Youth in the News
Volume 2, Number 14, July 16-31, 2007
Contents
State Watch
Research
Government
STATE WATCH
- Youth involved in a work program in Ketchikan, Alaska complete their first construction project.
- In Indiana, a new youth program based on military standards helps young dropouts and youth at-risk.
- A youth newspaper in Los Angeles gives teens a voice free from censorship by school officials.
- A federally funded workforce development program in Ridgecrest, California helps youth transition from school to work.
RESEARCH
- A new study shows that girls in juvenile detention centers have higher levels of anger and depression than boys.
- Research has found that fear and intimidation keeps adults from interfering in youth criminal activities.
- New research finds youth are choosing liquor over beer.
GOVERNMENT
- Several states are easing up on their youth sex cases.
- States have passed a variety of bills specifically addressing underage drinking.
- The Oregon Legislature passes a bill that mandates a set number of hours dedicated to physical education for elementary and middle school students.
- A bill that makes gang recruitment a federal crime was introduced in Congress.
- Congress considers raising the tobacco tax to increase funding for SCHIP.
ARTICLES
ALASKA
Youth to Work Program Completes First Construction Project at Paintball Field
July 30, 2007
Sitnews.com
Eight trainees, ages 14 to 17, received their Certificates of Completion from the first construction project completed under the Youth to Work job readiness training program on Friday July 27th. This program was launched in January 2007 under a partnership between Ketchikan Youth Initiatives (KYI) and the Alaska State Job Center with support from Boys and Girls Club, AmeriCorps*VISTA and others.
Brought together under the tutelage of Charles Edwardson of Edwardson Enterprises, the two week construction project at the Ketchikan Hot Shots Paintball field tackled the renovation of an office trailer donated to the Hot Shots this Spring by C. E. Bradley.
Trainee salaries were funded by grants from Sons of Transition (Metlakatla Indian Community), Ketchikan Youth Initiatives, Ketchikan Indian Community and the State of Alaska Department of Labor. The Rasmuson Foundation and a High Growth Industry grant from Department of Labor completed the cash funding supplemented by in-kind donations from local organizations including Southeast Alaska Independent Living (SAIL), Tyler Rentals and Ward Cove Construction.
Quoting Chas Edwardson, "I was pleased to see the cooperative effort and really pleased that other contractors stepped up to help when they saw what we were doing. I believe that given the opportunity any youth can do anything required of them. This project substantiated my belief."
Members of the public, family members and educational administrators gathered to witness the graduation ceremony where Certificates of Completion and paychecks were distributed by Jesse Harrington, the AmeriCorps*VISTA assigned to the Youth to Work program.
KYI President, Ty Rettke, explained how development of the paintball field was the first project sponsored by Ketchikan Youth Initiatives. The Youth to Work program carries out the third KYI strategy to help youth and young adults make a successful transition into the work world.
A barbecue followed an impromptu paintball game with the trainees and other members of the Hot Shots Paintball League. The Ketchikan Hot Shots Paintball field is located on Revilla Road (mile 4)
Bobbie McCreary, KYI Administrative Manager stated, "This has been an exciting project to put together."
About the Youth to Work Program McCreary said, "The Youth to Work program is committed to making a difference in the future of our youth and our communities by acquainting these youth with the opportunities Alaska's High Growth Industries and other businesses have to offer them."
The Youth to Work program serves youth and young adults ages 14 to 24. McCreary said, "We are continually looking for employers to provide work experience and mentors to guide the program trainees."
If you would like more information on how to participate in this Ketchikan Youth Initiatives' program, visit the KYI office at 640 Park Avenue in Ketchikan, call 247-8080 or email youthtowork@gmail.com.
INDIANA
Hoosier Youth ChalleNGe Academy
July 24, 2007
By SGT Robert G Cooper III
Gxonline.com
Seventeen-year-old Tangelo Bonner hasn't felt the satisfaction of accomplishing much of anything in years. A former high school weightlifting all-star, he soon found his personal life spiraling out of control as drugs and violence pushed him further away from a life of stability and closer to a life of crime.
Accomplishment finally came to Bonner Saturday, July 21, in the form of a 60-foot rappel from one of Camp Atterbury's training towers, the final test in a two-week pre-challenge as part of the Hoosier Youth ChalleNGe Academy. Confident that he can do whatever he puts his mind to, Bonner said that he is now on his way to pursuing his dream of joining the Navy.
Founded last March by Gov. Mitch Daniels and Indiana Adjutant General MG R. Martin Umbarger, the Hoosier Youth ChalleNGe Academy is Indiana's answer to a growing trend of youthful dropouts and other behavior problems.
