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Youth 411: Youth in the NewsVolume 2, Number 4, February 16-28, 2007 Contents STATE WATCH
RESEARCH
GOVERNMENT
ARTICLES MARYLAND County officials are preparing to launch a new outreach effort aimed at curbing a growing gang presence by connecting with gang-involved youth where they hang out — the streets. Three people will comprise the Street Outreach Network expected to launch as early as next month, said Kate Garvey, chief of Children, Youth and Family Services in the department of Health and Human Services, which will oversee the unit. ‘‘We learned that we really have a need to have people out really connecting with gang-involved youth,” she said Friday. ‘‘We have a lot of good prevention programs, but we want to have people who the youths know and trust and also that schools and other programs can make referrals to.” Youngsters in grades five through eight are prime targets for gang recruitment, according to a Jan. 29 memo from Montgomery County State’s Attorney John J. McCarthy to the County Council’s Public Safety Committee. The new outreach workers will focus initially on the upcounty communities of Germantown, Gaithersburg, Montgomery Village, Clarksburg and Damascus, along with Wheaton and Potomac’s Scotland neighborhood, Garvey said. ‘‘We feel like we need to be paying close attention to things that are happening upcounty,” Garvey said. ‘‘I will admit it is a challenge because the county is so large, but we will have them in key areas.” The network will respond to areas based on feedback from police, schools and nonprofit groups that work with at-risk youth, she said. The group is expected to have informal discussion groups, make home visits and meet with schools and nonprofits. ‘‘They can be both a confidant and also someone who can help them really think differently about the things they’re involved with,” Garvey said. ‘‘They will challenge them to see what their potential is.” The outreach network is the latest addition to the county’s Gang Prevention Initiative and was allotted $260,000 in funding in the county’s fiscal year 2007 budget. Garvey said more than 40 applications for the three outreach positions have been received, adding that she expects the network staff will eventually increase. The new initiative comes as McCarthy is seeking two new prosecutors to increase the number of and expand the type of gang-related crime his office prosecutes. Currently, the county State’s Attorney’s Office has one gang prosecutor who handles 75 to 100 gang-related cases each year, according McCarthy’s memo. The cases are limited to violent felonies, he said. According to the memo, McCarthy needs more prosecutors to handle a projected 30 percent increase in violent gang-related felonies. That projection comes on the heels of a reported 36 percent increase in gang-related crime overall in 2006, according to the memo. McCarthy also said he would like to be able to prosecute gang-related misdemeanors. He did not return calls for additional comment. As of Dec. 31, county police had identified 1,027 active gang members in the county associated with local gangs or cliques of national gangs, according to McCarthy’s memo. That is an increase from November 2005 when police identified 673 gang members in 29 active gangs or cliques, the memo states. ‘‘Our ability to address this public safety issue is limited because we are able to devote only one prosecutor to handle these cases and the type of cases is limited to violent felonies,” McCarthy wrote. ‘‘... The addition of two attorneys assigned solely to prosecute all crimes committed by gang members would enhance our objectives to decrease the number of gang related crimes and gang members and strengthen our efforts to investigate, prepare and effectively and efficiently prosecute gang related cases.” Those cases would include domestic violence, thefts, weapons charges and assaults. The two prosecutors would also work with schools and community groups to share information, according to the memo. ‘‘What we’ve done ... is acknowledge that there are three prongs to dealing with this problem: prevention, intervention and suppression,” Garvey said. ‘‘If you don’t do the first two parts, you’re never going to solve the problem with just suppression.” 
CALIFORNIA A gathering of high school youth leaders stood before the San Mateo County Board of Supervisors this morning to ask for the community's help in addressing some of the most pressing problems facing youth in the county. After three years of research, the San Mateo County Youth Commission, comprised of high school students from throughout the county, issued a nearly 400-page report today. The report, based on statewide and countywide surveys of young people, describes five main areas of concern -- substance abuse, violence, sexuality, discrimination and mental health. The Youth Commission's recommendations in the 2007 Adolescent Report focused on ways to improve county, business and school services and to foster caring relationships with adults in the community. "In order for us to truly succeed, we need your help," 18-year-old Minn Oh told the Board of Supervisors. Oh, a senior at Mills High School in Millbrae and the chair of the Youth Commission, said she hopes to work with the various county departments and school superintendents to try to implement their recommendations. "I hope we can work together to make a difference, even if it's a little step at a time," she said. Oh and other members of the group called for more adult mentorship programs, greater access to mental health services in schools, substance abuse education beginning in the fourth grade, and comprehensive sex education that includes methods of contraception and not simply abstinence. The students also want more diversity in the police force and a "prevent not punish" approach; increased access to both sports and artistic activities; access to sex education services without parental consent; and job training programs. According to Anne Hipskind, manager of the Youth Development Initiative, youth need help from the adult community in order to learn how to navigate bureaucracies and be able to better access resources for programs. Hipskind asked the Board of Supervisors to consider allotting a full-time position devoted exclusively to building "youth allies." Dr. Scott Morrow of the county Health Department, which assisted the Youth Commission in their work, marveled today at the students' dedication and insight in their creation and administering of surveys, analysis of data and formulation of valuable recommendations. "It is absolutely fantastic [policy] work," Morrow said. "I am hopeful that every organization in the county will look at the policy recommendations and adopt a few within their scopes of influence," Morrow said. "The best part of the report is you didn't pull any punches," Supervisor Jerry Hill told the students. Hill recommended the Youth Commission submit periodic progress reports to the supervisors. Supervisor Rich Gordon added that the students could meet with key department heads in county government as well, in the Sheriff's Office, Probation Department, Human Services and Health Services. After the presentation, Oh said she was pleased at the positive response and though she plans on attending college later this year, she said she hopes to continue her work with the Youth Commission. The San Mateo Youth Commission's 2007 Adolescent Report is available online at http://www.smhealth.org/hppp.
