The purpose of this workshop is to help you gain perspective on the issue of youth violence.  I also want you to understand the ramifications of violence in society.  And finally, I want to challenge your collective brain power to come up with a plan and the means to change the thoughts of people.

Someone in this group has the ability to write grants.  We can have the same grant written for faith based programs and re-written for secular programs.  Someone else is gifted in writing manuals for use in the programs we develop.  And someone else is driven to test the model that has been created and will want to tweak it for maximum effectiveness.  Together, we can succeed in saving our children.

EVERY OLD CROW THINKS HER CHILD'S WHITE AS SNOW.

As we begin, imagine this scenario.  There is a newborn baby--brown, plump, healthy and alert.  The proud parents bring their child home and the family members gather around to inspect the newest addition.  Grandmother counts his fingers and toes.  Great-auntie admires his strong thighs, while uncle watches his alert eyes.  And then they begin to talk.

"Look at his thighs," says Uncle Bobby.  "They're strong.  He'll be able to run from the police after stealing a purse!"

"Do tell!" Grandma exclaims.  "He'll have a great fist.  Perfect for punching his woman!"

"Yep," says Auntie Cile.  "With those beady eyes, his first job has got to be as a look-out!  What a criminal he'll be!"

As you can imagine, those are not the remarks that should be used when describing a newborn baby.  No one in their right mind wants their child to grow up to be the greatest murderer ever or the most infamous drug lord.  However, somewhere between the helpless infant stage and even up to school age we loose control of our little darlings and we end up with children out of control.

BLACK ON BLACK VIOLENCE

Twenty years ago, TIME magazine tried to grapple with the same issues that we are now looking at.  What sparked the debate was the subway shooter, Bernard Goetz.  Goetz claimed that the perceived violent behavior of all African American youths was the reason he shot a particular group of juveniles riding in his subway car.  The jury bought this argument and acquitted him of the felonious assault charges while convicting him of unlawfully carrying a concealed weapon.

In that issue of TIME magazine, it was noted that Black on Black crime had reached epic proportions.  However, this was a topic that was largely ignored because no one wanted to discuss it nationally, especially the African American leadership.

At that time, and today even, murder is the leading cause of death among black males ages 15 to 24.  Statistics on the murders committed nationally show that more than 40% of all murder victims are Black.  The statistics also show that 94% of the individuals convicted of murder are Black.

It was reported that the number of Americans who lost their lives to Black on Black crime in one year rivaled the number of Black servicemen killed during the entire 12 years of the Vietnam conflict.  And although, statistically crime has dropped, Black on Black crime remains high.

REASONS FOR THE HIGH INCIDENCE OF VIOLENCE

What accounts for the high incidence of Black on Black crime?  Although poverty and a lack of hope would top the list, there are other reasons as well.  They include high unemployment and a failure to value education, usage of drugs, the demise of the nuclear family and an unwillingness of parents to perform their duties, a lack of attention given to character development and good citizenship, and finally the acceptance of violence as a way of life.

MONTGOMERY COUNTY, OHIO

I am a prosecutor.  My job is to charge individuals with criminal offenses and to prove those charges beyond a reasonable doubt to a jury and/or judge.  I work for the Montgomery County Prosecutor. 

Montgomery County, and its seat of Dayton, is located in southwestern Ohio.  Montgomery County has a high incidence of crime and drugs, but no real gang influence.  It is the place where I-70 and I-75 intersect.

 I-75 runs north and south.  I-70 runs east and west.  We are the crossroads of America.

Our community's drug of choice is crack or rock cocaine.  We are a part of the rust belt, so unemployment is high.  Dayton is said to be the farthest distance from Florida in which a small plane loaded with cocaine can fly on one tank of gas and without filing a flight plan.  The drugs can then travel via car from Dayton to parts north.

The Montgomery County Prosecutor's Office is the County's largest law firm.  There are 8 legal divisions with 95 attorneys and 120 support staff.  For adult crimes, our office is open 311 days per year--closed on Saturdays, Thanksgiving Day and Christmas Day.  On the days that our office is open, there is someone on duty to review police reports and file criminal charges, if appropriate.