As part of the larger National Youth ChalleNGe Program, the academy targets teen dropouts ages 16-18 who are willing to change their undisciplined lifestyles through a 17-month program consisting of three phases. Saturday was a landmark for Indiana, as a class 65 candidates graduated from the academy's first official pre-challenge phase.
The pre-challenge phase consists of a two-week residential course at the academy, located across from Camp Atterbury's main gates near Edinburgh, IN. During that time, "Candidates" are given structure and discipline through implementation of quasi-military standards within a stable environment.
Candidates wake up early in the morning, conduct physical training, learn drill and ceremony, participate in team-building exercises and maintain high levels of respect and self-discipline. Through the entire process, the academy upholds a zero-tolerance policy for disrespect and violence.
Hoosier Youth ChalleNGe Academy 1SG Steve Spaulding said the pre-challenge phase is by far the hardest for Candidates since it requires them to make such a substantial adjustment in how they conduct themselves.
"The pre-challenge is the most authoritarian of all phases," he said. "If they get past this point, then we've set the foundation for the next five months."
1SG Spaulding said that he has already seen a marked improvement among enrollees despite the fact that they have a long way to go before they graduate the program.
"They've made a heck of a transition so far," 1SG Spaulding said. "Two weeks ago, all they wanted to do was fight and go home. Now we've got 65 candidates that want to be here."
Following Saturday's graduation ceremony, the 65 individuals, now graduated to Cadets, will immediately begin Monday with the next phase, a five-month residential challenge phase focused on preparing them academically for their GED tests.
The challenge phase also teaches Cadets job and life coping skills, as well as excellence through community service. The final phase consists of a 12-month post graduation phase where they return home under the supervision of an adult mentor.
The need for the Hoosier Youth ChalleNGe Academy has been one long anticipated, according to state statistics. In a September 2006 study by the Indiana Chamber of Commerce, more than 20,000 Indiana students drop out annually, with "No indication of steady improvement." It goes without saying that such a rate results in a significant economic impact on Indiana.
"We want to make productive citizens that are an active part of the community, not a burden," said retired COL Wayne Hill, director of the Hoosier Youth ChalleNGe Academy.
According to the Department of Labor, individuals with a GED earn 27 percent more than those without. Through the National Youth ChalleNGe Program, 69 percent of 2005's graduating Cadets went on to receive their academic credentials. Additionally, 554,557 hours of community service were performed nationally by Cadets, providing nearly $2.9 million worth of services to communities participating in the program.
The Youth ChalleNGe Program is also cheaper compared to those targeting similar demographics. According to the program's 2005 Annual Report, daily costs of $29 per capita show a stark contrast between the Job Corps' cost of $87, and only one-sixth the cost of $174 for correctional programs.
Still, success with the program can't be measured in numbers, but rather in the individual. In the case of Cadet Bonner, the proof is in his new attitude.
"I feel a lot more confident in myself," he said. "This has been a real challenge, but I know that it will be a lot smoother as we move forward. It's been about five years since I've really felt like I've accomplished something, and now I feel it."
"I've been in other programs in the past," Bonner added. "But this is the most successful.
For more information on enrollment eligibility and mentor opportunities, contact Joy Spruill at 812-314-8203 or online at joy.spruill@us.army.mil.
LOS ANGELES
Youth Newspaper Gives Los Angeles Teens a Voice
July 24, 2007
By Mike O'Sullivan
Voanews.com
A student newspaper in Los Angeles called "L.A. Youth" is giving a voice to teenagers, free from censorship by school officials. Mike O'Sullivan reports, the paper deals with controversial issues from sexuality to violence, and such ordinary problems as getting a date in high school.
Donna Myrow was a teacher and community organizer when she heard about a ruling by the U.S. Supreme Court that disturbed her.
The principal of a high school in suburban St. Louis had censored stories in a student newspaper about teenage pregnancy and the effects of divorce on children. The ruling in 1988 restricted the rights of student-reporters throughout the United States. The case was complicated and required balancing the privacy rights of the subjects of the stories with the rights of the student writers and school administrators.
Civil liberties groups and many journalists objected, saying the ruling wrongly restricted the rights of free speech and a free press guaranteed by the First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution. Myrow was not a journalist, but the ruling upset her and she decided to act.
"That day, when I heard the Supreme Court decision, I decided to go for broke, and gathered a group of teens that afternoon, brought them to my house around my kitchen table, and said 'we're going to publish a newspaper,'" she said. "We had no money. I had no distribution list, and we were using some very old upright typewriters."