CALIFORNIA At home, he was a young initiate into gang life. In prison, he confronted staff with sharp words or sullen silence. On a horse farm in Madison County, he is a 16-year-old philosopher. Which horse is most like you? Shannon Knapp, Horse Sense of the Carolinas owner, wants to know. The boy says it’s Cisco, always bucking and biting. Which horse do you want to be like? she asks. That’s one of a different color. He picks Captain, who trusted him as soon as they met. The teen and another Swannanoa Valley Youth Development Center inmate graduated Tuesday from a therapy program having learned a little bit about horses and a lot about themselves. The teens, whose identities the state keeps confidential, are the first whom Horse Sense has helped using state money awarded to the Buncombe County Gang Violence Prevention Project. As police and residents notice a surge in gang activity, a central focus of their prevention efforts is the youth prison, where many teens identify with gangs and where juveniles and employees have been assaulted. The boy showed off what he had learned in the 15-week program Tuesday by walking Captain around a fenced field with gestures, rubbing and gentle nudges with an orange stick. The teen may have learned the horses’ personalities and won their trust, program manager Rob Jacoby said, but they frightened him when he first arrived. He set one foot inside the stall where the majestic creatures live and was reluctant to go farther, even though he wouldn’t admit to being afraid. “That’s what symbolized his whole life,” said Jacoby, a former clinical supervisor at Swannanoa. “He’s got one foot in being part of the gang, and one foot being partway out.” The transformation was achieved by working with animals that counselors said give feedback to every action. Because they’re prey animals, horses are hard-wired to notice each movement, every concealed attitude. At the farm Knapp and her husband, Richard, founded in 2003, a horse is not only a horse; it’s a metaphor for life.
NEBRASKA Ben Robbins and Tyler White, both juniors at Grand Island Senior High, have been appointed to the Governor's Youth Advisory Council. The Governor's Youth Advisory Council is a group of young Nebraskans from across the state. The council addresses issues facing Nebraska's youth. The group convenes once every three months to discuss legislation and policy issues affecting young citizens. Their meetings include conversations with Gov. Dave Heineman, state senators and policy makers. The Governor's Youth Advisory Council is coordinated by Nebraska Children and Families Foundation and is funded through a grant from the State of Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services System. White and Robbins learned about the council through their participation with Youth Leadership Tomorrow. They both participated in Youth Leadership Tomorrow their sophomore year and graduated from the program in 2006. Youth Leadership Tomorrow includes a study of state government and presents ways to actively participate in the community and state. "Ben and Tyler were active participants in Youth Leadership Tomorrow and have stayed involved as alumni. They will each be a wonderful representative for our community," said Jennifer Worthington, executive director of Hall County Leadership Unlimited, Inc. Robbins is an AP honors student active in student council, band, orchestra, choir and theater. Through 4-H, he was a delegate for two years to the Unicameral Youth Conference, and a member of the Nebraska Technology Team. He mentors through Big Brothers Big Sisters, is active in the Evangelical Free Youth Group, and volunteers for the St. Francis Medical Center neurology services. Robbins is a graduate of Youth Leadership Tomorrow and is involved in developing local opportunities for youth through the Grand Island Community Youth Council. In addition to the Governor's Youth Council and Youth Leadership Tomorrow, White is active in Big Brothers Big Sisters as a youth mentor. Music is also an important part of his life as a member of the Grand Island Senior High concert band, jazz band and marching band. This is his third year on the shooting team as a returning letterman. At the end of the school year he will have earned nine college credit hours while maintaining a 4.0 grade point average. Upon graduation, he plans to major in pre-medicine. As a volunteer, White has been part of the Duck Derby, ALS Walk and has served as a summer camp counselor for Christo Cordero De Dios Church.
WYOMING The Cody After School Activities Program (ASAP) recently earned national recognition when its leaders presented the program at a conference. Led by Julie Brown with the assistance of Charity Baker and Amy Tripe, the three presented at the Beyond School Hours Conference in Greensboro, N.C., on Feb. 7-10. “It was a great opportunity for national exposure,” Tripe said. “We had a great deal of positive feedback.” They gave their conference presentation twice to about 120 people representing various after school programs. About 1,400 people attended the conference from across the country to learn about the latest and best strategies in after school programming for youth. “Our staff designed the presentation to model many of the activities that take place at ASAP, including the use of music, positive communication styles and plenty of involvement and energy,” Brown explained. The trio was interested to see whether those in attendance would participate and overall they were pleased with how they became involved. The group also had a chance to learn about other after school programs around the country and bring back new ideas. “I think we all walked away feeling our program is a strong and positive environment for the kids,” Brown said. The Shoshone Recreation District began ASAP in 1996 under Brown's direction to give students a place to go during “critical hours” (3-6 p.m.) when they might experiment with drugs or otherwise get in trouble. In summer 2005, Brown received a grant from the West Park Hospital Prevention and Wellness Office to attend training in California on brain-based learning strategies. “The training completely changed our outlook on the program,” she said. “I came back from California, our staff went on a retreat and we made major changes to ASAP based on what I learned.” The ASAP staff provides programming weekdays for students in grades K-5. In addition they have a day camp program for students during the summer. ASAP provides a fun, safe environment in which children play, learn and develop good habits in a motivating environment, they say. “The foundation of our program is Home Court Advantage, which is about safety, support and belonging,” Brown says. Each day has a different theme, different group activities, and time for individual enrichment through a choice of “Wacktivities” - fun, wacky activities that involve students in academically enriched learning projects. Adults also are available to help students with homework. “We're trying to take the stress out of school work,” Tripe said. An integral part of each day is music. The group uses music to transition from activities and certain songs to signal play time and clean up time. “We're working in a positive environment so we're not yelling during the transition period,” Tripe said. “They know where they need to be and get where they are going.” The Prevention and Wellness Office was so pleased with the changes the ASAP staff implemented that they awarded additional funds in 2006 and '07. “We have been so thrilled with how Julie and her staff have adopted these ideas. To the best of our knowledge, ASAP is the only after-school program that has implemented these strategies to this degree,” says Jay Otto, manager of the wellness office at West Park Hospital. ASAP has 125 kids on its roster and 30-45 kids every day. The group meets weekdays 2:55-6 p.m. at Eastside School. Brown, Baker and Tripe, along with ASAP staff members Lindsay Shaw, Tanner Moir and Susie Elliot, are working on developing training for after school programming as well as a library of activities adults can provide to youth. “Our goal is to see ASAP strategies and approaches implemented in many more after-school environments,” Otto says.
