WXXI News; 1996--excerpts, Make Us Safe

<v Announcer>The following material is provided as a courtesy by WOKRTV 13. <v Announcer 2>From WOKR, Rochester. This is News 13. <v Renee Starzyk>Good evening, everyone, thanks for joining us. I'm Renee Starzyk. <v LaSalle Blanks>And I'm LaSalle Blanks. Tonight, we begin a special series of reports that deals with Rochester's teenagers and violence. Violence, they say, is becoming more and more part of their lives. It's called Make Us Safe. Teens Talk about violence. We're working with a Democrat and Chronicle Times Union WXXI and Radio Station WDKX. In the next two weeks, you'll find out the results of a survey we did with nearly 18 hundred teenagers. Those teens talk with us about violence at home, at school, in the streets. New source thirteens Jim Redond has an overview of our survey. <v Jim Redmond>By and large, teenagers in Monroe County have their heads on straight eight out of 10 expect to be successful in life. They view success as having a good job, a good education, a good family and being a good person. But the threat of violence has teenagers worrying about their future. One third of teenagers surveyed think violence will shorten their lives. Another 42 percent said it might.

<v Tyronda Hayes>Well, even if you're not involved in violence, you could be an innocent bystander. You know, so many things just happen to the day. You could be walking down the street and get killed. So I feel that, yes, I do think that my life will be over because of violence. <v Jim Redmond>The fear of violence is not just a city problem. The poll shows suburban teens are just as worried. <v Zach Sparar>I think, because a lot of things, like even even in the arcade and on TV or whatever, we're exposed to violence a lot more than people used to make. I mean, it's the 90s. <v Jim Redmond>The poll is based on confidential surveys taken from almost 1800 teenagers in 24 schools from all sections of Monroe County. The teens surveyed were between seventh and 12th grade. <v Jocelyn Goldberg-Schaible>That's why as we went from school to school. Rarely did we hear anybody think that violence was their problem, not ours. They understood that violence was a problem for all of them.

<v Jim Redmond>The poll shows teens are seeking their own solutions. For some, violence is the acceptable response they've learned at home. For others, violence is a way to protect themselves. Roughly one in 10 students has brought a weapon to school. Debbie Long is the head of the Girl Scouts and a former social worker. We showed her the poll findings. <v Debbie Long>One of the things that occurred to me is that some of these young people feel very alienated and they feel that adults have have failed them and that they are relying on their peers for support. <v Jim Redmond>The poll results are sobering because they cut across racial and geographic boundaries. Over the next two weeks. New Source 13 and our partners in this collaboration will examine what we can do as individuals, as parents and as a community to help make our teen safe. Jim Redmond, news source, 13 tomorrow. <v LaSalle Blanks>Tomorrow, the papers, news source, 13 and radio stations will have much more on teens and violence. In the mornings. Democrat and Chronicle find out about which teens are most likely to get in trouble and what contributes to their problems. News source 13 at six will profile three teenagers at the children's detention facility. On radio tomorrow night WXXI AM will focus on the 10 percent of children who seem to cause the most problems. And on WDKX-FM dialog program, you can call in and speak with Van White. He's the mayor's special counsel on crime. Ken Barksdale of The Voice of the Future will also be a guest.

<v Don Alhart>Good evening, I'm Don Alhart. We have heard it said before a small percentage of kids with bad behavior give all kids a bad name. Well, in our project make us safe teens talk about violence. Teens themselves tell us there is no truth to the statement. When asked if I felt like hurting somebody, I would stop because nearly 10 percent of the 1800 teens responded, nothing would stop me. Well, the survey is part of a collaboration with the Democrat and Chronicle Times Union, WXXI and WDKX Radio. And when it comes to violence, this group of teens, which we call the 10 percent club, is most likely to carry a weapon. News Source 13's Jane Flasch tells us why. <v Labrea>I for some reason just lost control.

<v Jane Flasch>When Labrea became angry during a disagreement. She says she couldn't stop herself from striking out even when the target of her aggression was her mother. <v Labrea>I was just I don't care. But after I found out how serious the crime was that I started care. <v Jane Flasch>Labrea is one of the roughly 10 percent of teens for whom violence is a ready answer to problems. Many of these teens find their way here. The Monroe County Children's Center. We are protecting their identities because they are young, but they are young people who've grown up quickly. <v Greg>Well my dad abused us. We ran away. We stole stuff from stores to eat. <v Jane Flasch>We know from the survey that children who are the most angry are often the most vulnerable. Many of them come from single parent or no parent households. There is often violence in the home. These kids say they have no one to turn to when they're in trouble, nowhere to go where they truly feel safe. <v Jocelyn Goldberg-Schaible>They're not telling you at home and they're not telling you at school. And they're not telling you with friends. They're telling, you know, nowhere really. That's a scary response. Where do you feel safest? Nowhere, really.

<v Jane Flasch>Where would you tell them to go if they needed help? <v Labrea>I couldn't tell them where to go because you can't go no place to get help. <v Jack Rosati>Our kids are being robbed of a childhood. <v Jane Flasch>Society's problems often become Jack Rosati problems. For 30 years, he's worked with troubled and angry kids. He already knows what our survey of teenagers found out. Children left without parents often turn to others. <v Jack Rosati>When kids are on the street and it becomes a matter of survival, you're going to do what your parents have told you to do. And sometimes your parent is is is a drug dealer and sometimes your parent is is another friend who doesn't know anything more than you know. <v Greg>That's what you get when you join a gang, you have family. They have somewhere they feel will protect them and love them. <v Jane Flasch>Charges against Greg have been dropped, but for others in the 10 percent club, anger will irreparably alter the future. Both Labrea and Melanie now face prison sentences. Jane Flasch, news source, thirteen. <v Don Alhart>We want to know what you think about the violence facing our children. And tonight, we're kicking off the southern group news source thirteen Instant Opinion Poll. Our question, are you worried that your child's life will be shortened due to violence? Call 1-888-338-1313. 1-888-338-1313. We'll have the results for you tonight after Monday Night Football on take a moment to look ahead to tomorrow. Teens and weapons. It's not just violent offenders. The newspapers will look at one in five teens who say they carry weapons out of fear on News Source 13 at 6 Jim Redmond will talk to teens who carry weapons and tell us why they feel the need to carry them. WXXI Radio The Morning Edition will look at why kids fight. And tonight, from 9:00 until 10:00 pm on the radio dialog, you can speak with the mayor's special council on crime Van White. Ken Barksdale, a voice of the future, will also be there to take your questions.

