White House Conference on School Safety: Causes and Prevention of Youth Violence

• NCJ Number: 173399
• Date Published: October 1998
• Length: 0 pages
• Publication Series: OJJDP Teleconference Videotapes
• Agencies: OJJDP-Sponsored

Annotation

This two-part video presents the proceedings of the 1998 "White House Conference on School Safety: Causes and Prevention of Youth Violence," which involves presentations by three panels, hosted by First Lady Hillary Clinton, President Clinton, and Attorney General Janet Reno, respectively.

Abstract

The first session opens with welcoming and introductory remarks by First Lady Hillary Clinton, in which she emphasizes the importance of developing environments and programs that both prevent and protect children from violence while on school grounds. Attorney General Janet Reno then focuses on the Justice Department's efforts to prevent juvenile violence, followed by Secretary of Education Riley's comments on how Federal efforts can aid local schools in providing greater safety for students and teachers. Panel members then discuss the importance of preventing youth from having access to guns and the identification of students who have mental health needs, as well as the provision of services to meet those needs. In the second session of the conference, Vice President Gore provides an overview of a comprehensive policy for safe schools. President Clinton then outlines some of the features of the Clinton administration's program to improve school safety. They include having smaller classes with well-prepared teachers, funding for an increase in the number of school community service officers, encouraging conflict-resolution instruction, the adoption of school uniforms, and funding for after-school opportunities for children and youth. Panel members in this second session discuss local programs for preventing and responding to school violence, research findings on the causes of youth violence, and the recommendations of the Conference of Mayors on how to address school violence. The third session, moderated by Attorney General Janet Reno, describes some local programs that have been effective in responding to school violence. These programs include one that engages parents in providing social supports for children ages 3-13 and their families ("Families and Schools Together"); a comprehensive school-based program in conflict resolution and intercultural understanding ("The Resolving Conflict Creatively Program"); a program to reduce juvenile crime and victimization through interaction between youth and police officers in a positive setting (Baltimore Police Athletic League); and San Diego County's comprehensive strategy for reducing youth crime and violence. A participant packet accompanies the two videos.