Six weeks later, she and the students published the first edition of L.A. Youth, with a press run of 2,500 copies. Today, under Myrow's leadership, the paper publishes 120,000 copies six times a year, with printing help from the Los Angeles Times newspaper, gifts, foundation grants, and advertising income. L.A. Youth has become the largest U.S. newspaper written by and for teenagers. As students pass the paper to friends and log onto the Internet website, Myrow estimates it reaches half a million readers.
Over nearly 20 years of operation, L.A Youth has helped thousands of students learn to express themselves. They come from very different backgrounds. Some live in wealthy neighborhoods, while others are from the poorest parts of the city. They write stories on such ordinary topics as dating or finding a job, and do reviews of music and local restaurants. They also tackle such serious issues as cheating, racial tension and violence in schools.
The students work with editors as they revise their stories. Editor Amanda Riddle focuses on teenage writers from troubled homes who live apart from their families in the court-administered foster care system. She says the writing process helps them come to grips with their problems.
"It can be therapeutic, yes," she said. "I sometimes feel like I'm part editor, part therapist. So it is both those things. We often-times just talk about what happened to them, and talk about what they learned from it, and how they feel about their past."
L.A. Youth gives students a chance to see how a publication is assembled and reaches its readers. Seventeen-year-old Mindy Gee is working the phones and calling some of the 1,300 teachers who use the paper in their classrooms.
"You've been getting 40 copies so far," she said. "I was wondering if you wanted to continue receiving the 40 copies?"
She enjoys her work as a reporter, and especially likes the process of working with editors.
"They give you a lot of edits, and you have to keep revising your articles," she said. "And I think that's been very helpful with my writing, as well as preparing for a career in journalism, if I ever end up in journalism."
Editor Mike Fricano says most of the student reporters do not intend to pursue a career in the field.
"Ironically, I think the vast majority are not interested in becoming reporters," he said. "So, I often really try to push that this is a chance for them to get published as a writer in a publication that goes far beyond just their school."
Eighteen-year-old writer Victorino Martinez will soon head off to university, where he will study business, but he says his experience here is invaluable.
"I do this because it helps me improve my writing skills and communication skills, which in any field, I think is important," he said. "And it's really important to be able to not only do something, but communicate it."
Associate Editor Laura Lee worked as a staff reporter for the St. Petersburg Times in Florida, but here she helps students hone their stories. She says most cannot express themselves the way they would like at school.
"So they come here and it's completely open for them to discuss whatever they want to discuss and write whatever they'd like to write about," she said. "And I think having that freedom and knowing that what they care about, we care about it too, it kind of gives them a sense of empowerment."
There are thousands of student publications in the United States, and many more in other countries. L.A. Youth founder Donna Myrow says their student-writers are learning to participate in their community by expressing their viewpoints.
CALIFORNIA
Working hard to bring jobs to kids
July 17, 2007
By Ruth Justis
Ridgecrestca.com
What adult doesn’t remember their first job experience — the butterflies in the stomach, the sweaty palms, the jangled nerves, the sleepless nights? No matter where or what the job, we all had to start somewhere.
For Ridgecrest youth, that transition from school to workforce can be far easier through the Workforce Investment Act (WIA) Youth Program, a program funded by federal grants and administered through the Youth Employment Services at the City of Ridgecrest.
For Starla Shaver, head of the Y.E.S! program for six years, there is no better way to give young people a good start in the world of employment. Participants 14 to 21 years of age are given the skills needed to succeed in today’s job market. The curriculum includes job hunting strategies, application and resume writing, interviewing, job keeping skills, work ethics, anger management skills, self esteem and goal development, and personal money management. The classes and workshops are taught by Y.E.S! staff, with support from professionals, and are meant to give the students a look at the realities of finding and keeping a job.
“This is not just a summer job program,” Shaver said. “This is a year-round work experience. There’s a huge list of criteria to qualify — such as, teen parenting, low math and reading skills, and a work permit. Teens have to be in school to get a work permit, so it helps keep them in class. Even those with a diploma, who have low skills, can qualify. The classes are Tuesday and Thursday from 3:30 to 5:30 p.m.
“We actually walk the students through an interview, which is videotaped, before we start the training. Then we watch it after they have completed the training, so they can see their progress.”
Applications are available at the Y.E.S! office on the second floor of City Hall. Applications are submitted to the Employer’s Training Resource in Bakersfield for approval. Once approved — and not all applications are — the name is placed in an “eligible applicant pool.” There are more applications than spaces available. Y.E.S! does two intakes each year — the next one is July 31, with classes beginning in September. Twenty to 30 are enrolled in each class.