In the Juvenile division, someone is on duty every weekday to review each police report and every complaint that has been filed alleging a delinquent act.  Our review includes everything from minor misdemeanors such as disorderly conduct up to murders.  Last year, the juvenile court had 12,000 filings.

I, personally, have worked in the Juvenile, Adult Criminal, Civil and now, Criminal Non-Support divisions.  I have had experience as a team member and as a supervisor.  The following information is based upon my experiences in the Montgomery County Prosecutor's Office.

THE MOST PREVALENT CRIMES IN MONTGOMERY COUNTY, OHIO

For juveniles, the most prevalent non-violent crimes are theft offenses.  For adults, the most prevalent non-violent crimes are drug offenses.  The most prevalent violent crimes for adults and juveniles would be assaults and domestic violence. 

Most people don't realize it, but conviction of even a misdemeanor assault can derail a person's career options.  For those individuals who want to teach or who want to become nurses or LPN's, a juvenile record or an adult conviction of assault will prevent them from achieving their goals.

It is also important to note that some people become criminals because they don't understand the law.  An example is the man who was driving an old rusty car that was stopped at a traffic light.  While waiting for the light to change, the man decided to light a joint, without noting the police officers sitting in the car next to him. 

Upon seeing the man light the joint, the police who were privileged to stop this man did so.  But because the man was driving his vehicle without a license, the police were also allowed to search him and tow the car.

The search revealed that the man was carrying two grams of crack cocaine in his underwear, an offense that carries a mandatory sentence.  At a pre-trial hearing, the man exclaimed.  "Judge, the police are just harassing me.  All I was doing was smoking a little weed.  That's not illegal."  Unfortunately it is and due to his behavior, the man received a mandatory year in prison.

DOMESTICE VIOLENCE

Domestic violence is also a national scourge.  It is one of the leading causes of death for women in America.  It is a crime that is passed from generation to generation.  And it is a crime whose penalties increase if the behavior isn't modified.  Calling the police to report an act of domestic violence is also a way that a parent can abdicate her parental role.

The average domestic violence case involving a juvenile results from a clash between a parent and a child.  We have a parent, usually a single parent, who has not, prior to this time, been willing to assume the authority role of a parent.  The child, it can be male or female, has reached puberty and believes s/he is grown and can do whatever s/he pleases. 

The parent, usually a mother, seeks to enforce rules after years of ignoring them.  And the child will have nothing to do with it.  The parent then throws up her hands and claims she can do nothing with her child.  The next step is to call the police to get them to do her job.

This was the basic scenario that involved the parent who called the police on his child when the child threw a plate of spaghetti at him.  Instead of enforcing household rules, the parent called the police to arrest his child.  Clearly, the parent was not assuming his role as parent and the child was challenging this parent's authority and control.  This is a situation that both parents and law enforcement feels should not be in front of the courts.

PREDICTING CHILDREN AT RISK

After reviewing hundreds of cases involving families in trouble, certain questions came to mind.  Specifically why were some families always in front of the courts and why were other families of the same socioeconomic background rarely there?  Since the criminal culture--being a victim of a crime or being the perpetrator--is not limited to a specific race, gender or class what factors are important?  Was there some way to predict who could be at risk to commit juvenile acts of violence?  And once we predict who is at risk, is there something we can do to help?  I received an answer to these questions at a Drug Court conference held in Columbus, Ohio in December 2004.

 At that conference, I attended a workshop run by a man named Dr. Stephen Gavazzi.  Dr. Gavazzi teaches at the Ohio State University's Department of Human Development and Family Science.   He developed a diagnostic tool called the GRAD (Global Risk Assessment Device) that has been found to be helpful in identifying children whose behavior makes them risks for delinquent behavior.  In addition, the tool was helpful in providing probation officers with community program links that could address the youth's problems.