<v Don Alhart>Good evening, I'm Don Alhart. A murder suspect is behind bars tonight accused of killing a city man last June. The suspect in this case is just 13 years old. News Source 13's LaSalle Blank's joins us live from the public safety building with more. LaSalle, what have you learned? <v LaSalle Blanks>Don, this 13 year old boy was arrested at his school today. He is now in police custody. His name is not being released because of his age, but his age does not prevent him from facing a very adult crime, a charge of second degree murder. Now, police say they have information that led them to believe that the 13 year old boy shot and killed Timothy Dickerson back in June. Dickerson was killed while walking his dog on Wadsworth Street. Police say police also say the dog was shot and killed. Rochester Police Chief Robert Warshaw told me he would not go into specifics like whether or not the 13 year old confessed or if he knew the victim. The chief did say robbery may have been a motive and that more than one life has been lost here.

<v Robert Warshaw>We've seen a life that has been lost at the hands of a gun and we see a life that's going to be lost at the hands of the judicial system, because this is a tragedy when a 13 year old at that stage in his life essentially puts an end to the productive years of his life. <v LaSalle Blanks>And the boy faces the future at the children's detention facility for violent teenagers and he will be tried as a juvenile, violent offender. Don, he could get nine years to life behind bars.

<v Don Alhart>What's next for him as far as the immediacy of this case LaSalle? <v LaSalle Blanks>So he'll be arraigned in city court tomorrow morning and then the case will go to the grand jury. <v Don Alhart>OK, LaSalle for news source13 live. Thank you for your late breaking developments down there, all fitting in with what we've been talking about all week. Teenagers carrying weapons and carrying weapons to school, a problem regardless of where you live in Monroe County. A survey of almost 1800 teenagers from across the county shows roughly one in 10 have brought a weapon to school at least a few times this month. The survey is part of a news source 13 collaboration in conjunction with the Democrat and Chronicle The Times Union. This is the article you saw this morning about kids and weapons, WXXI and WDKX as well. The project is called Make Us Safe. Teens Talk about violence and talking about those weapons. New source thirteens Jim Redmond talked with teens about weapons in his report for tonight. <v Student 1>A carry a knife at night because people harass me.

<v Yaneek Anthony>I got knives, razors. <v Jim Redmond>It is not hard to find a teenager carrying a weapon. For one teenager, it's a folding knife. For another, it's a sharpened screwdriver carried in a makeshift holster on a belt loop. Seventeen year old Geoff Anderson used to carry the bar to a dumbbell in his book bag. He started carrying it after a group of guys jumped him. <v Geoff Anderson>I came out and they was trying to get my coat and I got a scar right here on me. <v Jim Redmond>We have some tough streets in our area and one of the reasons teens tell us they carry weapons is not so much to attack someone, but to protect themselves. <v Yaneek Anthony>Like a lot of girls didn't like me because of my father. So they always want to fight you or one girl she she told my brother she was going to shoot me over this dude. <v Jim Redmond>That fear of violence is also present in the suburbs. Thirteen year old Karri Marlowe says she does not carry a weapon, but she knows teens in Henrietta who do arm themselves. <v Karri Marlowe>I think that the cause of it is just like there is that everybody else is scared, that they're scared that someone will do it to them. So they go get a knife or whatever. So they think that they're protected, but they're not.

<v Robert Gross>Their parents is the problem is not the kids problem is the parents problem because the parents let the kids go out and get the guns and stuff. <v Teacher>Now, the decimal point. <v Jim Redmond>Sometimes teenagers figure things out for themselves. Jeff Anderson says carrying a weapon didn't help. He says it made him feel like a target. <v Geoff Anderson>If you have a weapon on you and people know you have a weapon, people is going to try it. It's always a consequence. You reap what you sow. <v Jim Redmond>And that is something to keep in mind as we work to make teens safe, Jim Redmond, news source 13. <v Don Alhart>They Make Us Safe Project The Collaborative continues. Tomorrow, the Democrat and chronicle a story about the link between parents' actions and children's behavior. Tomorrow on News Source 13 Jim Redmond will look at two teens who are beating the odds after experiencing violence and WXXI's Morning Edition looks at the stress parents are under to protect their children. Plus, on Saturday, Channel twenty one will have an hour long program looking at teen violence. <v Don Alhart>Students and staff members at ?Sherlot? Middle School were surprised by news of the teen's arrest. Superintendent Dr. Clifford Janey says he, too, is having difficulty with the idea that a boy so young is in such trouble.

<v Dr. Clifford Janey>Pain, lots of pain, lots of pain. It struck me both as a man, it struck me as an African-American man in a leadership position. Certainly it struck me as an educator. It struck me as a citizen. I was just appalled at the idea of a 13 year old being arrested and charged with murder. <v Don Alhart>Janey tells us police notified him before arresting the teen. We've been talking a lot about teen violence this week on news source 13. Consider this the first place the child learns is in the home. 10 percent of teens surveyed in Monroe County say they have seen adults in their homes insult and scream at each other. Twenty one percent say they have seen adults throw things. Another 14 percent say they have seen adults in their home push or hit each other. Now, this survey is part of a news source, 13 collaboration with the Democrat and Chronicle Times Union WXXI. And it's called Make US Safe Teens Talk About Violence. As News Source Thirteen's Jim Redmond explains, there is a clear link between what teens see at home and how they deal with others. <v Jim Redmond>It would be easy for Moises De Jesus to have failed at life, but the young man's life story is one of success. We first met Moises at a summit where teenagers gathered to talk about violence.

<v Moises De Jesus>I live in a single parent home with my mom because my mom, dad, my my dad died because of violence. <v Jim Redmond>Moises De Jesus' father live the street life. Eight years ago on Father's Day, he was beaten so badly he died within days, he left behind a wife and two small children. The first place children learn is in the home. Moises De Jesus and his sister Enid are no exception. At home they have learned morals, values, they attend private schools and they've set high standards for themselves. The reason is their mother, ?Endid? DeJesus. She has worked and struggled to make sure her children grow up in a home with strong values. <v Moises De Jesus>She's like my backbone because she's like she's some way she's a father. In some way she's a mother. But for me, it's like she's both. <v Enid De Jesus>She lets me go out with my friends. But you have to be home at a certain time. She lets me dress the way I want, but at the same time, she doesn't want me wearing, like, things of the exaggerated nature that are provocative. <v Jim Redmond>Both Enid and Moises are active in their church, both sing in the choir at the Rock Christian Center on Bay Street. The church has reinforced what their mother has taught them at home.