NORTH CAROLINA From writing, debating, and taking a vote, students are finding out first hand how laws get passed in the state. "I gain more knowledge about the legislative process and how bills are passed and stuff like that," said Ivory Paysour, a student from Winston-Salem. Paysour is part of this year's “Youth Legislature.” The program is put on by the YMCA. “It a year-round program that teaches civic engagement, political responsibility, debate skills, and best practices of the government system," explained State Director for the YMCA Youth and Government Conference, Lisa Humphreys. Humphreys said a hot topic this year for students is the controversy surrounding former House Speaker Jim Black. "I hope that they are talking about it and talking about how they are going to do it different," said Humphreys. This week, Black resigned from his House seat and pleaded guilty to one county of accepting illegal gratuities. Students say Black should be accountable for his actions. “I definitely think he made the right decision because he's saying he's admitting what he did wrong and he's letting someone else take his position who's going to represent his people's interest and not represent their own," said Lauren Haigler, a student from Wilmington. The core of the program is to educate students of the importance of having ethical politicians. Student say it’s an important lesson to learn especially since corruption can happen anywhere and at any level. "I think that it happens more often than people think or catch,” said Cary student Elizabeth Payment. “And I do realize that our system has its faults, but I believe that the American system can rise above that." The YMCA Youth Legislature program lasts all weekend.
WISCONSIN Jeremy Sykes was a struggling student at Oconomowoc High School. "I didn't attend school much, classes were too long and I wanted more individualized attention," he said. His counselor suggested a local work development firm, Opportunities Inc., a not-for-profit agency that provides innovative training and employment options for youth and adults. Sykes decided to give it a try. "I liked the idea that I could graduate in a shorter amount of time and work, too," he said. The Oconomowoc firm's youth apprenticeship program gives young people who may otherwise not graduate from high school the opportunity to earn diplomas from their home schools and manufacturing certificates from the state of Wisconsin. "This program was the best thing that ever happened to me," Sykes said. "It is a really cool place to be. I definitely recommend it for anyone who has trouble making the grades and wants more individualized attention." Sykes is employed at a local business, working full time in a manufacturing environment. Chris Klauer, the program instructor, is a licensed teacher who has the ability to creatively teach concepts at-risk students may typically struggle with, such as math and applied sciences. She can use the work floor as an extension of the classroom, giving each student a "real-world" learning experience. Opportunities has been involved with youth apprenticeship services since 2000 at its Fort Atkinson location. The Oconomowoc facility established an additional program in September 2005 to meet the demands of local school districts; the results have been positive. The first graduating class of five students received their high school diplomas and manufacturing certificates in January 2007. The next group of three students expects to graduate in May. Three local school districts make up the consortium that supports the program at Opportunities. Kettle Moraine, Palmyra-Eagle and Oconomowoc offer this option to their youth. For more information about the Opportunities Inc. youth apprenticeship program or other services, call the Oconomowoc office at (262) 569.8888 or visit 662 Armour Road, Oconomowoc.
URBAN INSTITUTE Panelists analyzed the efficacy of federal policies to reduce youth homelessness, focusing on two groups: youth who age out of the child welfare system and those who never qualify for its supports. To listen to archived audio-conference visit, http://www.urban.org/Pressroom/thursdayschild/feb2007.cfm.
