Street children, as the offspring of complex contemporary urban environments, represent one of our most serious global challenges. Article discusses the causes of this phenomenon, characteristics of street children throughout the world, and specific circumstances in Nepal, Indonesia, India, Latin America, and the Philippines. (Author/EMK)

Describes fathers whose children were born to teenage mothers in Baltimore, Maryland, in 1983. These fathers were at a serious educational and financial disadvantage when compared to fathers whose partners were aged 20 or above. White teenage fathers had lower educational attainment than Black; many more Black teenage fathers were unmarried than…

This essay with photographs describes the experiences of two runaways, examining why they left home and how they found help. Although runaways have a reputation for being irresponsible, they usually have good reasons for leaving home. The nun who ran Noah's Ark, where both the runaways featured found shelter and help, estimated that only about two…

Although not every American is touched directly by violence, it is hard for anyone to escape the problems of violent crime completely. This book, designed for the education of young readers, discusses violence and explores reactions to it. It is stressed that violence is not a new problem in the United States or in the world, but rather a…

Describes the development and implementation difficulties with the California Wellness Foundation's initiative to improve children's environment, how children's participation helped resolve initiative difficulties, and the development of several pilot projects. Articles describing research conducted in various parts of the planning project and the…

The story of the Stop the Violence movement among rap music artists and music industry colleagues is told, along with the story of a video that was produced as part of this initiative. The Stop the Violence project grew out of the reaction to violence among concert goers at a 1987 rap concert on Long Island (New York). Rap musicians have joined…

Reports results of a survey administered to the general public in a large midwestern city on public perceptions of youth gang crime. The 306 residents (aged 14 years and over) of Indianapolis (Indiana) surveyed generally feel that youth gang crime is more serious in areas other than their own. (SLD)

Describes the City at Peace program originated in Washington, DC, by Creative Response, a nonprofit group that promotes international peace and cross-cultural understanding through the performing arts. The Washington program staged an original musical in January 1993, written and performed by local teenagers, about the problems of racism, drug…

The sexually charged "Kids" was one of the most controversial films about teenage sexuality and youth of 1995. The pessimism and one-dimensionality of the film foster a conservative pedagogy and politics that fail to break dominant discourse about subordinate youth in this country. (SLD)

Sources of the crises faced by young black men lie not in the young men, but in society which portrays them as stereotypes. Social conditions are at the root of the following problems of black males: (1) lowered life expectancy; (2) risk of criminality; (3) poor economic conditions; (4) inadequate education; (5) drugs and gang violence; and (6)…

This document presents a systematic, comparative review of three reports: (1) "Community Consultation on Prostitution in British Columbia: Overview of Results" (released in March 1996 by the Ministry of the Attorney General in British Columbia); (2) "Children Involved in Prostitution" (from Alberta in January 1997); and (3)…

This teacher's guide to the nine week, junior high course "Youth and the Law" provides a conceptual framework around the facts of the student book of the same title (SO 006 833) that deals with broad issues of law and responsibility. The guide helps the teacher convey to students the value of law and helps the student channel his energy,…

This student book for the nine week, junior high course "Youth and the Law" addresses juvenile delinquency. The content is organized by chapters dealing with growing up, juvenile crime, causes of delinquency laws, vandalism and shoplifting, and four case studies in delinquency. The students are asked to consider what adolescence is and how it…

Books in the Opposing Viewpoints series challenge readers to question their own opinions and assumptions. By reading carefully balanced views, readers confront new ideas on the topic of interest. Although some experts believe that the problem of teenage pregnancy has been overstated, other recent studies have led many people to believe that…

Books in the Opposing Viewpoints Series present debates about current issues that can be used to teach critical reading and thinking skills. The variety of opinions expressed in this collection of articles and book excerpts explores many aspects of juvenile crime. It is a commonly held view that the number of crimes committed by juveniles is…