The diagnostic tool is a questionnaire that was by detention specialists as an initial screening devise when a juvenile has been arrested.  The GRAD has been used in detention facilities throughout the State of Ohio and on several Indian reservations in South Dakota.  Dr. Gavazzi has been able to tweak this tool to provide information that is valid for the needs of the youths in rural counties as well as in urban settings.

A normal sample for a study can be 350 people.  This study has obtained information from 3500 youths and families.  From this study, Dr. Gavazzi came up with a set of factors for determining "at risk" youth. 

Now we know, that being "at risk" does not mean that a child will become a delinquent, however, after listening to this lecture and comparing what I knew about youths who had committed violent crimes, I found that each child exhibited the "at risk" factors.

Here are the factors that Dr. Gavazzi identified, in no special order:

FAMILIES OF CHILDREN AT RISK PROVIDE INCONSISTENT DISCIPLINE.

An example of this factor: A parent asks a child to do a chore.  The child decides that s/he does not want to do it.  The parent will beg, cajole and whine to get the child to complete the task, to no avail.  Finally, instead of presenting a consequence, the parent will complete the task and do nothing.

What the child learns from this behavior is how to manipulate the situation to do what s/he wishes.  And it reinforces the entitlement syndrome where a child acts as though the world revolves around him.

FAMILIES OF CHILDREN AT RISK PROVIDE INADEQUATE SUPERVISION OF THEIR CHILDREN.

What this means: Parents have no idea where their children are and what they are doing.  They either feel that they have no right to infringe upon their children's lives or they do not feel the need to check up on their children.

In my experience in handling juvenile theft reports, I found that 90% of the theft reports stated that the juvenile shoplifter had been taken to police station and a call was made to the child's parent or care giver.  The report would go on to say that the parent had no idea where the child was.  Further, the parent had not given the child permission to go to the place where the shoplifting had occurred and that the child had no money for any shopping trip.

MORE AT RISK CHILDREN SHOW A LACK OF EMPATHY TOWARD OTHERS DUE TO A FAILURE TO DEVELOP APPROPRIATE ATTACHMENT TO FAMILY MEMBERS

What this means: At risk children show a lack of remorse or guilt when confronted with their delinquent behavior.  They do not feel sympathy for anyone who is being preyed upon by others and will not stop others from hurting anyone else.  A lack of empathy shows itself in predatory behavior--picking on those who are perceived as weaker.  When I gave a similar discussion of this topic to a group of teachers and principals, I was told that this one factor was the one that was hardest to teach to youngsters.     

Other factors that Dr. Gavazzi noted regarding at risk youth:

IN QUESTIONING THE PARENT OF AND THE CHILD WHO WAS DETAINED, THE AMOUNT OF DISTANCE BETWEEN THE PARENT AND CHILD'S REPORTING OF LIFE, WAS AN INDICATOR OF RISK

What this means: If the child related he was glad to be arrested because his life was out of control, but his parent related that the child was a good child and nothing was wrong, this showed a great distance in reporting.  Further, it showed that the parent was out of touch with the realities of the child's life and was not providing adequate supervision.

However, if the child said his life was out of control and the parent in a separate statement revealed the same, then the distance in reporting was small.  And, it showed that the parent was maintaining some semblance of supervision.  NOTE:  In reporting a distance in reporting, t did not matter who reported everything was fine and who reported that the child's life was out of control.

ONE QUARTER OF THE CHILDREN AT RISK SUFFERED THE DEATH OF A SIGNIFICANT PERSON IN HIS/HER LIFE SIX MONTHS TO ONE YEAR PRIOR TO ACTING OUT.

The questionnaire showed that many children suffered the death of a loved one prior to acting out.  It was usually a person who was involved in the child's life and cared about the child.  Because most adults who suffer the death of the loved one fail to look beyond their own pain, the needs of a child are not addressed.  For many, the act of violence or delinquency was the child's twisted way of dealing with the pain of death.