YOUTH RISK BEHAVIOR SURVEY Fewer U.S. high school students are engaging in health risk behaviors compared to their counterparts from 15 years ago, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) 2005 National Youth Risk Behavior Survey (YRBS). According to CDC, two of the highlights of the survey involved seat belt use and alcohol use. The 2005 National YRBS found only 10 per cent of high school students said they rarely or never wore a seat belt when riding in a car, a decline from the 18 per cent in 2003 and 26 per cent in 1991. The percentage of students who report current alcohol use has also declined (43 per cent in 2005 versus 51 per cent in 1991) since the first YRBS survey. Other improvements seen during the past 15 years included a decline in the percentage of high school students reporting ever having sexual intercourse. In 2005, 47 per cent of students said they had ever had sexual intercourse, roughly the same as in the 2003 National YRBS, but down from 54 per cent reporting ever having sexual intercourse in the National YRBS survey in 1991. In addition, 63 per cent of sexually active students reported that they or their partner had used a condom during their last sexual intercourse (same as the 2003 National YRBS), compared to 46 per cent in 1991. "The overall survey results are encouraging because they show us that persistent efforts to get young people to adopt healthier behaviors can achieve positive results," said Howell Wechsler, EdD, MPH, director of CDC's division of adolescent and school health, in a statement. "However, the results also illustrate some of the challenges. One, it does take persistence to achieve results. And two, despite the overall improvements in health behaviors of teens, racial and ethnic differences continue to exist." Compared with white and Hispanic high school students, black high school students are the least likely to use tobacco, alcohol, cocaine and other drugs, but the most likely to report sexual risk behaviors and sedentary behaviors such as watching television three or more hours per day. White students are less likely than black or Hispanic high school students to report physical fighting, sexual risk behaviors and being overweight, but more likely to engage in frequent cigarette smoking and episodic heavy drinking. Hispanic students are more likely than black or white students to report attempted suicide and the use of drugs like cocaine, heroin and methamphetamines. "The reasons for these racial and ethnic differences are complex. More research is needed to assess the impact of education, socio-economic status, environment and cultural factors that may contribute to health risk behaviors among high school students," Wechsler added in a statement. National, state and local YRBSs are conducted every two years among high school students throughout the United States. Nearly 14,000 U.S. high school students participated in the 2005 National YRBS.
CONNECTICUT AND TEXAS State health officials are expressing concern about proposed legislation that would require most girls in Connecticut's public schools to be vaccinated against the virus that causes cervical cancer. At a hearing before a legislative committee on Wednesday, the head of the Department of Public Health's infectious disease division recommended that lawmakers delay requiring the vaccinations because of limited data on the vaccine. "Some vaccines have been shown to have unanticipated side effects when they go into wide use during the first year," James Hadler told the Public Health Committee. The issue of mandatory vaccinations to guard against cervical cancer has been sweeping the country following the federal government's approval of Merck & Co.'s Gardasil vaccine last June. A federal advisory panel later recommended that all girls ages 11 and 12 receive the immunization. According to the National Conference of State Legislatures, most states this year will be debating whether to mandate the vaccination of girls against the human papilloma virus, or HPV, a leading cause of cervical cancer and genital warts. Three bills on preventing cervical cancer were introduced last month in the Connecticut General Assembly. Merck said on Tuesday that it was suspending its lobbying campaign to get state legislatures to require the three-dose vaccine for school attendance. The move came amid pressure from medical groups, politicians and parents. Texas Gov. Rick Perry on Feb. 2 issued an executive order requiring Texas girls entering the sixth grade as of 2008 get the vaccinations, triggering protests from lawmakers in that state. Parents there could opt out for their daughters if they state religious or philosophical objections, but several Texas lawmakers want to have parents opt in instead of opting out. Some parents' groups and doctors particularly objected because the vaccine protects against HPV, a sexually transmitted disease. Vaccines required for school attendance are usually for diseases such as measles and mumps that are spread through casual contact. The Associated Press reported last month that Merck was channeling money for the lobbying campaign through Women in Government, a group of female state legislators from across the country. Connecticut state Rep. DebraLee Hovey, R-Monroe, introduced the bill that would mandate the immunizations. Hovey is also treasurer for Women in Government. She said recently that she proposed the bill because the vaccine will save lives, not because of Merck. Hovey said the legislation would include some exemptions, including one for families that oppose the vaccination because of religious beliefs. Conservative groups opposed Merck's campaign, saying it would encourage premarital sex, and parents' rights groups said it interfered with their control over their children. The Public Health Committee took no action on the bill Wednesday.
VIRGINIA Legislation to require schoolgirls to receive a vaccine for the sexually transmitted virus that can cause cervical cancer sailed through the General Assembly, but it could face scrutiny when it gets to Gov. Timothy M. Kaine. The House and Senate passed bills to require all girls entering the sixth grade to get the vaccine for the human papillomavirus, or HPV. Parents could review information about the vaccine and exempt their daughters. "He's supportive of expanded access to this vaccine and thinks efforts to fight cervical cancer are critically important, but he would like to fully review the opt-out provisions that are in this legislation," Kevin Hall, Mr. Kaine's spokes-man, said yesterday without elaborating on the governor's concerns. Virginia's legislature is the first to pass a bill mandating the vaccine for girls, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures. Texas Gov. Rick Perry sidestepped the legislature and ordered the shots for girls there, but lawmakers are considering overriding that order. Bills were introduced in about 20 states to require the vaccine, but some have backed off because of concerns over the vaccine's safety and protests from conservatives that requiring it promotes promiscuity and erodes parents' rights. Merck & Co., maker of the only federally approved HPV vaccine, had for months bankrolled lobbying efforts nationwide to push for mandating the vaccine, but said Tuesday it would immediately suspend the campaign after opponents questioned its motives. The New Jersey company stands to make billions if its vaccine, Gardasil, is required for schoolgirls nationwide. The vaccine is given in a series of three shots over a six-month period at a cost of $360. Mr. Kaine set aside $1.4 million in his budget to expand the availability of the vaccine at local health departments, Mr. Hall said, but the governor wants to take a closer look at any measure that requires the vaccine even if parents can opt out. Mr. Kaine has until late March to either amend the bill, sign it into law or veto it. Exemptions already exist for parents to decide not to get required vaccinations for their children based on religious or medical objections. Opponents also have expressed concerns that it may be too soon to require the vaccines. The federal government approved Gardasil in June and suggested it be given to girls before they become sexually active because HPV is contracted by sexual or skin-to-skin contact. A handful of drugs -- including Merck's painkiller Vioxx -- have been pulled when side effects emerged after they were in wide use. Supporters argue that the vaccinations would not be required until the 2009 school year, so that gives sufficient time to study any side effects before Virginia's girls are vaccinated. Yesterday, the National Vaccine Information Center -- a group of parents worried that vaccines harm some children -- issued a report detailing the vaccine's side effects, such as dizziness, fainting and numbness. The analysis was based on 385 reports made to the U.S. Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System over the last half of 2006. Delegate Robert G. Marshall, Prince William County Republican, tried unsuccessfully to block the bill in the House by adding provisions that would have required parents be told about possible side effects and exempted the state from immunity if a woman sued because the vaccine made her infertile. "I'm appalled that the members here did not want to warn parents that this thing has not been tested for the effect it might have on a woman's future fertility," Mr. Marshall said yesterday. "Can you imagine if a significant number of these young girls end up permanently sterile and can't have a baby?" The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention officials have said the reports aren't cause for concern. About 99 percent of the cases of cervical cancer, which kills 10 women a day nationwide, are linked to HPV, according to the CDC. Delegate Phillip A. Hamilton, Newport News Republican and sponsor of one of the bills, said Mr. Kaine hadn't expressed concerns about the vaccine to him. "I think this legislation is a cautious approach because of the delayed enactment date, and I think it's cautious because we do have the parental opt-out," Mr. Hamilton said.
