survey of high school students (CDC 2004):
33% reported being in a physical fight one or more times in the 12 months preceding the survey.
17% reported carrying a weapon (e.g., gun, knife, or club) on one or more of the 30 days preceding the survey.
* An estimated 30% of 6th to 10th graders in the United States were involved in bullying as a bully, a target of bullying, or both (Nansel et al. 2001).

CDC Fact Sheets

Contributing Factors to Youth Violence

Many factors contribute to school violence including socio-economic issues, lack of parental involvement in the lives of their children, media influences, and the willingness of the community to look the other way. This serves as a mirror to all of us, not allowing us to place the blame on anyone else, but to show how our apathy fuels the fire.

There have been 24 reported deaths of Chicago Public School students this school year alone. Students in the recent march against gun violence in Chicago admitted that they are afraid to go to school because they feel they may lose their lives next. The Chicago Police Department escorted the students from Crane High School to and from the bus stops after a student was gunned down in front of the school. This was admirable of the CPD, but our goal is to explore some of the core issues that lead to violence before another student pulls the trigger.