<v Moises De Jesus>I mean, if I didn't have that, I think I would I would have done a lot of stupid things that right now I would have regretted. <v Jim Redmond>Instead, Moises is planning to be a lawyer. His sister is studying to be a doctor. Their mother is teaching them to overcome the odds. Jim Redmond, news source, 13. <v Don Alhart>Some good examples for us. For parents with questions about how to raise a nonviolent child, there is some place to turn tonight. A panel of experts will take your calls starting at six thirty this evening. The call in is being held at the newsroom of the Democrat and Chronicle. And that's where we find new source thirteens, Ginny Ryan. Ginny. <v Ginny Ryan>Don, Jim's report said it very well and in a county wide survey said they were more likely to become violent when they felt unloved and uncared for. And that is not surprising to one of the experts who will answer parents questions tonight here. <v Debbie Long>In my work experience, what I found is that young people need attention and hopefully we're going to give it to them in a positive and nurturing way. But young people who are engaging in violent acts of violent behavior are really crying out for attention.

<v Ginny Ryan>And Deborah Long is one of four experts who will be on hand to answer parents questions about youth violence. You can call between six thirty and eight tonight. The number on your screen, 258-2232 or 258-2298. We will also be here listening to the experts and what the parents have to say. And we will bring you their stories tonight at 11:00 Don. <v Don Alhart>OK, we'll look for that update tonight at 11. Thank you, Jane. You know, the Make Us Safe project continues tomorrow as well. You can read more about parents concerns and expert suggestions in tomorrow's Democratic Chronicle and Times Union. On News Source 13 13 tomorrow Doug Emblidge looks at teaching values to teens and Mary McCombs will talk with Aleah Henton, a woman whose life has changed with her brother's homicide. WXXI Radio's Morning Edition will offer a preview of Saturday's documentary will air on WXXI television. <v Announcer>From WOKR, Rochester. This is news source 13 at 11.

<v Ginny Ryan>Good evening, I'm Ginny Ryan. <v Don Alhart>And I'm Don Alhart. Tonight, people in our community are hoping a young girl's death will send a message to other teenagers, stop using violence to solve problems. About a year ago, Stephne Gibbons was stabbed and killed in front of Jefferson Middle School and denied her family and friends gathered to honor her memory. New Source Thirteen's LaSalle Blanks joins us now live from the newsroom. LaSalle, how is the family doing now, nearly a year later? <v LaSalle Blanks>Don, they're doing pretty well and they're comforted by the fact that so many people have given them support. We were not allowed inside the service tonight, but it was held to remember Stephne and to encourage Jefferson Middle School students, all students, to stay away from violence. <v Shawn Givens>I just want to know why did he allow for my sister Stephne to die. <v LaSalle Blanks>Sean Givens says he continues to ask God why his sister was taken away. Stephne Givens was just 13 years old. Police say Stephne was stabbed by another young classmate because of an argument over a boy. Stephne died in front of her school, Jefferson Middle School. Her death touched our community, and it's been hard for her grandfather to cope. <v Jim Givens>It made me much aware of the violence that all around the city of Rochester, that even much closer than I ever thought it would be.

<v Shawn Givens>Oh, please don't let it happen. Nobody else babies. <v LaSalle Blanks>Days after Stephne's death, her mother, Aledia Givens, showed her anguish in her pain. She begged for teenagers to put down their weapons. But unfortunately, tonight, Sean told us he sees teens who sometimes fight with weapons. <v Shawn Givens>I tell them over and over again, it's not working. If you're going to fight. I just might try to stop you, but I'm not going to let your anger kill someone. <v LaSalle Blanks>But there are many children who did learn from Stephne Givens and what happened to her. And that is why over this past year, so many children at Jefferson Middle School have planted this memorial garden in Stephne's honor. They want the future children who come here to look at this garden and remember Stephne, too. And students are also making a quilt for Stephne. <v Shawn Givens>It symbolizes love and my sister's name. <v Aledia Givens>It's really-. <v LaSalle Blanks>Stephne's mother says the quilt comforts her because it means some teens have learned a life lesson from Stephne's death.

<v Aledia Givens>It really made me feel good to be here tonight. <v LaSalle Blanks>And the quilt might be finished in time for a community wide memorial service planned for Stephne on Saturday. The service marks the one year anniversary of Stephne's death Don. <v Don Alhart>You mentioned that the service was held, any these special plans for that event. <v LaSalle Blanks>There are some special plans. There will be a nonviolence rally at two o'clock at East High School. And a guest speaker is coming all the way from Birmingham, Alabama, to be here. <v Don Alhart>OK, the LaSalle Blanks in the newsroom tonight. <v Ginny Ryan>As we heard, Stephany's murder gave new attention to teen violence. It's the reason news source 13 joined with the Democrat and Chronicle Times Union and WXXI for the project. Make us safe teens talk about violence. 50 percent of the teens we surveyed said they've witnessed violent behavior by adults at home. Tonight, parents got a chance to ask experts about handling problems nonviolently. The very first call came from a mom for whom teen violence has hit close to home. She and her family knew the 13 year old arraigned today on murder charges. The mom told expert Deborah Long she wanted to keep her rebellious 15 year old son out of trouble that could lead to violence. <v Debbie Long>So I one suggested it to her that she reinforce the positive behavior by giving him praise and make sure she's spending time and allowing him to express some of his concerns, but also making sure that he's following through on the things that she's requesting.

<v Dr. Christopher Hodgman>Let's go out at it from the other side. <v Ginny Ryan>The father also called the experts. He's worried about what effect fighting with his wife will have on their daughter. Dr. Christopher Hodgman advised the couple to get counseling, but Hodgman says that advice can be a bitter pill to swallow. <v Dr. Christopher Hodgman>I encouraged him to do something about it. He was afraid that if he did something about it, it might hurt the marriage. And I appreciate that. <v Ginny Ryan>Dr. Stuart Loeb spent a good deal of time talking to a mom, experiencing a problem that he says is all too common. She wanted to know how to handle flaring tempers among her young children. <v Dr. Stuart Loeb>My advice was to try to set up the program first, try to discuss it, get some consensus between she and her husband that this was a problem. And then try to discuss it. Hi, this is the call in, this is Dr. Loeb. <v Ginny Ryan>The answer to almost all of the calls seek professional counseling to the parents tomorrow, the Democrat and Chronicle Times. You need to read more about the questions parents had and the answers from experts following tonight's parent calling.

<v Don Alhart>And you can look forward to reports on teen violence here on News 13 tomorrow night as well. At six o'clock, teens tell us what they want. Values, discipline and limits Doug Emblidge looks at one school teaching. And Mary McCombs profiles a woman whose life was changed by her brother's violent death. And WXXI is Morning Edition. A look at whether verbal abuse leads to physical abuse. While the teen facing violent charges in the news today, the latest at 11 finds a grand jury will decide next week whether he will be tried as an adult. We are concealing the identity of the 13 year old who entered a not guilty plea today. The district attorney is pursuing adult charges in this case. <v Howard Relin>Today's 12 year olds and 13 year olds are far different than anyone we ever would have met when we were raised as children. They carry handguns on a regular basis. They use handguns on a regular basis. So things in 1996 are very different than any time in the history of America. <v Don Alhart>The seventh grader is charged with shooting a man in the back as he walked his dog last June.

