… building the capacity of and linkages among
systems to prevent family violence
… creating safe communities by educating
targeted groups of people about
family violence and its prevention
Warren County United (WCU) to End Family Violence is a group of concerned individuals who have worked to design and implement
a strategic plan to prevent family violence. Our work is funded by the Anthem Foundation of Ohio, and the Abuse and Rape Crisis
Shelter of Warren County is the administrative and fiscal agent for WCU. Call or E-mail for more information, or to have your name
removed from our mailing list.
[email protected]
513-695-1986
January 2006
Volume 1, Issue 1
IN THIS ISSUE:
ISSUE FEATURE: Impact of Entertainment Violence on Children
Page 1, 2, 3, 4
Domestic Violence Law Upheld in Warren County, Ohio
(Reprint of Enquirer newspaper article)
Page 5
The Workplace: Drawing the (Bottom) Line on Domestic
Violence (Reprint of New York Times article)
Page 4, 5
Warren County Schools Implement Violence Prevention Programs
Page 6
Incredible Years Counseling Techniques Can Replace Children’s Drugs
Page 7
IMPACT OF ENTERTAINMENT VIOLENCE ON CHILDREN
More violent media gets produced and marketed every day. Video games have taken center stage as an especially
powerful and violent influence. Players actively engage in maiming, killing, and raping victims in an effort for a high
score or to “win” the game. Studies have shown the potential adverse effects of excessive exposure to media include:
increased violent behavior; obesity, decreased physical activity and fitness, increased cholesterol levels and sodium
intake; repetitive strain injury (video computer games); insomnia; photic seizures; impaired school performance;
increased sexual activity and use of tobacco and alcohol; decreased attention span; decreased family communication;
desensitization; excess consumer focus.
Here are several ways that parents can reduce the effect media violence
has on children and help children to develop media literacy skills:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
Limit the amount of television children watch to 1 to 2 hours a day.
Monitor the programs children watch and restrict children's viewing of violent programs.
Monitor the music videos and films children see, as well as the music children listen to, for violent themes.
Watch television with children and discuss the violent acts and images that are portrayed.
Help children distinguish between fantasy and reality.
Teach them that real-life violence has consequences. Ask children to think about what would happen in real life
if the same type of violent act were committed. Would anyone die or go to jail? Would anyone be sad? Would
the violence solve problems or create them?
Ask children how they feel after watching a violent TV show, movie, or music video.
Teach children alternatives to violence
Page 1 of 8
ENTERTAINMENT VIOLENCE
Information from: The Joint Statement on The Impact
of Entertainment Violence on Children
July 26,2000 Congressional Public Health Summit signed by:
American Medical Association; American Academy of Pediatrics; American Psychological
Association ; American Psychiatric Association; American Academy of Family Physicians;
American Academy of Child &Adolescent Psychiatry (Full Statement may be viewed at
www.aap.org)
THE AVERAGE AMERICAN CHILD:
spends as much as 28 hours a week watching television
typically spends at least an hour a day playing video games or surfing the
internet
spends several more hours each week watching movies and videos, and listening
to music.
THE EFFECTS OF CHILDREN’S EXPOSURE TO VIOLENT ENTERTAINMENT:
1. Children who see a lot of violence are more likely to view violence as an effective way of settling conflicts.
2. Children exposed to violence are more likely to assume that acts of violence are acceptable behavior.
3. Viewing violence can lead to emotional desensitization towards violence in real life. It can decrease the likelihood that
one will take action on behalf of a victim when violence occurs.
4. Entertainment violence feeds a perception that the world is a violent and mean place. Viewing violence increases fear
of becoming a victim of violence, with a resultant increase in self-protective behaviors and a mistrust of others.
5. Viewing violence may lead to real life violence. Children exposed to violent programming at a young age have a higher
tendency for violent and aggressive behavior later in life than children who are not exposed.