After completing the “Employment Readiness” phase of the training, participants are eligible for a five-week paid work experience. Y.E.S! arranges for participants to work at local businesses, gaining skills in an actual work environment. WIA pays the wages for the youth and liability insurance is covered by the city.
“This is a great way for an employer to get some extra help for five weeks or more without having to pay for it. We have placed our students at such diverse businesses as Kmart, Goodwill, Rite Aid, and The Ridge, doing a variety of tasks.
“The students have to use to job skills they’ve learned to choose an employer, get an application, submit a resume, and interview for the job. We keep records on their attendance and performance on the job. There is no guarantee of a permanent job, but, at the very least, it is good experience for them,” Shaver said.
DEPRESSION
Anger, depression much higher among jailed teen girls than boys
July 25, 2007
By Harminka
Huliq.com
A new study reveals that girls in juvenile detention centers face surprisingly different psychological issues than average teen girls and, in some ways, more severe problems than incarcerated boys.
In a four-state survey, researchers found that girls are twice as likely as boys to be aggressive, and just as likely as boys to have problems with alcohol or drug use – findings that surprised psychologist Elizabeth Cauffman, who has worked for years with troubled teens in California and Pennsylvania.
“The psychological issues we found with girls in detention centers are nothing like what we expected – not compared to boys in juvenile hall, not compared to average girls in the community,” said Cauffman, associate professor of psychology and social behavior at UC Irvine. “Girls in the correctional system are just different.”
The study appears in the July issue of Youth Violence and Juvenile Justice.
For the study, researchers gave psychological evaluations to more then 800 teens and then compared the results of teens in juvenile detention facilities to those who had never been incarcerated but shared similar backgrounds, race and socioeconomic status.
Psychologists know that in general, teen girls are more likely to internalize problems while boys act out through yelling or hitting. But Cauffman found that among incarcerated youths, teen girls are twice as likely as the boys to externalize their problems through aggression. For example, they describe themselves as having a “short fuse” or admit a desire to get back at someone.
The researchers were also surprised to find that among the jailed teens, the girls are just as likely as the boys to report worrisome levels of alcohol and substance use. In the general population, teen girls report lower alcohol and substance use than boys.
In addition, incarcerated girls were two and a half times as likely as boys to describe levels of depression and anxiety that may require treatment, and twice as likely to have a number of somatic complaints, such as physical aches and pains.
Although fewer than 200 girls are detained by the California Youth Authority, Cauffman said the findings help validate concerns raised by staffers who work with the girls.
“The staff is working with really difficult kids,” Cauffman said. “We often point the finger at the system and say ‘fix it,’ but that’s not really fair to the system. If we don't understand where the problems are and don’t give facilities the resources needed to improve the situation, we won’t be able to ‘fix’ anything.”
One helpful change, Cauffman said, would be to evaluate the mental health issues of teens – both male and female – when they enter the correctional system. The Massachusetts Youth Screening Instrument, Version 2, which Cauffman used as the evaluation tool for her study, was designed specifically for juvenile offenders and can be administered by staff at juvenile detention centers. The screening flags areas for concern – such as depression, drug use, or aggression – that may require further evaluation by a mental health professional. Cauffman has already visited several teen correctional facilities in California to train staff to use the test.
The next step would be training additional prison staff to deal with psychological issues incarcerated teens bring with them to the facilities.
“Everyone, including front-line staff, could benefit from understanding these kids’ psychological issues,” Cauffman said. “For a guard, this could mean learning different techniques for diffusing a tense situation with a teen with post-traumatic stress disorder, compared to dealing with a teen who has a tendency toward acting out.”-University of California – Irvine
INTIMIDATION
In Violent Neighborhoods, Adults Too Fearful To Intervene With Most Young Offenders
July 18, 2007
Ohio State University
A study of young, violent criminals in New York City found that they used fear and intimidation to keep adults from interfering with their criminal activities.
Almost 40 percent of the young offenders interviewed said that adults' fear of teens was the defining characteristic of their relations.
As a result, in many situations, adults ignored criminal activity by teens and young adults, findings showed.
These results suggest that one of the usual prescriptions for ending youth violence – more informal social control by neighborhood adults – may not be realistic in some violent neighborhoods.
“There are these somewhat naïve notions that the key to reducing violence is to create these close ties with neighbors, where adults can provide informal social control over teens,” said Deanna Wilkinson, author of the study and associate professor of human development and family science at Ohio State University.