What was interesting was if the category of death became a subset of the larger category abandonment issues, then the figures increased.  By abandonment issues, I include the following: the divorce or separation of parents, the break up of parent and significant other, the imprisonment of family member.  The percentage went up to 1/3 to 1/2 of the children interviewed.  Developing a program to provide coping skills in the area of abandonment issues is an area where you could have most impact.

Taking the information from Dr. Gavazzi's workshop and applying it to specific cases of juvenile violence in Montgomery County, Ohio, I could validate this tool.  The following cases had proved particularly troubling and the defendant's behavior was difficult to understand, but using Dr. Gavazzi's insight, I could see where we as parents and/or members of the community fell short.

THE CHRISTMAS KILLERS - In December, 1992 the citizens of Montgomery County, Ohio were rocked by the random murders of six people.  The perpetrators, two juveniles and two 20 year old adults, upon arrest told police that they killed for the thrill of killing. 

The first victim was a man who gave the juvenile girl member of this group too much of the wrong attention.  After inviting the girl and two other members of the group to his house for a group sexual encounter, the man was shot in head and left.  Before his body was discovered, the killers helped themselves to his possessions.  They ate his food, drove his care and wore his clothes.

The second death was, at first, thought to be the result of a car accident.  The car struck a telephone pole leading the coroner's investigator to think that the driver had suffered a seizure.  The coroner, however, found that death was the result of a bullet to the brain.  Ballistics evidence showed that the same gun had been used for all of the murders.

The third murder victim was a single parent with a three year old daughter who was struggling to make it.  Because she couldn't afford a telephone, the victim went to an outdoor phone booth to call a friend.  The killers rode up on the victim as she was making plans for a Christmas shopping trip.  The last words that the victim heard before she was gunned down were,  "Merry Christmas, bitch."  When arrested, the adult female of the group was wearing this victim's new Fila sneakers.

After these three murders, the killers sat down to Christmas dinner.  Between bites of turkey and dressing and cranberry sauce, the four killers told the next two victims, Marvin Washington and his girlfriend, Crystal what they had done. 

Hearing that these two individuals would tell the police on them, the killers lured the couple to a secluded field and shot them.  Marvin and Crystal died in the snow.

The fear and anger that the members of the community felt made people willing to give police information.  The police received tips concerning the identity of these killers and were closing in on them.  However, before they could be caught, the killers committed one last murder and this was one of the saddest.

The victim was an Ethiopian émigré named Sarah Abraham.  Mrs. Abraham was a divorcee who came to Dayton with her youngest daughter.  She ran a small store in a depressed area of the community.  The store wasn't much, but it filled a need in the community.

On December 27, 1992, the killers entered the store and pulled a gun on those in the store.  They demanded money.  Although, Mrs. Abraham gave them all of the money in the till, the killers still fired a shot to her head.  The bullet struck the soft tissue in Mrs. Abraham's mouth.  She died a slow, painful death.  The robbers take was $5.

Within a day, the killers were arrested.  The one adult male and the two juveniles were found to be the actual shooters.  The three were tried together in adult court.  A jury convicted all three of Aggravated Murder, and imposed the death penalty upon the adult male, Marvalous Kean. 

During the penalty phase of the trial, it was determined that Mr. Kean's brother had been murdered one year before.  Mr. Kean had received no bereavement/grief counseling; instead, he was sent to live with his father in California.  When that arrangement didn't work, Mr. Kean returned home and began hanging out with the other youths.

This horrible case shows what can happen when a person's individual pain is not dealt with.  It also shows what can happen when there is a lack of parental supervision and when others fail to develop empathy for others.  Mr. Kean can be found on Ohio's Death Row.

THE BOREDOM KILLERS - In March 2005, a man named FitzMelvin Payne was murdered by three juveniles who were out looking for trouble.  The youths, led by a 16- year old boy, named Edward Brodie first attempted to rob Mr. Payne.  When he resisted, Mr. Payne was beaten and stomped into unconsciousness.  The beating was so bad that Mr. Payne's own family could not recognize him.  He died 2 days later.