“…Television, movies, music and interactive games are powerful learning tools and highly influential media. When these
entertainment media showcase violence – and particularly in a context which glamorizes or trivializes it – the lessons learned
can be destructive. The conclusion of the public health community, based on over 30 years of research, is that viewing
entertainment violence can lead to increases in aggressive attitudes, values and behavior, particularly in children. We in no
way mean to imply that entertainment violence is the sole, or even necessarily the most important factor contributing to youth
aggression anti-social attitudes and violence - Family breakdown peer influences the availability of weapons and numerous other
TWO CENTS ON NEW 50 CENT VIDEO GAME
By Jim Steyer, November 24, 2005
Popular rapper 50 Cent told a reporter this week that parents should buy their kids his new video game 50 Cent: Bulletproof
despite the fact that the game received an M rating, meaning it is not suitable for anyone under 17. "Just because it is
rated mature doesn't mean you shouldn't buy it for your kids," 50 Cent told Reuters. "Play the game and explain to them
what they are playing." The problem is that 50 Cent: Bulletproof and similar games, like Grand Theft Auto, contain nothing
that is worth teaching kids. I have the feeling that any parents who actually sat down to play a game like Bulletproof with
their children would be shocked very quickly by its ultraviolent content. Players in Bulletproof and similar games are
rewarded for killing. The more people they kill, the "better" they have performed. The lessons of these video games are
deeply destructive.
Page 2 of 8
Violent video games desensitize players to real-world violence
Dec. 5, 2005 ANN ARBOR, Mich.—Playing violent video games changes brain function and
desensitizes chronic players to violence, a new study shows. Forthcoming in the Journal of
Experimental Social Psychology, the study was conducted by Bruce Bartholow, an assistant
professor of psychology at the University of Missouri-Columbia, Marc Sestir at the University of
North Carolina at Chapel Hill, and Bushman, a U-M professor of psychology and communications
studies and a faculty associate at the U-M Institute for Social Research (ISR). "It's already well
known that playing violent video games increases aggressive behavior and decreases helping
behavior," said University of Michigan researcher Brad Bushman. "But this study is the first to link
exposure to violent video games with a diminished reaction to violent images."
California State Assemblyman Leland Yee recently said: “When the leading national medical and psychological associations
agree that ultra-violent video games lead to aggressive behavior, then as a community we must protect our children. Eightyseven percent of children between 8-17 years of age play video or computer games and about 60 percent list their favorite
games as rated M for Mature, which are games designed for adults. Unfortunately, many parents don’t realize that in the
top selling games, the player actively participates in and is rewarded for violence, including killing police officers, maiming
elderly persons, running over pedestrians, and torturing women and racial minorities.”
Common Sense Media, December 16, 2005: Senators Formally Introduce Federal Violent Video Game Bill: U.S.
Senators Hillary Clinton, Joseph Lieberman and Evan Bayh recently, formally introduced the Family Entertainment
Protection Act at a press conference, calling for tighter regulation on the sale of ultra violent and sexually explicit video
games to kids. The act calls for a prohibition on sales of Mature and Adults Only-rated games to minors, an annual analysis of
the ERSB’s rating system, and an annual audit of video game retailers. In announcing the bill, Clinton said the holiday season
was a particularly opportune time to raise awareness that not all video games are appropriate for kids. “Video games are hot
holiday items, and there are certainly wonderful games that help our children learn and increase hand and eye coordination,”
she said. “However, there are also games that are just not appropriate for our nation’s youth.” Lieberman pointed out that
the rights of gamers will be protected. “We are not interested in censoring videos meant for adult entertainment but we do
want to ensure that these videos are not purchased by minors. Our bill will help accomplish this by imposing fines on those
retailers that sell M- rated games to minors, putting purchasing power back in the hands of watchful parents."
Associated Press
Updated: 4:17 p.m. ET Nov. 27, 2005
HOW MUCH TECH IS TOO MUCH FOR KIDS?
Parents struggle with gadget overload
It’s a 21st century twist to age-old kid-parent tensions. Parents are used to judging when the time is right to buy junior a
10-speed or get their daughter’s ears pierced. Now they face additional duties deciding when it’s OK to let their children
tune out or reach out with the likes of pocket-sized music players and cell phones. Kids pine for them, but parents are leery.
Experts in child psychology say parents should resist making such major purchases without first taking into account the
child’s maturity, the family’s values and other factors. There’s no magic age when children can handle an electronic device —
one 14-year-old might be ready for expanded freedom while another 16-year-old might not. Experts say parents considering
a purchase are better off asking some questions first: Can we afford it? What are the risks versus the rewards? For
instance, will a cell phone be used mostly for chatter or for contacting parents? Does the child really want the device? Or
does she seem to be reacting to peer pressure and advertising campaigns?
“This tendency we’re seeing is really just market driven,” said child psychologist Lawrence E. Shapiro, author of “The Secret
Language of Children.” “Kids certainly don’t need these devices; they’re just made to feel that they need these devices.”