“That's not going to work in neighborhoods where relations between adults and young people are governed by fear.”
The study was published recently in the journal Justice Quarterly .
The data came from a larger study of 418 active violent offenders from two New York City neighborhoods that were among the worst in terms of poverty and violent crime. Researchers led by Wilkinson interviewed males between the ages of 16 and 24 who had been convicted of illegal handgun possession or a violent offense, or had been injured in a violent crime, or identified by screening to have been involved in violence in the last six months. The data were collected from 1995-1998.
Interviews covered a broad range of topics including family experiences, school, employment, neighborhood violence, guns, drug use and other issues.
This particular study focused on ties between young criminals and adults in their neighborhoods.
The results showed that adults in these high-crime neighborhoods faced a difficult situation in their relationships with young adults. The young offenders said they wanted the adults in their neighborhood to care more about them, and to provide more guidance and help. But those same young people also recognized that their own actions frightened adults away.
“Young offenders say neighborhoods have declined because adults have withdrawn and don't seem to care, but they admit they are part of the reason for that because they have made the adults afraid,” Wilkinson said.
About 29 percent of those interviewed said adults avoided or ignored youth, 14 percent said adults had no relationships with teens and 5 percent felt that adults hate teenagers.
“The majority of youth reported that the distance between teens and adults was motivated by fear and threat,” Wilkinson said.
Because of this fear, adults in these neighborhoods often ignored criminal activity by youth, the offenders reported.
The study found that 100 percent of youth reported adults ignored older youths fighting in the street, 74 percent said adults ignored youths selling drugs, 37 percent ignored property being vandalized and 20 percent ignored young children fighting.
These results suggest that adults are most likely to intervene in less serious crimes and when younger children are involved, Wilkinson said.
“Understandably, adults are more likely to get involved when they feel there is less danger to themselves,” she said. “Adults are intimidated by the older youths, and rightfully so.”
Bystanders or neutral parties got involved in only about 20 percent of the violent situations they witnessed, according to the youth who were interviewed – and rarely were their efforts effective in preventing violence.
Adults were also more likely to intervene when outsiders to the neighborhood were vandalizing property, selling drugs, or fighting, the study found.
Intervention was less likely when neighborhood youth were involved in crimes, because the adults are fearful of retaliation from young offenders they know.
“When the offenders are from the outside, the fear adults have is overcome by their desire to clean up the neighborhood,” Wilkinson said.
However, adults were more likely to intervene with young people with whom they had close personal ties, such as children of close friends.
“The adults that do intervene are the ones that these young people have known a long time, the ones that care about them,” Wilkinson said. “But even then there are limits – once youth are involved in serious, violent crimes, they begin cutting more ties to adults.”
Overall, the results show that adults have to consider a variety of factors when deciding whether to intervene to stop criminal activity of youth in their neighborhood.
“Adults look at the age of the youth involved, whether the offender is from the neighborhood, the severity of the crime, the likelihood of retaliation, and whether there is some kind of personal relationship,” Wilkinson said.
“It's not as easy as saying adults should be more involved in the lives of the adolescents in their neighborhood. There's a lot of factors adults have to consider.”
The best scenario would be for adults to try to intervene with children when they are still young and more willing to accept guidance from adults, she said.
While adults may be rightfully fearful of confronting violent youth in their neighborhoods, they can help in more subtle ways by being good role models, Wilkinson said.
These young people need to see adults who go to work and make a positive impact on society.
“We found that, in at least some situations, adults can influence the behaviors and thinking of teens and young men,” she said. “Despite their involvement in criminal activities, the youth in our study had aspirations for better lives free of the chaos of drugs and violence. We need to find ways to reach them when are younger.”
Wilkinson is putting what she learned in this and other studies into practice to help battle youth violence in Columbus . She recently initiated the OSU Youth Violence Prevention Advisory Board, which consists of 22 local justice, social service, community action, and prevention professionals to serve as a think tank for finding ways to turn violent youth and neighborhoods around.
“We are working toward developing new strategies for intervening with high risk youth in violent neighborhoods,” she said.
LIQUOR
Liquor Replacing Beer as Drink of Choice Among Teens: Report
July 27, 2007
Jointogether.org
Research Summary
A new report finds that more teen drinkers in four states are choosing liquor over beer, HealthDay News reported July 26.
