Brutal bullies: What makes kids cruel?

From MSNBC: Case of tormented teen raises disturbing questions

The last few months of 15-year-old Phoebe Prince's life were filled with unrelenting torment, according to reports by fellow students.

Classmates at the Irish immigrant's Massachusetts high school called Prince a "whore" and an "Irish slut," students said. They defaced her school photo with obscene drawings, sent her threatening text messages and whispered — or shouted — insults in school hallways.

On Jan. 14, witnesses say, she was taunted by a group of classmates in the library and hit with a can of Red Bull thrown from a moving car. That afternoon, Prince went home and hanged herself with a scarf.

Nine students have now been charged with harassment and other bullying-related crimes, spurring national debate about the role of the justice system and the culpability of the school administration. But Prince's case raises another, more elemental question: Why are kids so cruel?

Beginnings of bullying research

Research into bullying didn't start until the 1970s, when psychologist Dan Olweus began to study the phenomenon in Norwegian schoolchildren. In fact, much of the study was triggered by the suicides of several young victims of bullying, said René Veenstra, a sociologist at the University of Groningen in the Netherlands.


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Since then, decades of research have shown that the power differential between bullies and victims is a crucial component of the interaction.

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Lifeforce: AIDS Awareness and Prevention Comic Book

AVAILABLE NOW: Lifeforce AIDS Awareness and Prevention Comic Book

To Order CLICK "ADD TO CART" TO PURCHASE - $3.00

AIDS Awareness and Prevention Comic Book - Lifeforce Comics

In the latest Lifeforce comic book, the adventure continues as five super-powered teenagers - Lightning Bolt, fearless leader and possessor of electricity, Firestone - dynamic fiery warrior, Counterstrike - crimefighter with ability to reverse any attack, Reactor - armor-clad powerhouse and Lightspeed - energy-powered super-speedster - must stand against the threat of Agent AIDS, the villainous embodiment of the deadly disease that's has plagued the world for decades. - 16 pages; magazine size; $3.00

In the process of the adventure, information about the disease and its dangers are featured. Beginning with a brief look at each hero just before they face off with a boasting Agent AIDS trying to take over the world, Lifeforce make their presence known. Afterwards, they must use teamwork carefully or face defeat.

Can this team of teen heroes overcome the power of Agent AIDS or, at least, this time? And who is the mysterious Captain Life and what is his connection to the team? Is he friend or foe?

Lifeforce: AIDS AWARENESS AND PREVENTION edition is a landmark in the comic book series whose goal is to both educate and entertain. This edition comes in both magazine and digest sizes with color cover and 16 b/w interior pages. Also features U.S. State-by-State AIDS Awareness and Prevention contact information and resources on the backcover. An excellent graphic novel/comic book series for Schools, Libraries, Community Centers and Health Facilities.

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AIDS Awareness Video

ONE.org  TV

Prescription Drug Abuse is Increasing Among Teens

The newest drug addicts are prescription drug addicts

Atlanta, GA 4/02/2010 07:28 PM GMT (TransWorldNews)

Teen drug abuse is on the rise. In a recent report from the U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) it states seven out of the top 11 drugs abused by 12th graders are prescription drugs and over-the-counter medications. The newest drug addicts are prescription drug addicts.

TV and movies are prime entertainment for teens. These are also flooded with drug promotions. "In the movie" ads and prescription drug taking implications are constantly promoted. Television ads are always showing cheery people on some prescription drug and assert "ask your doctor" if this drug is right for you. However, as Narconon Georgia points out, most drug takers are seldom the cheery people seen in the drug ads and far too many become chronic drug takers.

The average American is bombarded at every turn with magazines, TV and radio all promoting some sort of drug advertising. Congress unleashed the flood gates a few years back succumbing to drug company lobbyists to make it legal for drug companies to advertise their wares on television. The result: 23.1 million Americans in need of drug rehabilitation according to the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy and increasing numbers of teens are using prescribed and over-the-counter medications to get high according to the DEA.

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Nine Charged in Bullying of Massachusetts Teen Who Killed Herself

Associated Press:Nine teens charged in the 'unrelenting' bullying of girl who killed herself, and two of them charged with statutory rape.