Page 3 of 8
CABLE INDUSTRY MOVE WILL GIVE PARENTS MORE CONTROL
By Jim Steyer, December 13, 2005
At a hearing before the Senate Commerce Committee on Monday, representatives of the cable industry announced that
several major cable operators were planning to offer family-friendly channel packages to their customers in response to
concerns raised by a host of organizations across the country. This is very good news for America’s kids and families. The
new family tiers will help give parents more control over the channels that come into their homes. The family tiers, which
will likely be made available in early to mid 2006, simply give parents more consumer choice. It’s a common sense move to
improve the media environment for America’s families, and we applaud the industry’s decision.
However, while parents may now have more choice over what channels they receive into their homes, that does not mean that
they can stop monitoring what their kids are watching. Parents need simple, easy to use information at the point of decision.
Even great family entertainment can contain material that frightens or confuses young kids, and parents will always be the
best people to help explain these situations.
IN THE WORKPLACE
DRAWING A (BOTTOM) LINE ON DOMESTIC VIOLENCE
Lisa Belkin The New York Times
Tuesday, December 6, 2005
NEW YORK When she began her first job three decades ago, Brooke McMurray harbored a secret. The office was the only
place she was not afraid; work was the only time her abusive husband could not get to her.
At home he raged unpredictably and pushed her down the stairs. At work there was a guard in the lobby of her Fortune 500
company, and though her husband harassed her with phone calls as often as 30 times a day, he could not get up to her floor.
The only person she told was the man who ran the freight elevator, which she took downstairs every night, because it opened
on a side exit and her husband was often waiting for her in the lobby.
"I figured I would lose my job if my boss found out," she said recently. "I figured this wasn't a workplace problem." Today,
McMurray is the chairwoman of Safe Horizons, a leading U.S. victims' assistance program. And she is determined to make
this a workplace problem.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, a federal agency based in Atlanta, reports that one of three women will be
abused by a spouse or partner at some point and that 96 percent of employees who have been victims of abuse say it has
followed them - in the form of stalking, harassment or outright violence - to work.
The oddity is that the stronger protections for abused women become, the more likely it is that their nightmare will follow
them to the office. "The abuser knows where you work," said Gordon Campbell, chief executive of Safe Horizons. "Even if a
woman goes underground at night, the abuser knows where to find her during the day."
Millions of days of work are lost every year to domestic violence around the world, time away from the office because of
injury or fear. The cost to businesses is in the billions of dollars in lost productivity and direct health costs.
It is a message, McMurray said, that many companies do not want to hear - not because they are unsympathetic but because
they are overwhelmed. Time was when managers knew nothing of employees' private lives. Now they are expected to take
responsibility for broad swaths of life outside the office. "They say, 'We have alcoholism and HIV and sexual harassment
and now this?"' McMurray said. "You have to push back against the feeling of overload."
Page 4 of 8
DRAWING A (BOTTOM) LINE ON DOMESTIC VIOLENCE
(Continued)
The clothing company Liz Claiborne first carried out a detailed domestic violence policy three years ago, creating a task
force composed of representatives from human resources, security and legal departments, said Larry McClure, Liz
Claiborne's senior vice president for human resources. As a result, the company has provided employees with secure parking
places, escorted them from work to public transportation, changed their phone extensions and referred them to outside
agencies.
In one case, McClure said, the policy may well have saved some lives. An employee told her manager that she had an order of
protection against her husband, and security was alerted. When the man arrived at the office and demanded to see his wife,
the guards did not let him in. "We locked down the building," McClure said, and the husband fled, with the police in pursuit.
After an armed standoff, the man was eventually taken into custody. "If she had not told us what was going on in her life,
if we had not known how to respond," McClure said, "it could have ended tragically."
For more information about how Warren County businesses can respond to and prevent violence in the workplace,
please call Connie Wayne at 513-695-1986. WCU has sample domestic violence policies, so that you do not have to
create your own from scratch, and we have a list of local agencies that provide support to victims, so your company
does not feel it has to be in the business of counseling.
IN THE COURTS
DOMESTIC VIOLENCE LAW UPHELD
APPEALS COURT: SAME-SEX BAN DOESN’T CANCEL IT OUT
By Sheila McLaughlin, Enquirer staff writer
MIDDLETOWN, OH- Unmarried victims of domestic violence have as much protection under the law as those who are
battered by their spouses, an Ohio appeals court ruled in a Warren County case Monday, December 12, 2005.
