Rick Minniefield

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Professional Speaker & Leadership Consultant

Youth get a “thank-you” for working to prevent violence

Chico Enterprise-Record, February 25, 1999
By Nick Ellena, Staff Writer

OROVILLE—A contingent of high school students who participated in a violence prevention conference earned not only recognition but a round of applause from the Butte County Board of Supervisors.

“Thank you for what you are doing,” said Supervisor Mary Anne Hoax of Chico.

She joined the applause by board members and attendees in the audience following a presentation Tuesday that was an aftermath of the Increase the Peace Violence Prevention Conference held in December at Richardson Springs.

Supervisor Fred Davis of Magalia had invited students and directors to a board meeting to present a “Youth Position Paper” drawn up by teens to outline the problem of violence and what can be done about it.

Davis said he attended the conference on December 11 and 12 in which the 150 junior and senior high school students who attended created the position paper along with recommendation for promoting a positive change in dealing with teen violence.

“I was really impressed,” Davis said. “I wanted them to come and present it to the board so that the public would know what they've done in this area.”

“Thank you for the opportunity to be here,” said Rick Minniefield, health education specialist for the county's Behavioral Health Department. “The students decided to take the lead.”

He and Marian Gage, violence prevention coordinator for the Butte County Office of Education, along with students, made the presentation to the board.

The conference involved 150 students from 11 Butte County Schools, school advisors and representatives from at least seven community agencies and organizations.

Students explored issues in six identified areas of violence. They drew up a position paper on how they experience violence in schools and the communities, what they think can be done about it and what kind of action should be provided by adults and the community to prevent it.

Minniefield said the participation level of the students was “awesome.”

“Teens have a very real concern about the violence experienced in schools, families and communities,” the findings adopted at the conference stated. “They are also concerned about violence they see in the media.”

As part of the anti-violence campaign, presentations on the conference are also to be made to the city councils and other community organizations, Minniefield said.

Statements by students at the conference disclosed that teens are exposed to all types of violence. “Teens have a very real concern about the violence experienced in schools, families and communities,” the finding adopted at the conference stated. “They are also concerned about violence they see in the media.”

“The teens' awareness of different types of violence and their experiences with it was very sobering to adult participants. It was also evident that teens felt they could take and active roll in creating a positive image.”

The paper identified six areas that foster violence, listed actions that can be taken to prevent it and suggested how adults and communities can participate.

The six areas were media violence, gang violence, peer relationship violence, hate and bias violence, suicide and peer mediation.

Three Fair View High School students reported on three of the areas of violence.

Patricia Busby spoke on media violence, Amy Roden on suicide and Liz Martin on peer relationship.

Minniefield said understanding is needed in making decisions regarding youth and that there should be opportunity for them to voice their concerns. There should be love and support, not only for young people but also older ones, he said.

“Don't stereotype them,” Minniefield said.

Taking care not to stereotype teens because of dress or fashion of the time, was one of the six recommendations offered by the teenagers for promoting a positive change against violence and the type of support they need from their families, schools and communities:

• Provide more opportunities for internships, volunteerism, law enforcement,
• safe places to go, neighborhood activities, peer support programs,
• peer involvement in decision making, more education on diversity and
• conflict resolution, and more teen conferences.

• Be a positive role model.

• Provide love and support.

• Don't stereotype teens; treat us as a valued member of the community.

• Be an advocate against violence in the media, among peers, family members,
• in schools and in the community.

• Establish a countywide violence prevention task force coordinated by youth.

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