Researchers found that more than 4 in 10 teens in Arkansas, New Mexico, Nebraska and Wyoming drank, and that bourbon, rum, scotch, vodka and whiskey were more popular with drinkers than beer. Liquor was the most popular alcoholic drink with teens in all four states, followed by beer or malt liquor, then wine. For example, 44.7 percent of Arkansas teens drank liquor, compared to 1.6 percent who drank wine.
Liquor was the most popular drink among girls in all four states, and the favorite of boys in three; only in Nebraska was beer more popular among boys.
James Garbutt, a professor of psychiatry at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, said, "It is intriguing that hard liquor is the preferred beverage. I wouldn't intuitively have thought that."
The study authors cautioned that findings from the four states may not apply to the rest of the U.S., but noted that the trend has been detected in other studies as well.
Researchers said that liquor may be more popular because it's easier to conceal by mixing with a soft drink, or the taste may be more palatable. Garbutt speculated that young drinkers also may prefer liquor because it get them drunk faster.
The research appears in the July 27, 2007 issue of the Center for Disease Control and Prevention's Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report.
Reference:
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2007) Types of Alcoholic Beverages Usually Consumed by Students in 9th-12th Grades --- Four States, 2005. Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report, 56(29): 737-740.
YOUTH SEX
States now easing up on youth sex cases
July 22, 2007
By John Gramlich
Stateline.org
Lawmakers across the country are doling out tougher punishments for sex offenders — from satellite tracking to the death penalty — but a handful of states are starting to ease up on penalties in cases of youths arrested for sex.
Laws enacted this year in Connecticut, Florida, Indiana and Texas try to draw clearer distinctions between sexual predators and adolescents who pose less of a risk, such as those caught in so-called "Romeo and Juliet" relationships. Even when adolescents are only a few years apart, consensual sexual encounters can lead to prosecution.
The case in Georgia of former high school football star Genarlow Wilson, who is serving a mandatory 10-year sentence after receiving consensual oral sex from a 15-year-old girl when he was 17, has attracted national attention, sparked bitter debate in the Legislature and was reviewed Friday by the state Supreme Court. Even the author of the statute used against Wilson says the sentence is a miscarriage of justice and wasn't the intent of the law.
Crackdown on adults
The new state policies take different approaches but share a goal of preventing low-risk adolescents from facing the same penalties as serious predators. Lawmakers who support the laws emphasize that the measures are not "soft" on crime, but are designed to eliminate unintended consequences — such as lifetime inclusion on sex-offender registries for young people convicted of less-serious infractions.
"The typical phone call I would get is the mother of a 20-year-old kid who got caught up in this and is now on the sex-offender registry and it's ruining his life," said Democratic Connecticut state Rep. Mike Lawlor, and chairman of the House Judiciary Committee and a former prosecutor. Lawlor said states are "getting a little more focused and trying to go after the real predators."
The new laws come amid an ongoing crackdown on sex offenders. States approved scores of measures targeting sex offenders in 2006, restricting where they can live, authorizing Global Positioning System satellites to track where they go and — in Oklahoma and South Carolina — allowing the death penalty for some sex crimes, according to an analysis by the National Conference of State Legislatures. This year has seen a similar flurry of activity intended to clamp down on sex offenders.
Widening of age gap
Connecticut lawmakers agreed to a compromise that widens the age gap between consenting sexual partners from two years to three, in an attempt to cut down on the number of "Romeo and Juliet" romances prosecuted. The original legislation called for a four-year gap.
Florida's new policy allows those involved in consensual sexual encounters — with no more than four years between them — to petition to have their names removed from state and national sex-offender registries.
In Indiana, a change in the law decriminalizes consensual sex between adolescents if they are found by a court to be in a "dating relationship" with an age difference of four years or less. Under the new policy, courts also will have discretion to determine whether violators should be included in the state's sex-offender registry.
"A teenager could have a lifetime of hell because of a misplaced tag (as a sex offender). But, on the other hand, society could have a hellish situation if we don't identify the right people," Indiana state Rep. Ralph Foley, a Republican who co-authored his state's bill, told Stateline.org. "We tried to look at both."
Texas, meanwhile, overhauled a risk-assessment system that, according to critics, allowed some juvenile offenders — including those having consensual sex with a younger partner — to receive a higher risk rating than many serious predators. Based on factors including age and relationship to the victim, the system often over-penalized the young and under-penalized those abusing members of their own family, critics said.
UNDERAGE DRINKING
States seek better ways to stop underage drinking
By Marissa DeCuir
Usatoday.com
Lawmakers across the USA are increasing efforts to combat underage drinking with new laws and strategies, including universal carding, online social networks, hotlines and laws targeting adult providers.