The decision by the Ohio 12th District Court of Appeals reversed a judge's dismissal of a felony domestic violence case
because he felt the Ohio's year-old same-sex marriage ban voided the state's domestic violence laws.
It's believed to be the first decision in several similar appeals statewide, Warren County Prosecutor Rachel Hutzel said.
Hutzel appealed the case after Warren County Common Pleas Judge Neal Bronson threw out a felony domestic violence
charge in April against Michael Carswell of South Lebanon, who was accused of assaulting his live-in girlfriend. Bronson
reduced Carswell's charge to misdemeanor assault.
Bronson said Issue 1 rendered the domestic violence law unconstitutional because it prohibits legal recognition of any
relationship that attempts to mimic marriage. Hutzel said Bronson's opinion jeopardized 50 percent of the domestic
violence cases in Warren County. Hutzel began backing up domestic violence charges with an additional charge of felonious
assault.
The appeals court said simply that the Ohio Defense of Marriage Act and the domestic violence law were intended to
address different issues and they do not cancel each other out. "The intent of the domestic violence statute is clear on its
face: to protect all members of a household from domestic violence by punishing those who commit domestic violence,"
Justices H.J. Bressler and William W. Young wrote.
Janet Hoffman, director of the Abuse and Rape Crisis Shelter of Warren County, said Bronson's reasoning didn't make
sense. "It speaks to the fact that people understand what we are dealing with is abuse here, and abuse can happen whether
people are married, whether they are living together or whether they are dating."
Page 5 of 8
THREE WARREN COUNTY SCHOOLS IMPLEMENT
VIOLENCE PREVENTION PROGRAMS
Pictured at Left: Franklin High School students, who have
been trained as mentors, teach the Second Step
curriculum in a Franklin 6th grade class. This is the
second year that Franklin Schools have implemented the
Second Step curriculum, which is currently being
implemented in Franklin’s 1st and 6th grade classes.
Second Step is a violence prevention curriculum designed
to reduce impulsive and aggressive behavior in children by
increasing their social competency skills. Second Step
teaches skills in empathy, impulse control, problem solving,
appropriate social behavior and anger management.
A Carlisle H.S. mentor for the Second Step curriculum says, “This has made me see that younger students need role models
to look up to so they can make good decisions.” Another H.S. mentor says, “Before I started teaching the younger students,
I didn’t realize how much younger students look up to the older generation. It has helped me realize how much a few
students can make a difference.”
Pictured at right are Little Miami’s fourth-grade teachers at the two-day Olweus
Bullying Prevention Program training. At the beginning of the 2006-2007 school year,
the Little Miami and Carlisle School Districts each participated in two-day trainings
on how to implement the Olweus Bullying Prevention Program.
Carlisle is implementing the program in K-12th grades, and Little Miami is implementing
the program in all their fourth-grade classes. “I’m excited to start the program in
the schools,” said Debbi Contner, assistant principal at Hamilton-Maineville
Elementary. “I think kids will embrace it, and hopefully it will bring unity with the
transition of fourth graders to the intermediate school.” Little Miami’s plans for
next year are to expand the program to include all their 5th and 6th grade students.
The Olweus Bullying Prevention Program is a “best-practice” program which helps schools to reduce bullying problems
through supervision, intervention, and school climate. This program is a statewide school policy in Pennsylvania, Indiana,
Arizona and other states. Professor Dan Olweus, considered to be the pre-eminent researcher of bullying among school-age
children and youth, formulated the bullying prevention program. Professor Olweus has found that family environment
(aggressive behavior in the home, poor supervision and lack of attention), the child’s temperament, and school environment
are most significant factors in determining who becomes a bully.
The training and materials for the implementation of the Second Step curriculum in Franklin and the Olweus Bullying
Prevention Program in Carlisle were funded by Project SAFE through the Ohio Domestic Violence Network by the Centers
for Disease Control. The training and materials for the implementation of the Olweus Bullying Prevention Program in Little
Miami were funded by Warren County United (WCU) to End Family Violence with funds from the Anthem Foundation of Ohio.
The Abuse and Rape Crisis Shelter is the fiscal agent and administrator for Project SAFE and WCU.
For the past two years, WCU and Project SAFE have been providing Warren County communities with violence prevention
programs that are designed to help youth learn to solve problems peacefully and develop healthy relationships; by
encouraging adults to model positive behavior; and by promoting a social climate in which violence is unacceptable. WCU and
Project SAFE provide resources and information to help Warren County schools engage in the implementation of violence
prevention curriculum.