<v Don Alhart>Good evening, I'm Don Alhart. The arrest this week of a 13 year old for murder is renewing questions about our juvenile system. The teen whose name and identity we are concealing could be tried as an adult or the case could go to family court. Either way, many in the criminal justice system say changes are needed to adapt to younger offenders, News Source 13's Vita Beesley explains. <v Vita Beesley>This 13 year old suspect is set to return to city court for a preliminary hearing tomorrow. But it will be up to a grand jury to decide whether the teen's case will be heard in family court or whether he'll be tried as an adult. The boy is accused of gunning down forty four year old Timothy Dickerson earlier this summer. If tried as an adult, the teen could face a maximum sentence of nine years to life if convicted. <v Bill Johnson>We've got to find ways to address it. <v Vita Beesley>Mayor Bill Johnson is calling for changes in the juvenile justice system. He says young kids who serve time in adult prisons rarely get the rehabilitative help they need. <v Bill Johnson>We need to rehabilitate those young lives. There's no reason why we can't, but we can't do it under the current juvenile justice laws.

<v Vita Beesley>Family Court Judge Michael Miller cannot comment on the case of the 13 year old. The teen's case could soon land in family court. But in published editorials, Judge Miller addresses the ills of the juvenile justice system. The judge writes, there must be radical restructuring of the current juvenile justice system, stronger preventive measures, for example, that better balance the child and the parents rights in neglect and abuse cases. Updated rehabilitation programs to supervise juveniles released from detention back into the community, and tougher family court sentences for kids who commit violent crimes. Vita Beesley News Source 13. <v Don Alhart>A preliminary hearing for the 13 year old is set for two o'clock tomorrow in city court. Now on News Source 13 at five we asked should a teen accused of murder be tried as an adult. We have some early results in our Sutherland Group News Source 13 instant opinion poll. Fifty two percent said yes, they should, while forty six responded to no. Two percent are undecided. You still have a chance to voice your opinion. The number on your screen, 1-88-338-1313. We'll share the final results of that at 11 o'clock tonight. Right now, very, very close in terms of guesses and knows what we have been reporting on teen violence this month with the emphasis on possible solutions. And certainly a root cause of the problem is a breakdown in values. In a survey, Monroe County teenagers were asked about the role of religion in their lives. Less than 30 percent said it plays a major part. Forty two percent said it plays a minor part. And twenty nine percent say religion plays no real part in their lives. News Source 13's Doug Emblidge is here now with more on teaching values to our kids. <v Doug Emblidge>Yeah, religion is one place that some parents would be able to pass along those values. Now, the teens who took part in that survey say they want structure and values in their lives, but that adults who model those values are hard to find. Our Make Us Safe reports are the result of a collaboration with the Democrat and Chronicle and the Times Union, WXXI and WDKX. Tonight, some help for any parent trying to teach their children right from wrong. The world is teaching values to our children, but maybe not the values you value. Advertising can teach kids to value material wealth or to value a vice. Television can deliver influential but questionable messages. Yet kids have made it clear they want guidance from adults. They want values.

<v Student 1>I think that kids need something like constant that they can rely on. But it's and it's hard to find. <v Doug Emblidge>We send our children to school to learn about math and science, English and social studies. But what can schools today teach our kids about values. The Pittsford Middle School is trying to find out the way students work together here. The discipline policy. Life at this school is built around some very basic values, among them kindness, cooperation and honesty. They apply to these eighth graders and to their principal.

<v Lou Zona>We have thirteen hundred students here. I would like to think that they take this with them. <v Dr. Gil Gockley>I think these value skills, actually. <v Doug Emblidge>Dr. Gil Gockley, help students here learn what he calls value skills. He is a school counselor who has developed a curriculum for teaching values. <v Dr. Gil Gockley>And we not only expect children to be kind and friendly, we as adults want to be kind and friendly too. <v Doug Emblidge>Gockley and his wife are working on a book aimed at helping parents sit down with their kids to talk about values. <v Dr. Gil Gockley>I want you to ask, how did you feel? How did you feel when someone treated you in an unkind manner? When they tell you I felt sad. I felt badly. I felt hurt. Bingo, you're inside. <v Doug Emblidge>And that, he says, is the key. Values aren't something we do to get a reward. That's a behavior. Values are something we feel inside and carry with us throughout our lives. Values such as respecting other people's lives and property values that could make a difference in the problem of teen violence, it really all comes back to that.

<v Don Alhart>Difficult with changing families, difficult for parents to have the time to make that kind of influence. And there's so many competing influences. <v Doug Emblidge>That's one of the hardest things. I think a lot of moms and dads feel like it's us against the rest of the world and what that's teaching our kids. Well, Dr. Gockley, who we just featured there, says the most the single most important thing we can do is very basic. That's model the behaviors we want our kids to have, model the values we want our kids to reflect. That's a much stronger influence on kids than anything we say to them. It's what we do. <v Don Alhart>And we've been seeing in the survey we took the most young people do mimic what they find in the home and. <v Doug Emblidge>They want that structure. That's what they said. <v Don Alhart>More on the subject as we continue throughout the week. And this next story, another case in point. A Rochester woman whose brother was gunned down is letting her actions speak for her. Alia Henton is now working with teenagers to help them avoid violence and the pain that she has suffered. News Source 13's Mary McCombs has her story. <v Mary McCombs>A collage of photos shows a Hampton's dedication to young people, but it's the picture that sits near her desk that truly inspires Alia. It's the picture of her younger brother, Ralik. The teen was shot and killed on his way home from Bible school.

<v Alia Henton>He was only 16 years old. And so I think that it kind of hits home for some of the young people in the kind of helps them realize that it can happen to them. <v Mary McCombs>Ralik Henton would have celebrated his 20th birthday this month. Ralik's life was cut short almost four years ago here on Froster Avenue. He was an innocent bystander caught in the crossfire between two rival gangs. But what happened so quickly is still being felt today. James "Coco" Pross says Ralik's death remains fresh in his mind. <v James "Coco" Pross>He was like, oh, please don't leave me. I told him stop, stop talking. Just keep, you know, trying to breathe. You know what I'm saying? I said yo, God's going to help you out. <v Mary McCombs>They say the Lord works in mysterious ways from the tragedy in her own life. Ralik's sister is now helping other youngsters cope with the violence in their lives. <v Alia Henton>I didn't want to internalize that. I wanted to use it to make a positive difference in the community.

