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Story Lead:
Games Teach Children to Avoid Violence
Synopsis
"Safety is when I can stand on my street corner and not have to worry about a drive by," a student from the Perkins school in South Boston explained in his fourth grade classroom. His teacher, a thirty year veteran of the public school system, proceeded to ask "What is a drive by?"
This exchange illustrates a problem in some schools: how can children resist the violence they face without the help of someone who shares similar experiences?
The Peace Games organization teaches conflict resolution skills that children can apply and believe in. Peace Games pairs college volunteers with elementary and junior high classrooms, where the volunteers teach one hour weekly lessons on conflict resolution. Though many volunteers do not have the firsthand experience with violence that the children do, they work to combat conflict through discussion, games, and projects.
"As long as a child can say or think, ‘That may work for you in your peaceful home in your peaceful suburb, but you don’t have to walk on my streets,’ we cannot hope for an effective transfer of nonviolent behavior to the child … " explains Professor Meredith Watts, a professor at Northeastern University’s Criminal Justice College, But she says, "This does not mean that the teacher must be from the child’s environment, but it does mean that the teacher must be able to convey that non-violent behavior is not only ‘nicer,’ but that it is better in a very practical way."
Kara Griswold is a Peace Games volunteer. This is her second year in the same classroom. Because of the increased intimacy, Griswold says that there are "greater trust issues" with the students, and that she knows more about how they learn. Griswold feels the program encourages the students to rely on each other as role models, and develop relationships by working together in small groups.
School programs to combat violence have been criticized as ineffective. But much literature points to strong relationships as they key to lasting results in preventing violence. Researchers David W. and Roger T. Johnson suggest that "in order to create and infrastructure of personal and academic support, schools need to encourage long-term caring and committed relationships" (Educational Leadership). Researchers Larry Brendtro and Nicholas Long have found that "The most powerful restraints on violent behavior are healthy human attachments" (Educational Leadership).
Eric Dawson, the executive director of Peace Games, agrees with the experts. "Part of the lesson (of Peace Games) is that they need to find someone they trust." He says the program gains the students’ respect and commitment through its reliability. "One lesson I asked the kids, ‘Who is someone that you trust?’ ‘I trust you Eric,’ said one ten year-old boy, ‘because you came back.’"
Program
Peace Games
PRIVATE 240B Elm St., Suite B10B Elm St., Suite B10B Elm St., Suite B10B Elm St., Suite B10 tc \l 1240 "B Elm St., Suite B10"
Somerville, MA 02144
(617) 628-5555
fax: (617) 776-5577
www.peacegames.org
- Peace Games is a program that sends college students and community volunteers
into Boston area classroom to work with elementary and junior high school
students teaching violence prevention and conflict resolution.
- The 18- week curriculum is comprised of lessons that emphasize role-playing,
games, and discussions.
- Curriculum changes to accommodate developmental needs of children grades
1-8.
- Peace Games brings together diverse groups of students to challenge them
to address complex issues of violence on a personal, community , and global
level.
- Peace Games encourages students to become catalysts for creative change
in their own communities
(All the above information derived from the Peace Games program overview
brochure.)
Story Contacts
Mark Abdela
Director of Development
249 Elm Street
Somerville, MA 02144
(617) 628-5555
fax: (617) 776-5577
www.peacegames.org
Eric Dawson
Peace Games Executive Director
240B Elm Street, Suite B 10.
Somerville, MA 02144
(617) 628-5555
fax: (617) 776-5577
http://www.peacegames.org
Kara Griswold
Peace Games volunteer and school coordinator
Kgriswol@emerald.tufts.edu
or contact through Peace Games
Volunteers in a fifth grade classroom in Dorchester’s Richard Murphy School,
and also serves as a liaison between the entire school and the Peace Games
program.
Expert Contact
Meredith W. Watts
Visiting professor at Northeastern University’s Criminal Justice College
400 Churchill Hall
Boston, MA 02115
(617) 373-2727
mwatts@lynx.dac.neu.edu
Relevant area: political scientist specializing in youth and politics.
Background
Every day in America, it is estimated that 16 children are shot and killed
by a handgun, 315 children are arrested for committing violent crimes, and
100,000 handguns go into our public schools. (Hammond, Rodney. (April 28,
1998). Prepared statement given before the House Education and the Work Force
Committee in Early Childhood Youth and Families Subcommittee, by the National
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, DHHS. Federal News Service.)
"Studies show that just as students learn how to read or ride a bike, our
children learn how to fight, hate, and kill. But if violent behavior can be
learned, so can the skills of peacemaking." (www.peacegames.org.)
49% of students in Peace Games in 1996 reported seeing or knowing someone
who had been shot, killed, or stabbed and 32% knew someone who had brought
a gun or knife into their school. (www.peacegames.org)
According to the Harvard School of Public Health, more than one-half of all
violent crimes against teenagers ages 12 to 19 took place in school buildings,
on school property or on the street. 22% of American high school students
surveyed in 1993 said they feared for their safety while in school. (Fact
Sheet from the Harvard School of Public Health--Violence in America. Office
of Government and Community Programs. 677 Huntington Ave. Boston, MA 02155.)
In a survey of 720 school districts nationwide, 82% reported an increase in
violence in their schools over the last five years. (Fact Sheet from the Harvard
School of Public Health--Violence in America. Office of Government and Community
Programs. 677 Huntington Ave. Boston, MA 02155.)
Most public schools report having formal school violence prevention programs.
(Heaviside, S., Rowand, C., Williams, C., & Farris, E. Violence and discipline
problems in U.S. public schools: 1996-97. U.S. Government Printing Office,
Superintendent of Documents, Mail Stop: SSOP, Washington, DC 20402-9328.)
In one study on the effectiveness of a violence prevention program, results
showed boys more positively effected by the program than girls. This may be
due to the fact that the program teachers were men, whom some boys may have
viewed as role models, (Farrell, A.D. & Mever, A.L. (1997). The effectiveness
of a school-based curriculum for reducing violence among urban sixth-grade
students. American Journal of Public Health, 87. 979-984)
References Fact Sheet from the Harvard School of Public Health--Violence
in America. Office of Government and Community Programs. 677 Huntington Ave.
Boston, MA 02155.
Farrell, A.D. & Mever, A.L. (1997). The effectiveness of a school-based curriculum
for reducing violence among urban sixth-grade students. American Journal
of Public Health, 87. 979-984
Hammond, Rodney. (April 28, 1998). Prepared statement given before the House
Education and the Work Force Committee in Early Childhood Youth and Families
Subcommittee, by the National Centers for Disease Control and Prevention,
DHHS. Federal News Service.
Heaviside, S., Rowand, C., Williams, C., & Farris, E. Violence and discipline
problems in U.S. public schools: 1996-97. U.S. Government Printing Office,
Superintendent of Documents, Mail Stop: SSOP, Washington, DC 20402-9328.
Related Coverage
Schmike, Anne, (July 16, 1998). Creating success to combat violence: Project’s
focus is teaching new skills. The Washington Post.
Springer, J. (August 28, 1998). Report urges violence prevention programs
for schools. The Hartford Courant. p. A7.
Violence-prevention plan is proposed for children. (April 17, 1998). The
New York Times. Section B; p. 4, Metropolitan Desk.
Weldon, Michele. (June 21, 1998). Website has tips on violence prevention.
Chicago Tribune. p.3
Compiled by:
Christina Lembo and Karen Smillie
Posted: April 10, 1999
Updated: February 15, 2000