GEORGIA Girls would have to be vaccinated for the virus that causes cervical cancer before entering the sixth grade under legislation which cleared a state Senate committee on Tuesday. If the Republican-sponsored bill becomes law it would make Georgia just the second state to mandate the new vaccine for the human papillomavirus, or HPV. Texas Gov. Rick Perry signed an executive order making it a requirement in that state. A new national estimate released on Tuesday by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention found that one in four U.S. women ages 14 to 59 is infected with the sexually transmitted virus that in some forms can cause cervical cancer. The U.S. Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices recommends that girls between ages 11 and 12 should be vaccinated. ''I think it's a great thing for the health of women in the state of Georgia,'' said the bill's sponsor, Sen. Don Balfour of Snellville. ''It's good for your daughters.'' But the issue is controversial in large part because the HPV virus is transmitted through sexual contact. Religious conservatives lined up to speak against the bill at a hearing Tuesday arguing the decision to require the vaccine for 11-year-old girls should be made by their parents — not the state. Carolyn Garcia of the Georgia chapter of Americans United for Life said the bill might encourage promiscuity. ''It comes from behavior,'' Garcia said of the virus. ''It's a moral issue.'' Sadie Fields, director of the Georgia Christian Alliance, said state lawmakers were ''rushing to judgment'' on a vaccine before the full picture was known on potential risks and side effects. The bill makes exceptions for those families who certify that they cannot afford the vaccine or who oppose it for religious reasons. It would take effect for the 2008 school year. ''We believe this decision should be made between parents and their doctors,'' Fields said. Balfour allowed that this is the first time state lawmakers have stepped in to mandate a vaccine. The state Department of Human Resources typically uses regulations to do so. But Balfour said the department showed no signs it was moving forward. The bill passed 8-3 and now goes to the full Senate. The only government-approved vaccine for HPV is Merck's Gardasil. Balfour received a $500 campaign contribution from the Delaware-based pharmaceutical company in September, according to campaign disclosure reports. Legislators in at least 33 states have introduced legislation to either require or fund the vaccine or educate the public about it, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures. Perry's move to put Texas on the forefront of the issue has ignited a firestorm in the state. Legislation has been introduced in the Texas statehouse to override him. Some 11,150 U.S. women will be diagnosed this year with cervical cancer, and about 3,670 will die from it. Numbers are far higher around the globe, especially in developing countries where tests to detect cervical cancer are not routine. The vaccine protects against a pair of HPV strains believed responsible for about 70 percent of cervical cancer cases, and two other strains that cause 90 percent of genital wart cases.
CYBER-BULLYING Ryan Patrick Halligan was bullied for months online. Classmates sent the 13-year-old Essex Junction, Vt., boy instant messages calling him gay. He was threatened, taunted and insulted incessantly by so-called cyberbullies. In 2003, Ryan killed himself. "He just went into a deep spiral in eighth grade. He couldn't shake this rumor," said Ryan's father, John Halligan, who became a key proponent of a state law that forced Vermont schools to put anti-bullying rules in place. He's now pushing for a broader law to punish cyberbullying — often done at home after school — and wants every other state to enact laws expressly prohibiting it. States from Oregon to Rhode Island are considering crackdowns to curb or outlaw the behavior in which kids taunt or insult peers on social websites like MySpace or via instant messages. Still, there is some disagreement over how effective crackdowns will be and how to do it. "The kids are forcing our hands to do something legislatively," said Rhode Island state Sen. John Tassoni, who introduced a bill to study cyberbullying and hopes to pass a cyberbullying law by late 2007. But others argue that legislation would be ineffective. George McDonough, an education coordinator with Rhode Island's Department of Education, concedes that the Internet has become an "instant slam book" but questions whether laws can stem bad behavior. "You can't legislate norms, you can only teach norms," he said. "Just because it's a law they don't necessarily follow it. I mean, look at the speed limit." The Internet allows students to insult others in relative anonymity, and experts who study cyberbullying say it can be more damaging to victims than traditional bullying like fist fights and classroom taunts. Legislators and educators say there's a need for guidelines outlining how to punish cyberbullying. They say the behavior has gone unchecked for years, with few laws or policies on the books explaining how to treat it. Cyberbullying is often limited to online insults about someone's physical appearance, friends, clothing or sexuality. But some cyberbullies are more creative. In Washington state, a bully stole a girl's instant message username and used it to send out insulting messages. In New York, two high school boys were accused of operating an Internet site that listed girls' "sexual secrets." Prosecutors decided not to charge the boys because of free-speech concerns. Steven Brown, executive director of the Rhode Island branch of the American Civil Liberties Union, said it will be difficult to draft a cyberbullying law that doesn't infringe on free-speech rights. "The fact that two teenagers say nasty things about each other is a part of growing up," he said. "How much authority does a school have to monitor, regulate and punish activities occurring inside a student's home?" In Arkansas, the state Senate this month passed a bill calling on school districts to set up policies to address cyberbullying only after it was amended to settle concerns about students' free-speech rights. States are taking different approaches to the problem. A South Carolina law that took effect this year requires school districts to define bullying and outline policies and repercussions for the behavior, including cyberbullying. One school district there has proposed punishments from warnings up to expulsion for both traditional bullying and cyberbullying. Some of Oregon's most powerful lawmakers have lined up behind a proposed bill that would require all of the state's 198 school districts to adopt policies that prohibit cyberbullying. Some local school districts aren't waiting for the state to take action: The Sisters school