<v Mary McCombs>Aliya Hanton works as a youth counselor at Camp Good Days and special times. <v Alia Henton>What can be done in school or what can your teachers do as far as in terms of solutions to violence? <v Mary McCombs>Alia acted as a moderator for the Make US Safe Youth Summit. Teenagers gathered to talk about the problem of violence. <v Alia Henton>I try to give the kids life skills and try to build up their self-esteem, give them leadership skills and the life skills that they're going to need to make it. <v Mary McCombs>Ralik's death has changed his sister's life dramatically. It took her down a road she never imagined she would travel. <v Alia Henton>I think he will really be proud because I feel like I'm continuing the mission that he started while he was still alive. <v Mary McCombs>Mary McCombs new source 13. <v Don Alhart>Think he would be proud. Our Make Us Safe Project continues tomorrow. And The Democrat and Chronicle Times. A look at the weapons teens use and why they use them, why they fight with each other. News Source 13's Jane Flasch looks at how the city school system has changed in the years since Stephne Givens murder. And on the radio WXXI is Morning Edition. We'll preview this Saturday's documentary, Make Us Safe, that airs on WXXI television channel twenty one. <v Don Alhart>Good evening, I'm Don Alhart. We begin tonight with new developments in the case of a 13 year old murder suspect. Today, a grand jury handed up a murder indictment. The teen, whom we are not identified because of his age, we'll learn sometime next week whether he'll be tried as an adult. That's when the grand jury will make its decision. He is accused of shooting a forty four year old man to death last July. The teen was arrested Tuesday at Charlotte Middle School, where he has been a student. Now, this teen's arrest comes at a time when the district is looking back on one of its darkest moments. It will be one year ago tomorrow that a young student was stabbed to death at school. Tonight is part of our extended coverage. We'll look at how the district has changed in the years since Stephne Given's death. We'll also have a candid interview with Stephne's mother, Aledia, who shares some home video of happier times in her family's life. And we'll share a song written for Stephne by a teenage cousin just days after her death. When we send our children to school hoping that they'll be safe. But a survey of nearly eighteen hundred students in Monroe County shows 16 percent feel most threatened at school. The survey is part of a new survey, 13 collaboration with the Democrat and Chronicle Times Union, WXXI and Radio. And tonight, news source thirteens Jane Flasch looks at what has been done to make it safer for teens at school.

<v School administrator>Let's go people, you're getting in the way!Let's go.

<v Jane Flasch>For 1100 sixth seventh and eighth graders, the school day is under way. <v Teacher 2>I'm go this way around the room, zero and one. <v Jane Flasch>But at Jefferson Middle School, each day starts with a reminder. <v School administrator>Hold your hair up in the back, please. <v Jane Flasch>On any given day, one of every 10 students will be scanned with a metal detector. Their books and purses are searched for weapons. <v Denicia Bowers>I'm happy they got it, you know, because you don't never know when somebody's, you know, come up on you or something because, you know, I don't want my life to be the next one that's taken. <v Jane Flasch>The life of Stephe Given's taken here one year ago, is thought of often. <v Joseph Accongio>There've been many tears shed since the event happened. And it's it's amazing to me the depth of the emotion, how deep it is and how painful it is when it surfaces. <v Jane Flasch>At Jefferson it's not likely you'll find the principal in his office. Dr. Joe Accongio walks the halls. He knows most students by name. <v Student 2>Diana?

<v Joseph Accongio>Oh, yeah? Yeah. She grew up next to me when I was a kid? What school? <v Student 2>19. <v Jane Flasch>In the painful hours after violence stole one child, other children made their fears clear. <v Joseph Accongio>And almost all the kids said we really want some way of making sure that no weapons come into the building. So we implemented it immediately and we were doing that six weeks before anybody even knew about it. <v Jane Flasch>But metal detectors alone aren't enough. This memorial garden is a reminder that Stephne Givens was not stabbed inside of a school hallway, but out here in front of the school. One year later at Jefferson and other city schools safety measures and now extend beyond the school buildings. Juan Rivera walks 10 minutes to and from school every day. It's not the distance that's a problem for this fifth grader. It is what he sees along the way. <v Juan Rivera>Drug bags, needles, lots of bad people. <v Crossing guards>High school children, ?inaudible? small children. <v Jane Flasch>But Operation Safe Passage now links crossing guards with police safety officers via radio. And other schools like East High have gone to close campuses to protect kids. Back at Jefferson, students are taking notice. <v Kaleaf Ball>There's hardly no fights no more. Yeah we still have little problems you know, but we're working on our problems and we're progressing and everything going good right now.

<v Crossing guards>Jane Flasch, news source 13. <v Don Alhart>And those metal detectors are now in place at all city, middle and high schools, Stephne Givens' death has greatly changed the lives of those closest to her. In an exclusive interview, Stephne's mother spoke of her loss with Elissa Marra WXXI, which is one of our Make Us Safe Collaborative partners. Elissa joins us now in our newsroom. <v Elissa Marra>Don, obviously, Stephne's death deeply affected the Givens family. Stephne's mother talked about its impact as part of our Make Us Safe documentary program, and she shared with us some home video of Stephne's life. <v Kristal Lowry>Anybody's child can die today die tomorrow, or anybody's child can grow up. <v Aledia Givens>And I still grieve, but I don't I don't grieve in sadness, I grieve mostly in joyfulness, you know, knowing that she was a good girl. Yes, they called her Peppy when she was little, but my sister called her Sweet Pea because she said she used to look like Popeye's little baby. <v Kristal Lowry>She liked music a lot. She liked to dance around a lot and see stuff.

<v Aledia Givens>She was definitely normal 13 year old who act like a 13 year old, not a 15 year old, not a 17 year old. Not even a 10 year old, a 13, she was right there, 13 year old. She loved to love life. She could solve problems. If she got into anything, she would always resolve them and she wouldn't she wouldn't fight. <v Kristal Lowry>She had an argument with this girl and she just before the day before, you know, September 20, do they have made up and stuff like, you know, we need to make up your stuff because you never know. I can die tomorrow. <v Elissa Marra>Aledia shared with us many memories of Stephanian of the day she died. We will have more of them for you and many other stories as part of our Make Us Safe documentary tomorrow night. <v Don Alhart>It gives us a real insight. We referred to her and use her name and she becomes someone in the news. And now we gather just from this little bit of a sense of what she really was like and her personality, who else we're going to hear from in the documentary. <v Elissa Marra>Don, we'll hear from teens both in the city and in suburbs about violence and the fear they experience. It is a problem that crosses all kinds of boundaries in this county.