The killers were caught immediately.  The leader of the group, Edward Brodie had his case transferred to adult court, where he could face adult consequences. 

It was reported that Edward's older brother had been convicted of murder seven months prior to the Payne murder.  His mother was a drug addict who abandoned her child.  Edward's grandparents were struggling to raise him.

This case again illustrates the effect of abandonment issues on a child.  It also shows what can happen when there is a lack of adequate supervision and a failure to have attachment/empathy for others.

THE REVERSE SHOOTING - In June 2005, three juveniles were arrested and charged with Aggravated Robbery with firearm specifications.  The firearm specifications enhanced the charges by adding a mandatory three-year prison sentence to the charges.

The juveniles had been riding around after midnight looking for someone to rob.  They found a man named Mark Hill who was walking to a local store for cigarettes.  The three youths ran up to Mr. Hill, pulled a gun on him and demanded money.  Unfortunately for the juveniles, Mr. Hill had a permit to carry and did have on his person a concealed handgun.

When the juveniles pulled their guns, Mr. Hill pulled his and fired.  One of the youths was shot four times and survived.  The two gunmen had their cases transferred to adult court, where they are awaiting trial.  This case illustrates what happens when there is a lack of adequate supervision and what happens when youths engage in predatory behavior. 

THE RIPPLE EFFECT

Having explored at risk behavior and discussed specific cases, it is important to look at the ripple effect of violence.  It is particularly true in homicide cases that the violence has an effect on the family of the deceased and the defendant.  However, we find that in some instances the younger siblings or family members suffer greatly and their pain is left untreated.

Sometimes family members cannot handle the pain and refuse to talk about it.  Family members then report that someone has died of a heart attack or stroke due to the stress that the death has caused.  Other families report that their loved ones turn to drugs and/or alcohol to dull the pain.  This can lead to criminal charges for drunken driving or drug abuse.  Others turn to violence and become perpetrators themselves.  The is true of male rape victims who often rape others.  See also the case of Marvelous Kean and Edward Brodie above.

In another example, five members of one family--the grandmother, aunt, two cousins and a brother of one child were murdered.  The year was 1995, and the murder's name was Samuel Mooreland.  Mr. Mooreland was the live-in boyfriend of the young boy's grandmother who lived with the grandmother, her two daughters and their children in one house.  The defendant became enraged on a brisk November afternoon when the grandmother refused to give him money to buy some alcohol.  He shot and/or beat those in the house to death.  Several hours later, the boy and his mother discovered the carnage.

The traumatized boy was not given the psychological counseling that he needed and as a result his family life was chaotic.  In the mid 1990's, the youth was arrested as being a part of a juvenile gang that was trying to start in the area and whose members were involved in burglaries.  His gang name was "Psycho" because he was said to act crazy and with extreme violence.  Again, if someone had intervened, this youth might not be in jail today.

WHAT CAN YOU DO

The final question is what can you, as ministers, do?  My first suggestion is for you to create ministries within your communities to address some of these problems.  Any program that you create should look at the issues identified above. 

There is a great need for programs that TEACH COPING SKILLS.  These programs should include grief counseling, classes to help deal with failure and classes dealing with self-esteem.

These programs should also have a component that looks at CHARACTER DEVELOPMENT along with PARENTING CLASSES.  If we can get kids to think of others, we're setting them up to succeed in times of trial and struggle.

And finally you should be sure to NETWORK and share the information you have gathered.  By sharing information and programs, we can ensure maximum usage of dwindling dollars.  Then tailor your program to fit your community's needs.

Remember that it is important for families and the community to act.  The courts are the place of last resort. 

The issue of youth violence and Black on Black Crime are topics that we cannot ignore.  Violence is a national scourge that is destroying our families and our communities.  We need strong leaders and long term commitment from everyone if we are to save our youth from self-destruction.  I ask you to come to the table and be a part of the solution.

Thank you for your time and attention.