district in Central Oregon adopted rules that allow it to revoke cyberbullies' school Internet privileges, or even expel a student in egregious cases. Ted Thonstad, superintendent of the rural school district of 1,475 students, said it was important to clarify by policy how to treat cyberbullying — now prohibited under strict school hazing rules. Previously, the district had guidelines for what types of Internet sites students could visit, he said, but no policy specifically dealt with cyberbullying. Thonstad said no case prompted the policy, although there were some minor incidents of cyberbullying before it went into place at the beginning of the school year. Nothing has been reported since then. "It's difficult to monitor if you don't have the right software," he said. "So you rely on students to let you know when it's going on." Other schools are also being proactive. Rhode Island's McDonough sent both public and private school superintendents information and resources on cyberbullying. One school is designing lesson plans to help stop cyberbullying and protect children from Internet predators. "I think it would be a good idea if there was a law, but I really believe it has to start at home," said Patricia McCormick, assistant principal of the private McCormick said all the teachers in the school have been trained on Internet safety, and students now receive at least 15 classes on the subject, which includes cyberbullying. But she said stopping the problem will require parental participation. "Cyberbullying isn't going on in school," she said. "It is going on at home, and I think there needs to be more programs to educate parents about the dangers." News Corp.'s social-networking site MySpace prohibits cyberbullying and tells users to report abuse — to the company as well as parents and law enforcement, according to a statement issued by Hemanshu Nigam, the company's chief security officer. John Halligan, whose son's suicide has turned him into an advocate for broader cyberbullying laws that would allow victims and their families to pursue civil penalties against bullies, said something must be done to stop the problem. "I didn't simply want it to be Ryan's school that agreed to do something," he said. "At the end of the day this wasn't just a problem in Ryan's school.”
Legislators gave a skeptical reception yesterday to an advocacy group's claim that state funding to help children at risk of academic failure is going instead to teacher salaries, heating bills and other general expenses. Advocates for Children and Youth briefed lawmakers on a report the group released last week saying that while the state has sent an extra $500 million to school districts to help educate at-risk students, the districts are spending less money on programs targeted to them. But members of a Senate budget subcommittee said school districts are questioning the group's claims. The senators said they want ACY to meet with state schools Superintendent Nancy S. Grasmick and local officials before the panel decides whether to take action. "I just want to wait until the dust clears, until we can get some understanding," said Sen. Nathaniel J. McFadden, a Baltimore Democrat. ACY Executive Director Matthew Joseph said he would be happy to meet with state and local officials but hopes the legislature will act before next year's budget is finalized. The state has been phasing in over five years a record increase in education spending known as the Thornton plan. Next year's installment of the $1.3 billion plan is the last step, and Joseph wants lawmakers to include language in the budget specifying that the portion of the aid designated for at-risk youth be spent on programs targeted to help that population. Grasmick said she will set up the meeting. But she said the ACY report misses two points: that Thornton was designed to give school districts flexibility in how they spend state aid and that test scores are going up.
A lawmaker who worked as a school psychologist in the Bay Area before turning to politics said Monday he wants young offenders who are tried as adults and convicted of first-degree murder to no longer face life sentences without parole. Instead, he said, the maximum penalty should be 25 years to life in prison -- with a chance of parole. A new bill by Democratic Sen. Leland Yee of San Francisco, who says teens who kill at an early age should get a chance for rehabilitation, comes as the governor and Legislature are facing an array of problems with sentencing laws and overcrowded prisons. But a Yee aide said SB 999 -- which would alter crime-fighting Proposition 115, approved 17 years ago by voters -- is independent of others' reform efforts. Children's-rights advocates hailed introduction of the measure as bringing California closer to universal justice standards, while victims' rights groups attacked the legislation as a step backward in popular anti-crime efforts. Yee's legislation, officially the California Juvenile Life Without Parole Reform Act, would amend the penal code so anyone younger than 18 who commits murder with ``special circumstances'' could not be sentenced to life without the chance of parole. Special circumstances, which carry the possibility of life without parole, include murder committed as part of gang activity, murder of police officers, and murder in which hate is the motive. Yee, who received a doctorate in child psychology from the University of Hawaii, said in a statement that "children have an extraordinary capacity for rehabilitation.'' If one possible unwanted situation develops -- hate groups or gangs using the new law as an incentive to pressure those younger than 18 into killing on their behalf -- the scenario is still an argument for passage of the bill, supporters said. "It shows how susceptible they are because their brain has not been fully developed,'' said Yee spokesman Adam Keigwin. "It's yet another reason why someone like that is so vulnerable to something like this and should be able to be granted rehabilitation services.'' Other advocates also support the measure. "As a society we've learned a lot since the time we started using life without parole for children,'' said Elizabeth Calvin of Children's Rights Advocates. Michelle Leighton, of the Center for Law and Global Justice at the University of San Francisco, said California "is out of step with international standards of justice.'' But Harriet Salarno, president of Crime Victims United of California, opposes Yee's bill. "These are very, very violent offenders we're talking about, and there are some people who can't be rehabilitated,'' Salarno said. "It's just so black and white. This is not good for California.'' The bill would require a two-thirds vote in the Legislature because it amends a voter initiative. Republican Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger also would need to sign it.