<v Don Alhart>OK, and again, what time tomorrow? <v Elissa Marra>That's eight o'clock tomorrow evening. WXXI Television. <v Don Alhart>OK, thank you very much for being with us tonight. Thank you. Stephne Gvens' life is also being remembered in song. As news source thirteen's Vita Beesley tells us it's part of an antiviolence musical effort being launched locally. <v Elissa Marra>I didn't even say goodbye. <v Vita Beesley>The lyrics Ernest Givens sings reflect his loss. <v Elissa Marra>I thought there'd always be time. <v Vita Beesley>Givens wrote the song two days after his teenaged cousin Stephne Given died, she was stabbed to death by another girl on the doorstep of Jefferson Middle School last September. <v Ernest Givens>She had a love for life. She looked at the world to preserve life with all costs. It was such pleasure to know you. <v Vita Beesley>Recording the song helped ease the hurt of Stephne's death. Studio time singers and musicians all donated to create an everlasting memoir for Stephne. Studio owner Jackie Kaspersen says Stephne's song was a special project.

<v Jackie Kaspersin>It was something that should be done. It was a tragedy and people should know about it. <v School administrator>Where did the anger come from? When is enough ever enough? <v Vita Beesley>Ernest sings of the hate and rage that ended Stephne's life, but he says there is a more important theme the song expresses. <v Ernest Givens>I wanted to me to try to let everyone know that we all brothers, or we're all connected in some way. <v Vita Beesley>Stephne's song will be released next month on a CD that celebrates multiculturalism, a theme that rings clear in the lyrics. <v Ernest Givens>We from the same family tree.

<v Vita Beesley>Vita Beasley, new source 13. <v Don Alhart>Lawmakers say safe project will continue throughout the weekend. The Democrat and Chronicle Times Union will retrace the steps of that fateful day that Stephne and look at the impact it's made in our community. Stephne's family will be guests on Saturday's memory lane on WDKX radio, and News Source 13 will have coverage of a memorial service for Stephne. And then at eight o'clock and WXXI Channel twenty one, a special documentary on youth violence. <v Patrice Walsh>We send our children off to school each day hoping they're safe, but are they really safe? <v Dr. Clifford Janey>We've done the very best in terms of putting together prevention measures and we feel confident it's going to make a difference. But if somebody wants to get you in this country, in this world, they will get you, whether it's on school grounds or whether it's in a home. <v Patrice Walsh>In a candid interview with City School Superintendent Dr. Clifford Janey talked about the safety of his students one year after the murder of Stephne Givens. Could this happen again?

<v Dr. Clifford Janey>Yes, it could happen again in Rochester. It could happen in the suburbs. <v Patrice Walsh>Dr. Janey had only been on the job two months when Stephne was killed. The 10 point safety plan he was working on became an immediate plan of action. Within months of Stephne's murder, handheld metal detectors were being used in all secondary schools will set off. Metal detectors have reduced the number of weapons brought to school by 28 percent. But some kids are still arming themselves. <v Dr. Clifford Janey>We picked up, I'm not sure, maybe a half a dozen in the first couple of weeks of school. <v Patrice Walsh>Even so, Dr. Janey believes metal detectors are working. He hopes they can eventually be used district wide. A sophisticated ID system will also be put in place in all schools to keep out trespassers. Also, part of the plan steps to make it safer for those who walk to school. Beginning next month, students who walk to schools eight, nine, 20 and 22 will have help getting there safely. Parents will patrol these neighborhoods, but the superintendent says no plan will work without a change in attitude. Children need to be taught to value life and shun violence. Dr. Janey says that lesson begins at home. Patrice Walsh, news source, 13. <v Joseph Accongio>There was a wave of emotion in this building, obviously, people were just holding on to each other.

<v Patrice Walsh>In the 1960s Joe Accongio walk the halls of Jefferson as a student 30 years later as principal. He has seen violence change its legacy. <v Joseph Accongio>There've been many tears shed since the event happened. And it's amazing to me the depth of the emotion, how deep it is and how painful it is when it surfaces. The very next day I met with all the kids in separate groups and almost all the kids says we really want some way of making sure that no weapons come into the building. And so we implemented it immediately. <v School administrator>Pull your hair up in the back please. <v Jane Flasch>Metal detectors at the front doors give visitors one impression of Jefferson. A walk down the hall gives another. Those who know this school say this is not the place where violence was likely to happen. <v Joseph Accongio>So you guys weren't in trouble yesterday? <v Jane Flasch>Principal Accongio knows most kids by name. After school, he takes to the streets to make sure his students get home safe. <v Joseph Accongio>We're not going to do that. There's so many tragedies in the kids lives. We have to deal with those on the same level that you do with the economics.

<v Dentist>We got to clean all that dirt out of the little hole. <v Jane Flasch>Students who have never seen a dentist or a doctor get proper care at a wellness center right inside the school. Other programs have been tending to kids emotional needs even before last year's tragedy. <v Joseph Accongio>We spent so much time thinking about what we needed to do to support kids and their families. And if we didn't have these structures in place, I think the tragedy would have been multiplied, multiplied many, many times over. <v Jane Flasch>Outside the school, a garden planted by students is a reminder of the child lost to violence and the many who don't have to be. <v Joseph Accongio>We don't want to resurface the pain, but we do want to make sure that the kids understand that this did happen and it should never happen again and that they can make it an isolated event. And you'll see kids now when they get into a situation that in the past could it could cause a violent conflict, they'll step back and think about it. They'll actually put their hands up, say, we don't need to do this. Jane Flasch, news source, 13. <v Renee Starzyk>Her smiling face came to symbolize hope in our community, hope that violence against our children will someday end. Police say 13 year old Stephne Givens was stabbed to death by a classmate one year ago today. This afternoon, her friends and family gathered to remember her at a memorial service and a rally. New source, 13th Tor Constantino was there.

<v Jim Givens>Oh, God. Remembering our young granddaughter and all got to. <v Tor Constantino>Prayers from family members opened a commemorative rally for Stephne Givens. It was a year ago today that 13 year old Stephne was stabbed to death outside Jefferson Middle School. Stephne's grandmother, Ruby Givens, told 100 people at today's rally that Stephne will not be forgotten. <v Ruby Givens>Stephne is alive and if we live for the Lord, we will see Stephne at the end. <v Tor Constantino>Stephne's uncle, Charles Lowry, says the family has been coping with Stephne's loss by coming together. <v Charles Lowry>The family has come a long ways in this one year. We've gone through our first Christmas and our first Thanksgiving and those things without without a Stephne. It was a very difficult and very painful. <v Tor Constantino>Charles says the purpose of today's rally was not to mourn Stephne's death, but to celebrate Stephne's life.