Page 6 of 8
Call WCU Project Coordinator Connie at 513-695-1986 or Project SAFE Coordinator Karen at 937-743-2790 for more
information about these violence prevention programs and curriculum for children and youth.
“INCREDIBLE YEARS COUNSELING TECHNIQUES
CAN REDUCE NEED FOR CHILDREN’S DRUGS”
"With persistent concerns about using powerful psychiatric drugs on children, there is growing
interest in counseling techniques for troubled kids that aim to change destructive behavior. The
drugs are often ineffective, and parents worry about side effects, especially in the wake of news
about the potential link between antidepressants and suicidal tendencies in teens. These newer
behavioral therapies, including Parent Management Training at Yale University and the Incredible
Years program at the University of Washington, Seattle, can reduce the need for drugs, or be
effective where drugs alone have not, say the programs' developers." By Leila Abboud, Staff
Reporter of The Wall Street Journal
“According to standardized reports by teachers and parents, at least 66% of children previously diagnosed with Oppositional
Defiant Disorder/Conduct Disorder (ODD/CD) whose parents received the Incredible Years’ parenting program were in the
normal range at both the 1-year and 3-year follow-up assessments.”
GOOD NEWS!! WARREN COUNTY HAS THE INCREDIBLE YEARS BEHAVIORAL
THERAPY PROGRAM
The program is administered by the NOAAH Project, and the groups are facilitated/overseen by a licensed independent
social worker with a master’s degree in social work. The free, confidential parent and children’s groups are conducted at the
same time and location. If your children are exhibiting aggressive behaviors and/or conduct problems, and/or you would like
to improve your parenting skills, the Incredible Years Parent and Children’s Groups can help you and your children.
*Grandparents who are raising their grandchildren may also enroll in Incredible Years groups.
Call 513-695-1985 to obtain more information or enroll in Incredible Years groups that will begin in January 2006.
The Incredible Years program is designed to promote emotional and social competence and to prevent, reduce, and treat
behavioral and emotional problems in young children (2 to 8 years old). Troubled kids have been shown to be at great risk
for developing substance abuse problems, becoming involved with deviant peer groups, dropping out of school, and engaging in
delinquency and violence.
INCREDIBLE YEARS CHILDREN’S PROGRAM EVALUATIONS HAVE SHOWN:
•
•
Increases in children's appropriate problem-solving strategies and more prosocial conflict management
strategies with other children
Reductions in conduct problems at home and school.
INCREDIBLE YEARS PARENTS’ PROGRAM EVALUATIONS HAVE SHOWN:
•
•
•
•
•
Increases in parent positive affect such as praise and reduced use of criticism and negative commands.
Increases in parent use of effective limit-setting by replacing spanking and harsh discipline with non-violent
discipline techniques and increased monitoring of children.
Reductions in parental depression and increases in parental self-confidence.
Increases in positive family communication and problem-solving.
Reduced conduct problems in children's interactions with parents and increases in their positive affect and
compliance to parental commands.
“The Incredible Years” has been selected by the U.S. Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention as an
“exemplary” best practice program and as a “Blueprints” program. The program was selected as a “Model” program by the
Center for Substance Abuse Prevention (CSAP). The program has been recommended by the American Psychological Division
12 Task Force as a well-established treatment for children with conduct problems.
Page 7 of 8
ABUSE AND RAPE CRISIS SHELTER
VOLUNTEER TRAINING
BEGINS SATURDAY, MARCH 4TH
FOR MORE INFORMATION, CALL
JENNIFER at 513-695-1751
Volunteer opportunities are available at Confidential 24/7 Crisis Shelter
Volunteer opportunities are available in Family Violence Prevention Programs
located in various locations throughout Warren County
CALL NOW TO RECEIVE VOLUNTEER APPLICATION
AND TO ENROLL IN MARCH CLASSES.
ABUSE AND RAPE CRISIS SHELTER OF WARREN COUNTY BOARD MEMBERS
Janet Hoffman, Executive Director
Cathy Howell, President
Jeff Kirby, Vice President
Sharon Moeller, Secretary
JoAnne Buchanan, Treasurer
Marilou Kilburn, Member
Patricia Bennett, Member
Shirley Rhoten, Member
Pamela Volz-Noe, Member
Wanda Hedges, Member
Becky Taylor, Member
Page 8 of 8