CONGRESS Sen. Edward M. Kennedy, Democrat of Massachusetts, has introduced new legislation that would put tobacco regulation in the purview of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). The Family Smoking Prevention and Tobacco Control Act would give the FDA control over all cigarette sales and advertising and would also place some significant restrictions on how the products are marketed. Dr. Ron Davis, president-elect of the American Medical Association (AMA), came out in full support of the measure. “The AMA urges Congress to protect the health of Americans, especially children, by passing this legislation, which would give the FDA needed regulatory authority over tobacco products,” Dr. Davis said in a statement. “Each day, approximately 4,000 kids will try a cigarette for the first time, and another 1,000 will become new, regular, daily smokers. One-third of these kids will eventually die prematurely as a result. To discourage youth from taking up smoking, some of the provisions in the bill would stop illegal sales of tobacco products to children; restrict tobacco marketing, especially to children; ban fruit and candy flavorings in cigarettes; and require more informative health warnings.” In addition, the FDA might be able to put a limit on acceptable nicotine levels. “If Congress fails to act and smoking continues at its current rate, more than 6 million of today’s children will ultimately die from tobacco-induced disease,” said Sen. Kennedy. In 2004, the Senate passed similar legislation, but that bill did not make it through the Republican-controlled House. In the late 1990s, the FDA decided to try to assume regulatory control of the tobacco industry, but the Supreme Court rejected that notion in 2000, saying that Congress did not allow for FDA oversight. “Patients suffer from many chronic and fatal diseases related to tobacco use such as cancer, heart disease, and emphysema,” added Dr. Davis of the AMA. “Smoking remains the number one preventable cause of death in the United States, killing roughly 1,200 Americans every day–many more than those who die from drugs, motor-vehicle crashes, fires, AIDS, homicides, and suicides combined. Given what we know about the health effects of smoking and the powerful addictive properties of nicotine, it is unconscionable that tobacco products are currently one of the least regulated products in our society.”
UTAH The American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry (AACAP) and the Intermountain Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry urge Utah's Governor Jon Huntsman, Jr., to veto the "Medical Recommendation for Children Act," HB 202. This legislation was created to prevent teachers from discussing youth mental health issues with parents. If enacted, the "Medical Recommendation for Children Act" will pose barriers to treatment for youth living with mental illnesses. "The partnership between parents and teachers must be supported, not hindered," said AACAP President Thomas F. Anders, M.D. "I urge Governor Huntsman to veto this damaging legislation." The AACAP and the Intermountain Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry have called on Governor Huntsman to veto the bill because teachers play a large role in the daily lives of children, giving them a unique perspective to identify troubling behavior. Also, teachers are experts in spotting barriers to learning. Many learning problems result from conditions like attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) or depression. "A failing report card at the end of the semester should not be the only communication from school," said President Anders. Proponents of separating teachers and parents say that troubling youth behavior will appear at home, anyway. "In actuality, a child can behave quite differently at home than at school," said Doug Gray, M.D., University of Utah's child and adolescent psychiatry training director. The "Medical Recommendation for Children Act" is based upon the false premise that teachers are responsible for a presumed and undocumented increase in the use of medications to control behavior in school settings. However, this concern is misplaced. Two separate studies by the Center for Disease Control (CDC) and the State of Utah Health Department in May 2003 indicated that Utah ranks last or near the bottom of states in per capita use of these medications. Furthermore, this legislation would drain Utah's already overextended education budget. The bill shifts the cost of training and implementation of new standards to Utah's 40 local school districts. The AACAP & the Intermountain Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry ask Governor Huntsman to veto the "Medical Recommendation for Children Act" to protect children and to prevent government intrusion into the parent/teacher relationship. To interview a child and adolescent psychiatrist about the impact of this legislation, please contact Erin Baker, Communications Manager, at 202-966-7300, ext. 119 or ebaker@aacap.org. Representing over 7,500 child and adolescent psychiatrists nationwide, the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry (AACAP) is the leading authority on children's mental health.