<v Charles Lowry>We want to spread the word, spread the message of finding non, nonviolent solutions to problems. And we'd really like to encourage people to seek solutions, have the will to do better for themselves, other words better themselves. <v Tor Constantino>Charles says one of the best ways to better yourself is to share love with the people who are close to you while you have the chance. <v Charles Lowry>I think there's a few more hugs now, a few more kisses and and making sure that we show the love here and now. <v Tor Constantino>Now, I should point out there was a lot of happiness at the rally to the family, really wanted to celebrate Stephne's life and not mourn the teenager's death. Rochester Mayor Bill Johnson and ?Kaylee Poulton's? mom Judy Gifford were also at the rally. Stephne's family wanted to thank the community for all of its support over the past year Renee. <v Renee Starzyk>A sad time, but also a happy one, as you just said Tor. We will have more on the service coming up tonight at 11:00. <v LaSalle Blanks>In Tor's story, we heard Stephne's uncle talk about the hope that kids will now solve their problems peacefully. And as we found out at the service and rally today, many others also hope kids learned a lesson from what happened to Stephne, a lesson to stay away from violence. Some of the kids who were at Stephne Given's memorial service today may have been too young to know exactly why they were there, but others were not. Brandon Boyd is six years old. He knows how Stephne died.

<v Brandon Boyd>They bad. <v Tor Constantino>Weapons are bad? <v Brandon Boyd>Yeah. <v Tor Constantino>Why? <v Brandon Boyd>Because they kill people. <v Child 1>She got killed for almost no reason. <v Child 2>Violence is wrong. <v LaSalle Blanks>That message has been spread to kids at Stephne's old school, the place where she died. Her death has prompted some changes at Jefferson Middle School, for instance, over the past year, violence has been a topic of discussion in many classrooms. But the principal, Dr. Joe Accongio, says students as well as teachers are starting those talks. The kids are very quick to tell each other, let's not go there and let's let's squash it. Let's not have another thing like that happen again for us. Stephne's death has also prompted changes at the Rochester Police Department. Over this past year, officers have stepped up their efforts to spread the message of nonviolence to our communities, kids. <v Robert Warshaw>We know that we should become as engaged as we possibly can early on because when we have contact with youth and our enforcement capacity, it's already too late. People here today said they hope Stephne's death will encourage kids to now put down their weapons.

<v Joseph Accongio>Tremendous amount of good came out of Stephne's death. One of my biggest concerns, though, it may take even more than that, scares me because we haven't gotten the entire community turned around so that they are supporting the kids the way they should be. <v LaSalle Blanks>There were many adults trying to steer kids away from violence at the service and rally today, people representing nonviolence organizations throughout Rochester were on hand passing out fliers and talking to kids. So many people are trying to help children out there. <v Renee Starzyk>That's right. Organizations and a lot of others certainly are doing their share. But are they getting through to kids? News source 13, along with the Democrat and Chronicle Times Union WDKX and WXXI continue to look at the issue of teen violence and its solutions. Tonight at 8:00 WXXI will air make us safe teens talk about violence. It's a roundtable discussion and you might be surprised at just what your kids are saying. Here's a preview of tonight's show. <v Student 3>Will violence shorten your life?

<v Jocelyn Goldberg-Schaible>Thirty two percent of them said that, yeah, violent, they think violence will shorten their lives. That's a four. That's one in three. That's five hundred sixty two of our kids. OK, then another forty two percent said they don't know. Allowing for the fact that it might and only twenty six percent, just over a quarter of them, in other words, said, no, it won't. <v Student 4>You have to worry about just going down the street and wondering what's going to happen to you if somebody's just going to come out and rob you or something or just leave you for dead. <v Dr. Stuart Loeb>Violence is in the suburbs. It's in the classrooms. It's in the hallways. It's it's on the playground. It's in the it's in the neighborhood. <v Jocelyn Goldberg-Schaible>Those who live in the city, forty seven percent said, yes, violence would shorten their lives. And only about twenty two percent of those who live in the eastern suburbs said that in about 30 percent of those who live in the western suburbs. So we see a little bit of a difference between east and west, the east suburbs feeling safest the western suburbs feeling a little bit less safe. But those who live in the city feeling the least safest of all. <v Student 5>So many things that's happening today, you could be walking down the street and get killed throughout the day. Yeah, I do think that my life will be gone early because of violence.

<v Student 6>My mom said. Well, you don't really have a whole lot of experience with violence, so you have no idea. You never listen to what I say, like in school. Look at us. We're Black, white, Asian, European and suburb city. We've had all of us experience violence. <v Student 7>Regardless of what where you live, no violence will it will be there because it's all on the people is not the way you live, it's how you live. <v Renee Starzyk>We will recap the documentary tonight on News Source 13 at 11:00. <v LaSalle Blanks>Keeping kids safe from violence is a top priority for parents. But what really works, we have some answers in our special report called Make Us Safe Teens Talk about Violence. Tonight, we focus on what teens say works to stop violence. Now a survey of Monroe County teens done for news source 13 and our partners, the Democrat and Chronicle WXXI and WDKX Radio found midnight basketball and recreation programs are extremely successful in fighting violence. The teens also believe more police patrols in their neighborhoods help. And more than half of the teens say metal detectors are powerful tools in the fight against violence. What makes these options so popular? New source thirteens Kathy Kriz found out by going to the source. Our teens. <v Kathy Kriz>16 year old Philip Releford is practicing his hoop shots for midnight basketball this fall. The league starts off at Rochester's Northeast Rec Center in October. Releford says he feels more secure inside this gym.

<v Philip Releford>Here, you're safe from all the violence, shooting, all that stuff that's happening outside. <v Kathy Kriz>But 14 year old William Smith says you can't escape violence entirely. <v William Smith>If somebody wants you, they'll get you regardless ?inaudible? or doing what you're doing. <v Kathy Kriz>And then there's the reality of what happens after the doors to the recreation center close. Teens are painfully aware that midnight basketball only goes so far, keeping them safe. <v Khasa Grant>Just because you're playing basketball that one time, you know you're having fun with your crew or whatever is fine when you go home, you have other realities to deal with. <v Kathy Kriz>Khasa Grant and other teens took part in a Make US Safe Teen Summit that they agree with. The survey that shows 77 percent of teens who participated want tougher penalties against violent kids. <v Kristal Lowry>Like the girl who killed my cousin. I don't want to go to have death penalty, but she can at least have a longer time to 16 months for killing somebody innocently. <v Kathy Kriz>Kristal Lowry's cousin was Stephne Givens, the 13 year old girl who died in a stabbing outside of Jefferson Middle School last year. Since Stephne's death, city schools introduced metal detectors and 59 percent of students asked say they are effective, our teens view neighborhood police patrols is one of the most powerful weapons against violence. And they say parents need to be involved in teens lives.