NORTHAMPTON, Mass. -- Nine teens have been charged in the "unrelenting" bullying of a teenage girl from Ireland who killed herself after being raped and enduring months of torment by classmates in person and online, a prosecutor said Monday.

Northwestern District Attorney Elizabeth Scheibel said 15-year-old Phoebe Prince of South Hadley was stalked and harassed nearly constantly from September until she killed herself Jan. 14. The freshman had recently moved to western Massachusetts from Ireland.

"The investigation revealed relentless activities directed toward Phoebe to make it impossible for her to stay at school. The bullying for her was intolerable," Scheibel said.

Six teens -- four girls and two boys -- face charges including statutory rape, assault, violation of civil rights resulting in injury, criminal harassment, disturbance of a school assembly and stalking. Three younger girls face delinquency charges.

Scheibel said the harassment began in September. She said school officials knew about the bullying, but none will face criminal charges.

"The actions of these students were primarily conducted on school grounds during school hours and while school was in session," the prosecutor said.

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Al Gore Calls for Earth Day YouTube Video Volunteers

Earn your favorite climate change organization front-page exposure on YouTube by filming a short video.

"This Earth Day, we need more than just another celebration — we need a revolution: A clean energy revolution," eco-warrior Al Gore says in a new video on YouTube's blog. "One that tells our leaders we can't afford to wait any longer to pass meaningful climate and energy legislation." In honor of Earth Day's 40th anniversary, the former vice president and Inconvenient Truth star is asking environmental advocates everywhere to do a little something extra to help spread the word.

YouTube's Video Volunteers is "a simple way for you to help raise awareness for causes you care about, and compete for recognition of your work on the YouTube homepage." This month, Al Gore and the Alliance for Climate Protection are serving as Video Volunteers' guest curator. In just 3 simple steps, you could have your video on climate change featured on the YouTube homepage CLICK HERE TO READ MORE>>>

CHICAGO SUN-TIMES: 16 shot -- including two fatally -- in span of about two hours - 4-2-10

CHICAGO: 16 shot -- including two fatally -- in span of about two hours

At least 16 people were shot -- including two men who died and six people who were wounded in one chaotic Englewood incident -- in a span of about two hours late Thursday into early Friday.

The first shooting occurred at 10:54 p.m. at 7900 S. Anthony Ave. In that incident, a 28-year-old man was shot in the leg, according to a South Chicago District police officer. The victim did not suffer life-threatening injuries.

At 11:15 p.m. officers responding to a call of a person shot and found a 30-year-old man shot in the 6400 block of South Paulina Street, according to police. Brian Moore of 720 E. 70th St. was pronounced dead at 1:38 a.m. at Mount Sinai Hospital Hospital, according to a spokeswoman for the Cook County Medical Examiner’s Office.

At 11:50 p.m. a 21-year-old man was standing with a group in a parking lot at 7859 S. Cornell Ave. when a man and a woman approached. Someone in the group made an offensive comment to the woman and her companion shot the 21-year-old, who was struck once in the buttocks and taken to Jackson Park Hospital in “stable” condition, the South Chicago District officer said.

In the Bronzeville neighborhood about 12:15 a.m. ,a man identified by the medical examiner's office as Jermaine Streeter, 27, was fatally shot. Streeter, of 3812 S. Michigan Ave., was pronounced dead at 1:04 a.m. at John H. Stroger Jr. Hospital of Cook County.

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Links In The Fight Against Gangs, Crime and Bullying - Information Resources

National Crime Prevention Council: Protecting What Matters

* Find Youth Information - This website offers federally-developed interactive tools and other resources to help community organizations and partnerships in your efforts to support youth. Included are tools and resources to help you form effective partnerships, assess community assets, understand risk factors and protective factors, generate maps of local and Federal resources, and search for evidence-based youth programs.

* Into The Abyss: A Personal Journey into the World of Street Gangs, by Mike Carlie, Ph.D, Copyright © 2002 Michael K. Carlie Continually updated - Missouri State University Faculty Website - This website explores over 80 different gang-related topics and offers more than 2,400 links to useful gang-related websites on the Internet.