PARENTAL RESPONSIBILITY
"In California, parents can be fined or jailed for allowing children to participate in gangs. In Arkansas, parents can be fined when children skip school. And, 29 states plus the District of Columbia, have won federal waivers to evict entire families from public housing projects if one child is using or selling drugs. This sends the message that you'd better control your kids, or you're going down with them." Rocco Troiano, Valhalla High School, Valhalla, New York
"Another solution that has been tried is a teen curfew for the cities. Two dozen cities have adopted [curfews] over the past year. The punishment is directedÐ towards the parents. The first time that the kid is caught, the parents get a warning. For subsequent offenses, the penalties can consist of a $1,000 fine, six months in jail, or 50 hours of community serviceÐ Most kids do not realize the consequences for getting busted. They think that crimes are some type of game to play on the streets." Kara Krauskopf, Crockett High School, Austin, Texas
"Most parental responsibility laws are not intended to punish. Two years ago, Wisconsin passed the Grandparent Liability Law, mandating parents pay for the care of their minor children's offspring. The idea was to involve parents in the sexual education of children as a way of preventing teenage pregnancy and AIDS." Heather Hicks, Camden High School, Camden, Tennessee
"In Arkansas, as in several other states, the crackdown against parents was aimed at ending problems in school, rather than at criminal behavior. The state legislature passed a measure instructing courts to fine parents if they miss certain parent-teacher conferences or if their children skip school. The law was modeled after the get-tough approach in (Judge) Watt's Little Rock courtroom. He recently threatened to send Heather Lamson, 15, to juvenile center because of her chronic school skipping. Her father, Richard, a diesel mechanic who works a midnight shift, did not know she was truant. The father, a single parent, paid a $130 fine and took her car. Watt suspended the fine when Heather turned her low grades to As and Bs." Mike Waters, Walters High School, Walters, Oklahoma
"The City Council of Omaha, Nebraska is trying to teach parents to be responsible for their children. The Council has made a plan to fine parents up to $1,000 for their children breaking the law. If the parents can't afford the fine, then they are required to do community service work. This plan will encourage parents to set and enforce rules for their children." Shaine Jenkins, Blue Ridge High, Blue Ridge, Texas
"California now makes parents criminally responsible for shootings involving their children." Eric Bachmann, Pioneer High School, San Jose, California
PEER GROUPS
"The people working on the 'Talkline' are kind of like counselors who talk to the students and try to help them and work out their problems. This Talkline lets the students know that even though they have no one to talk to at home, the Talkline will always listen." Karen Louise Gerhart, Conrad Weiser High School, Robesonia, Pennsylvania
"Lifesavers is a group of young individuals who come together in times of need. It is formed by various groups of high school students who take the time to help others when they are in trouble or even just for a simple talk. Lifesavers take responsibility for others as well as for themselves. They pledge not to drink and not to take drugs while serving as a Lifesaver." Didi Andrew, Carbondale High School, Carbondale, Illinois
"See You At The Pole, a time for people to meet before school once a year to pray in unison with others across the nation, has prospered into a great opportunity to meet people who really share your feelings. This program allows students to realize they are not alone in their effort to be moral and ethical." Grant Anders, Seaman High School, Topeka, Kansas
"My school has a club called Students Helping Students. This club consists of students from the school. These students help out other students with problems. The students are there so there is always someone to talk to." Florencio Ramos,Jr.Richmond High, Richmond, Illinois
"Another service offered in my school is Peer Helpers. This is a group of kids that are in the school and are trained to talk to anyone who might need it. By having this service available, you do not only have an adult figure to go to when in need. The idea behind Peer Helpers is to get people to talk more openly with one another when a problem occurs." Ronda McEvers, Barnesville High School, Barnesville, Minnesota
"At our school, we have support groups and counseling for those students who find themselves in a tough situation and those teens who are experiencing problems that might eventually lead to a deep depression, or even worse, suicide. There is also a program that allows kids to help kids called Natural Helpers. It is also a support group run by students who are trained to listen and recognize serious problems." Angie Park, Kiona-Benton High, Benton City, Washington
"We should start in the school systems because most of the kids who need the help don't get it at home. Our school has started a program called SAPHIRE. 'Student Assistance Program Helping Individuals Reach Expectation' is a group of teachers with a goal to make 'us' better. When someone is having a problem they go to one of the teachers or the staff. They [teachers] not only do everything to help, but they give them [students] guidance to reach their goals or expectations." Dawn Engle, Ramsey High School, Ramsey, Illinois
"There's a peer mediation class at my school that deals with conflicts and helps people to solve problems. This is helpful to those who are trying to make their family work, but are having trouble." Angela Romero, David Crockett High, School, Austin, Texas
"In many Oregon high schools where is a program called 'Natural Helpers.' This is one of the most beneficial programs for high school students today. 'Natural Helpers' is a peer elected group that deals with general problems high school students face on a daily basis. Students educating students? Actually it makes perfect sense. Most students won't go to a teacher or adult to get help with a problem. We, the students and faculty, are taking responsibility by acknowledging that students need to talk to people. I think our student body has really benefited from this program. We have a healthier and happier student body." Kristin Chase, Phoenix High School, Phoenix, Oregon
HELPING COMMUNITIES
*White Hats, a 1994 Harry Singer book contains many excerpts from student essays describing community projects that work. A few additional examples are presented below:
"In Chicago, students from six universities approached Chicago House, a nonprofit organization that operates group residences for homeless people with HIV and AIDS. [The students offered] to work as volunteers helping with fund-raising, clerical work and sometimes emotional support for residents. Thousands more school children nation-wide are volunteering in other equally helpful ways by cleaning up parks, planting trees, starting literacy campaigns and so on." Erica Haines, Phoenix High School, Phoenix, Oregon
"One other example is found in a local hospital, where over one hundred teenagers volunteer at least four hours a week to help the hospital. I had the privilege of being a junior volunteer and I found it to be a great experience." Amy Deehr, Freeman High School, Rockford, Washington
"Every year, each classroom in our school adopts a family at Christmas time. Food, clothes, and presents are donated to help those families feel the Christmas spirit which is also a kids helping kids solution." Angie Park, Kiona-Benton High School, Benton City, Washington
"A group of teenage boys walked through a small town in Iowa, covering
wild graffiti with white paint. The boys