<v Kerry Chatteston>Because a lot of kids do violent things to get attention, because if they do good things, their parents aren't going to be attracted to them. <v Kathy Kriz>But teens we talked with say they want their parents to be parents, to set guidelines and make their kids obey them. Kathy Kriz, new source 13. <v LaSalle Blanks>And our special reports continue tomorrow on news source 13 at six. Ginny Ryan has ways moms and dads can become better parents in tomorrow's Democrat and Chronicle Times Union. Do stiffer sentences for teenage criminals work? And tomorrow morning on WXXI Radio's Morning Edition, a profile of the wellness center at the Jefferson Middle School and why it's been effective at leading teens away from violence. <v Don Alhart>Well, it is not uncommon for families to set up strict guidelines for reading material or television viewing, but a survey of teens in Monroe County shows seventy two percent have not been given guidelines for books, magazines or television programs. That survey is part of our Make US Safe project. With the united newspapers, WXXI and WDKX radio. Tonight, News Source Thirteen. Ginny Ryan looks at what teens really want from their parents.

<v Ginny Ryan>When most kids are calling it a day, Micah Fulton keeps moving right into football practice. <v Coach>Working hard, got 15 minutes to work here. <v Ginny Ryan>If you find a way for Micah to keep busy for his parents, it's an easy way to keep track of him. Micah doesn't mind that he's not alone. Listen to what this group of teens had to say about parental supervision. <v Off-camera voice>Many of the surveyed students said that their parents never have to know where they are. Some said that a lot of students said that parents don't always have to know where they are by any means. Isn't that cool? Isn't that great? <v Ginny Ryan>In fact, these teens agreed they don't get enough supervision. Some of the kids told us if parents were around more, there would be less violence.

<v Student 8>Kids are too inexperienced to rely on themselves, yet they need to have someone like an adult or an older brother or sister at home who- <v Ginny Ryan>Despite a desire to be more independent. These teens say they still need their parents to lay down some rules and stick to them. <v Student 9>Your mother needs to give you guidelines, stuff you can do, to help people like yourself. Because when you get grown, you know, you have to rely on yourself. <v Ginny Ryan>Spanking as a punishment among these teens received mixed reviews. <v Student 10>I have a friend, and when his mom does that, all he does is get mad. That's what it does to children. <v Student 11>Spanking sometimes works, especially, you know, like when I was little, my mom would take my hand, go like that when I touch something I wasn't supposed to. I mean, that's not child abuse. <v Ginny Ryan>We often tell our kids more of something isn't always better. But ironically, when it comes to parenting, kids seem to think more is better, more supervision, more rules. And very simply put, more of mom and dad. <v Student 12>What I would do differently is, get more involved in each of my kids things, not try and go a hundred different directions.

<v Student 13>Some kids cause a lot of trouble because they parents just don't care. So I guess they figured since their parents don't care, they might not care. So if they try to start out other people. <v Ginny Ryan>Ginny Ryan, news source, thirteen <v Don Alhart>And our Make Us Safe project will continue tomorrow. Athletes are among teens biggest role models and many demonstrated violent behavior in the Democrat and Chronicle Times Union. Local coaches try to counteract the Sports Violence Connection and New Source 13 and six advice from the experts on what you can do to improve your parenting skills. And WXXI Radio, a profile of success at the Wellness Center at the Jefferson. <v Ginny Ryan>Homework for Micah Fulton is a way for him to be a good student. For Micah's mom, homework is a chance for her to be a good parent. Vivian Fulton uses this time to talk with Micah. <v Vivan Fulton>Probably every day I ask him, does he have homework or did he do his homework? And if he has any questions about his homework.

<v Ginny Ryan>The Fultons catch up with each other at night. Both mom and dad work outside the home. Like more than half of all families, they're busy. And because of that, experts say parents today need to work harder at being with the kids. <v Debbie Long>What I would suggest is that parents sit down and talk to their child every day. You make a time for you and your child to sit down and talk, no matter how large your child appears, no matter how independent as they appear. <v Ginny Ryan>Experts say find some common ground with your child. Micah's mom has made homework a shared interest. His dad takes a different approach. <v Micah's father>He likes fishing. And I need to get across to him that way. And I say we go play golf and things like that. <v Ginny Ryan>Micah is also developing his own interests, football was one. At 13, he's just beginning to feel his independence. Experts advise parents to let teens feel that sense of freedom. On the other hand, this is not the time to let loose on rules or supervision. <v Dr. Stuart Loeb>And kids like to have rules and they like to know if their parents follow rules.

<v Debbie Long>Because they're not supervised. They're more likely to get into trouble. As far as I'm concerned, that's the number one reason that young people get into trouble. <v Ginny Ryan>In the Fulton House, a curfew is one of the main rules. Supervision includes not only Micah, but the friends he hangs around with. <v Vivan Fulton>Because if somebody is hanging around that, I don't know, I will ask, who is that person? How old is that person? Where that person come from? <v Ginny Ryan>After raising three grown children, the Fultons have learned that the lessons in parenting never really end, even if the homework is done. Ginny ryan, news source, 13. <v Don Alhart>Well, programs to change the behavior of violent children can be expensive and difficult, but seventy three percent of teens surveyed in Monroe County say more and improved programs would be effective in dealing with the problem of teen violence. The survey is part of a new source 13 collaboration with the Democrat and Chronicle, WXXI and WDKX as our Make US Safe project continues. New Source thirteens Jane Flasch looks at a program to divert anger that is working for some of our most troubled teens. <v Eion Lovejoy>I was like that close from selling drugs, you know, I was probably like eight minutes away from selling drugs.

<v Jane Flasch>He's only 20. But Eion Lovejoy has already been given a second chance at life. He's in college, a new father, and he's beaten the cycle of violence that nearly stole his future. Two years ago, Eion dropped out the streets, became his classroom. Gang members, became his teachers. Here, there was only one kind of education. <v Eion Lovejoy>You know, yeah, somebody is shoot, you know, and they don't think anything about it, that's just anger that's built up. You just want to, you know, leech out everything, you know is just like you don't want to keep bound up and, you know, punching a wall or punching a door isn't good enough. You know, something that's going to last longer, you know, so you can let all your anger out. <v Tony Summit>Almost every kid says I just flash is just a flash point where they take off and they lose control. <v Jane Flasch>Tony Summit it works with teenagers whose angry outbursts have already landed them in the legal system. Kids like Labrea charged with assault. The 13 year old is now learning how to be angry without resorting to violence.

<v Labrea>Deep breathing. And like counting ten backwards, counting from 10 backwards, pleasant images. <v Tony Summit>It affords you some time if you know some time. And what we really try to point out to the children is that if you take some time, you'll find another answer. <v Jane Flasch>The success of this anger diversion program comes from people like Frances Rudolph. Frances lost her grandson to violence and painfully, she shares reality with kids most at risk. <v Frances Rudolph>Don't it can't happen to you because yes it can.