CALIFORNIA A Bay Area lawmaker introduced a bill on Friday that would require the state to collect personal and medical data on foster children as a first step to determine if they are being overmedicated because they are misdiagnosed with mental illnesses. In many instances, foster children are given medications such as antidepressants when they're simply withdrawn because they are coping with the trauma of leaving their families to live with strangers, said Assemblywoman Noreen Evans, D-Santa Rosa. "What we've heard anecdotally is that for a lot of foster kids, rather than getting counseling for them ... they're given a drug," she said. The bill, AB1330, would require the state Department of Social Services to collect information about a youth's sex, age and race; number of years in the foster care system; the type of drug prescribed; and whether the child lives with a foster family or a group home or resides in the juvenile justice system. There are about 80,000 children in the state's foster care system. The legislation would also require the agency to ensure that foster children who are prescribed psychotropic medication receive appropriate medical care in accordance with the recommendations of the federal Food and Drug Administration. Evans said the state agency said last year that it has started collecting such data. The lawmaker decided to go ahead with her bill to ensure that the department follows through with its promise of gathering the information. This is not the first legislative attempt to collect data on foster youth and psychotropic medication. In 2004, a similar bill by then-Sen. Dick Mountjoy, R-Monrovia (Los Angeles County), stalled in the Legislature partly because of objections by the California Psychiatric Association. Randall Hagar, the association's director of governmental affairs, said Friday that he has at least two concerns about Evans' bill. "I think it'll be helpful to know how many (foster youths) are getting (psychotropic drugs)," he said. "But if you stop there, that's just a reflection about the nervousness about psychotropic medications and the feeling that psychotropic medications are bad." Hagar said such a database would be more useful if it includes the diagnosis of each foster youth and figures out if they're getting the right medication. The bill's insistence that foster children who receive psychotropic drugs be given medical care that's consistent with the FDA's recommendations is problematic because there's a lack of FDA standards for pediatric psychotropic medications, Hagar said. That's because as a result of little research on such drugs for minors, there are very few medications that the FDA is recommending specifically for pediatric use. Currently, individual doctors and psychiatrists use their own discretion to prescribe a wide variety of psychotropic medications, he said. "If we limit to only FDA-approved medications (specifically for children), we're denying children the vast majority of medications out there, and that's simply denying access," Hagar said. But that's part of her concern, Evans said. "Some of these psychotropic drugs are very heavy drugs, and there are anecdotal cases that the children are not being given right medications," she said. One advocate of foster youths said she applauds Evans' efforts but fears every day spent simply gathering information is another day lost for children who are given these medications. "We feel there is an urgency to this problem," said Jennifer Rodriguez, legislative and policy manager for California Youth Connection. Even while the information is being gathered, there are other things that can help, such as asking public health nurses to visit individual group homes and educate the foster youths about these medications and that they have the right to refuse the drugs, Rodriguez said. "There are about 7,000 youths in group homes in California. You can do a pilot project in certain counties first, if you want. But it seems like that's something that's doable," she said. Evans also introduced AB1331, which would require counties to assess foster youths when they turn 16 1/2 years old to see if they qualify for federal disability money. If they do, the bill would allow counties to hold on to the last three checks, up to a total of $2,000, before the youths turn 18 and give them the lump sum to start their lives as adults. A third bill, AB1332, would require private adoption agencies to have the same requirements as county adoption agencies in doing checks on adopting families. Lastly, the legislation would allow adopted foster youths with special needs who receive funds from the state's Adoption Assistance Program to continue receiving the benefit without interruption if the new parents die.
Two members of a student organization urged the Wichita school board on Monday to reform the use of Tasers in schools. "Despite repeated outcries from the community, the school board has taken no action," said Danielle Strunk, a senior at West. "We believe that now is the time for action." The students spoke to the board in response to the use of a Taser on a Coleman Middle School student last week. A debate about Tasers in the schools has been under way since the Wichita Police Department announced last year that school resource officers in middle and high schools would begin carrying the devices. Tasers are used to subdue people with an electric shock. About 10 members of Students United attended the board's Monday meeting. The group is sponsored by Hope Street Youth Development, which promotes student leadership and civic engagement. Marcus McNeal, a sophomore at Heights, handed board member a list of 10 reforms the students think the district could implement without changing police policy regarding the use of Tasers, including: Defining what behavior warrants their use, having defibrillators accessible when SROs carry Tasers at school functions, and creating a community review board to investigate Taser incidents. "We're not looking for Tasers to be taken out of the schools. We're just looking for a policy to keep students, teachers and SROs safe," McNeal said. Superintendent Winston Brooks said the administration would make recommendations on the 10 reforms at the board's March 12 meeting. Also tonight, the Wichita school board approved prohibiting smoking in or on any district property -- including vehicles. The new policy goes into effect July 1.
VIRGINIA Mayor Tom Tomzak is trying to encourage the Fredericksburg community to put more of its time, money and energy toward helping city kids stay out of trouble. Two weeks after he held a City Council work session with dozens of representatives from local youth-serving organizations, the mayor officially got the council's approval to start up a Youth Delinquency Prevention and Early Intervention Task Force. As his benchmark, Tomzak is seeking to reduce the percentage of children who are considered "high-risk" because they have committed a serious crime. Right now, between 4 percent and 5 percent of city youths are involved with the courts, according to Cindeye Brown of Family Preservation Services Inc., who presented those figures at a meeting Tomzak held on the topic earlier this month. Of those, 29 percent are considered by the Department of Juvenile Justice to be high-risk, up from 23 percent last year, Brown said. That is much higher than in the localities around Fredericksburg. Brown said only about 15 percent of the youths in the court systems in Spotsylvania and Stafford counties meet this definition. "We do not have to tolerate bad behavior any longer," Tomzak said. "I think our teachers have suffered too long with too much. We have a right to demand responsibility from the parents." Tomzak said the task force will be made up of several subcommittees, and he plans to put each City Council member in charge of a subcommittee. He has already appointed Councilman Hashmel Turner to lead one on what the faith community can do for kids, and he assigned Councilwoman Debby Girvan to look at the existing youth-serving programs and identify redundancy. Tomzak said he also wants to look at teen pregnancy, the role of men, family stabilization, recidivism and programs that have worked in other communities. In particular, he wants to encourage more city residents to volunteer to help at-risk youths, through mentoring programs such as Big Brothers Big Sisters. In the short term, he said, he'd like to recruit 50 to 70 adults to "drop the remote" and spend a few hours each week mentoring a child. "I think it's time for this community to start getting in a lot of people's faces," he said.
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