According to National Conference of State Legislatures (NCSL) research, states have passed 129 bills related to underage drinking this year after passing 166 such bills in 2006.
Matthew Gever, a policy associate with the NCSL's substance-abuse program, said it's apparent traditional interventions are not working. "They're looking for newer prevention programs or laws," he said.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates that just under half of high school students are drinkers.
"Underage drinking wasn't always considered a public health crisis as it is today," said Steve Schmidt, a vice president with the National Alcohol Beverage Control Association.
Among recent strategies:
- On July 1, Tennessee became the first state to require identification, no matter how old customers appear, for beer purchases anywhere other than at a bar or restaurant.
- Louisiana's Office of Alcohol and Tobacco Control has begun monitoring online social networks. Its East Baton Rouge division helped raid a party of underage drinkers in June after finding the location and advertisements on Facebook.com.
- Iowa began enforcing keg registration July 1. The target is adult hosts, said Lynn Walding, administrator of the Iowa Alcoholic Beverages Division.
- Frederick County, Md., upgraded a five-year-old hotline to accept tips about parties that will host underage drinkers.
- The New Jersey State Police are sending extra troopers to concerts that appeal to young adults. They arrested about 115 underage drinkers at two concerts last month.
- South Carolina raised fines this year for adults who supply minors with alcohol.
California Assemblywoman Sharon Runner has proposed legislation the past three years to create harsher fines for underage drinking. Runner's legislation failed in part, she said, because stiffer penalties also could mean more jail time and overcrowded jails.
"Eighteen- to 20-year-olds are not quite getting the message," she said.
OREGON
Schools told to get kids moving
July 30, 2007
Dhonline.com
The legislature has told Oregon schools to restore physical education to keep children from getting too fat.
It’s not clear how much of a difference the mandate makes. In Albany schools, for instance, middle schools already provide the amount of PE demanded by House Bill 3141, according to Maria Delapoer of the school district office.
The bill, which Gov. Ted Kulongoski signed last week, gives schools 10 years to offer at least 150 minutes a week of PE in kindergarten through fifth grade, and 225 minutes in grades six through eight. At least half the time has to be in “actual physical activity.”
The instruction, according to the bill, should be designed “to help students develop the knowledge, motor skills, self-management skills, attitudes and confidence needed to adopt and maintain physical activity throughout their lives.”
The bill doesn’t apply to high schools.
In a statement, the American Heart Association and other supporters said the bill intended “to arrest the obesity epidemic and the growing levels of inactivity of Oregon’s youth.”
The new legislation provides $1 million, with $860,000 targeted for a grant program to support schools in meeting the new PE standards. The other $140,000 is allocated to fund an inventory of PE instruction among the state’s roughly 200 school districts.
Childhood obesity is a serious problem in Oregon, according to the Oregon Sports Authority Foundation. It said 25 percent of Oregon’s eighth-graders are overweight or at risk for becoming overweight, and this number has been increasing.
The rise in childhood obesity is partly due to the fact that physical education is no longer a mandatory part of the school day, according to the group.
The foundation says obesity has a high cost: $781 million was spent in Oregon in 2003 on obesity-related medical expenses.
The PE legislation was pushed through the 2007 legislature by Senate President Peter Courtney, D-Salem, and others.
According to the bill, 28 percent of eighth-graders and 21 percent of 11th-graders are overweight.
Among Oregon adults, some 22 percent — or one in five — are considered obese, which is the highest rate of any state in the West.
In its preamble, the legislation also says that physical activity offers young people many health benefits in addition to controlling weight.
CONGRESS
Bayh legislation cracks down on gang recruiting
By Chris Proffitt
Wthr.com
Senator Evan Bayh is putting street gangs on notice. Bayh is co-sponsor of a bill that makes recruiting and criminal activities of gangs a federal crime.
According to the FBI, there are now more gang members in the US, an estimated 800,000, than there are police. In Marion County alone, law enforcement estimates more than 1,600 gang members.
We have to punish those people who are about recruiting our young men and women from the streets to sell drugs and participate in gangs," said Sgt. Timothy Knight, IMPD.
For the first time, that punishment could become a federal crime. Indiana Senator Evan Bayh is co-sponsor of anti-gang legislation, that would among other things, stiffen the penalties for gang recruiting, especially if the member is a minor.
"For the first time, we make recruiting young people into gangs a federal offense. We can prosecute people who lure young people into participating in gangs by making that a federal crime," said Sen. Bayh.
Bayh is also throwing his support behind a bill that doubles funding for community policing to over $1.1 billion nationally. The bill would set aside over $9 million to hire extra law enforcement in Indiana.
"The federal government needs to step up, provide more resources to our cities and towns and help fund policemen and women fighting the crime problem we currently have," said the senator.
Youth mentors from Indianapolis are more blunt in assessing the city's gang problems.
"We are definitely at war. Make no mistake. And it's one we can't afford to lose," said Tony Wallace, Security Dads founder.
That war could soon put street gangs in the crosshairs of the federal government, no longer content to watch American street gang membership grow.
The bill was overwhelmingly approved by the Senate judiciary committee last month and now goes to the full Senate.
SCHIP
Senate panel backs youth health plan
Amid veto threat, the 17-4 vote to expand the program highlights its popularity.
July 20, 2007
By Ricardo Alonso-Zaldivar
Latimes.com
Defying a veto threat from President Bush, a Senate panel on Thursday overwhelmingly approved a compromise to expand health insurance for children of low-income working families by sharply hiking tobacco taxes.
The 17-4 Finance Committee vote underscored the popularity of the State Children's Health Insurance Program, which insures about 6 million children across the country. In California, where the program covers about 800,000 children, it is known as Healthy Families.
Six of the 10 Republicans on the panel joined all 11 Democrats in supporting the plan.
Until now, the program has been a federal-state collaboration with broad support from both parties. Backers fear it will become a lightning rod for partisan politics, jeopardizing its future. Legal authority for the program expires Sept. 30, and its renewal is generally considered the most important healthcare decision Congress will make this year.
The program costs the federal government about $5 billion a year, with states contributing additional amounts. The Senate plan would add about $35 billion in federal money over five years, enough to cover an additional 3.3 million out of as many as 9 million uninsured children.
To pay for that, the plan would boost taxes on tobacco products. The cigarette tax would rise to $1 a pack from 39 cents now. And taxes on cigars would more than double to as much as $10 for the most expensive ones.
"It doesn't make me comfortable to advocate for such a large increase in spending," said Sen. Orrin G. Hatch (R-Utah), a panel member. "But it's important to note that [the program] has been tremendously successful. And one of the lessons we've learned is that it's going to cost more to cover additional kids."
Hatch, one of the authors of the program in the late 1990s, helped negotiate the committee compromise.
But Bush wants to hold the line on spending, adding about $5 billion to the program over five years. Critics say that is too little, and with the rising cost of healthcare, it will not be enough to cover all the children currently in the program.
Democrats in the House — and many in the Senate — want to spend an additional $50 billion or more to cover the majority of uninsured children. But the Republican backers of the Senate plan have said they would not support such a funding increase.
During an appearance in Nashville on Thursday, Bush denounced the Senate plan as "the beginning salvo of the encroachment of the federal government on the healthcare system."
The day before, in Landover, Md., he said: "If Congress continues to insist upon expanding healthcare through the S-CHIP program — which, by the way, would entail a huge tax increase for the American people — I'll veto the bill."
Such polarization of the issue would undermine the consensus on covering children, one of the few areas of agreement in the contentious debate over how to expand healthcare coverage and rein in costs.
"This program was developed as a compromise and does not reflect any one party's ideological views," said Alan Weil, director of the National Academy for State Health Policy, a nonpartisan group that advises states. "It would be a really tragic development … to drag it into the 50-year-old debate about the role of government in healthcare."
In a letter to the Senate panel, Health and Human Services Secretary Mike Leavitt warned that the legislation would "dramatically shift costs to the federal government and increase the number of individuals who become dependent on government programs for health insurance."
Leavitt called the tobacco levy a "massive, regressive tax increase."
But Senate Finance Committee Chairman Max Baucus (D-Mont.) accused the administration of "blocking the way" for children, adding that he sees the tobacco tax increase as a public health measure that will save lives.
"When given the choice between standing with big tobacco companies and standing with kids, I stand with America's children," Baucus fired back in a letter to Leavitt.
Hatch called the Senate plan "a true compromise, a conservative-liberal compromise."
Supporters of a major expansion of the children's program include the American Cancer Society, the American Medical Assn. and AARP, the seniors lobby. It is also backed by America's Health Insurance Plans, the main health insurance industry trade group. Most of the children covered under the program are enrolled in private managed-care insurance plans.
Bush wants Congress to also consider a plan he unveiled in his State of the Union message to provide tax deductions for individuals and families to buy private health insurance.
But Baucus said that proposal was too complex and too controversial to attach to the children's legislation and accused the administration of attempting to hold the children's program "hostage" unless it gets its way.
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