Changes in Crime Statistics from 2010-2011

Domestic violence had an increase of 165 reported crimes from January to April from the year 2010-2011.  The change in domestic violence crimes total is 101.73%.  Missing persons had an increase of 67 reported crimes from January to April from the year 2010-2011.  The change in the missinng persons crimes increased drastically by 491.5%.  Child molestation also had an increase of 19 crimes total from January to April of the year 2010-2011 with a total increase of 301.7%.  Domestic violence increased the most of the three different crrimes.  All three crimes increased from 2010 to 2011.


Statistics were taken from City of Albany. Compiled by NB, age 17, and CJ, age 16.

Interviews: Part 2

The AYPI filmed interviews on the streets of Albany. All interviews filmed with permission.

Artwork

All images found on Google, recreated and adapted by the AYPI.

Poetry: Can't Feel Safe

It’s crazy how one person can’t feel safe in their own community

I feel like I should be afraid to even walk the same streets

It should be a river of blood for all the blood spilled from hatred

People I’ve known all my life doing 25 year bids

People still out there banging and got like two kids

Kids are being abandoned

Baby daddies being sentenced to life

Don’t even get da chance to teach their daughters and sons wrong from right

Got da watch from jailhouse visits as their kids get bigger

Baby moms getting bitter

Watch as their son’s voice gets deeper or grow taller

Their daughters start growing hips and tits

Kids spiraling out of control

Son just turned 16, he already on parole

Daughter not a virgin, just found out she’s 13 and pregnant

Mother strung out

Kid’s a drop out

All you can do is hold your head down and cry

And ask God why

I lost my father when I was 6 months old

And now my heart has a giant hole

I’ve tried everything to fulfill it

I’ve put a blunt to my lips

Throwing back shots of alcohol

If I can I would trade this all, for my father

But they say everything happens for a reason

People keep dying like every season

I had to fight to prove a point

I used to get bullied

It was a time when I became fed up

Just take my advice

Get out quick

Not everybody’s made for this

Stop the violence

Start a moment

Contributed by SA, age 16

Quotes about Peace: Part Five

"Thus the metric system did not really catch on in the States, unless you count the increasing popularity of the nine-millimeter bullet."  -Dave Barry


"I will not carry a gun.... I'll carry your books, I'll carry a torch, I'll carry a tune, I'll carry on, carry over, carry forward, Cary Grant, cash and carry, carry me back to Old Virginia, I'll even hari-kari if you show me how, but I will not carry a gun!" -Hawkeye, "Officer of the Day", M*A*S*H


"It is better to be violent, if there is violence in our hearts, than to put on the cloak of nonviolence to cover impotence." -Gandhi


"Victory attained by violence is tantamount to a defeat, for it is momentary." -Gandhi


All quotations from QuoteGarden; Contributed by SA, age 16

Upper Hudson Planned Parenthood

Planned Parenthood is a health care provider in Albany, NY. They deliver vital reproductive health care, sex education, and information. They offer teen clinics, after-school programs, peer education, and training.


For more information, visit the UHPP website.
Patient Resources
Programs for Teens
Get Involved
Training and Education


Information taken from the Upper Hudson Planned Parenthood website; compiled by JP, age 16.

Thoughts from Youth: on consequences

Violence can cause a lot of damage in our world. It creates chaos in our communities. Children, teens, and adults don't realize that violence has affected them and others around them painfully, both physically and mentally. Not only do we see violence, but we experience it ourselves by having loved ones dead because of experiences of violence and having friends become suspects and victims at an early age. Once a person commits violence or any type of crime, they think of it as the end of the world for them because they know that what they did was wrong. They think that there is nothing that they can do but run away and never come back to the place where the crime was done because of investigations. Some people don't think about what will happen to them because they are too involved in violence that it never entered their minds what would happen if they ended up in prison. 

As violence enters the mind, it makes people crazy and creates debates on life such as "how could a person do such a crime like rape?" How can a person rape a teen, child, or even another adult and think that it is okay? I think that rape is the worst thing a person could do to someone because it messes with the victim's brain, especially when they are young. Being raped at a young age causes them to never fully experience life because they are haunted by what happened to them when they wre younger. My family and I never experienced anything like that, but I do have some friends that experienced rape and other violence in their life. Another violent act is domestic violence. This happens everywhere at every hour and people may not find out about it for weeks or even months. Domestic violence is a term that is described as "physical, sexual, or psychological harm by a current or former partner or spouse." This type of violence can occur everywhere, among both heterosexual or same sex couples, and does not require intimacy. There are many different types of domestic violence, which include merely threats of force or violence. This violence shows a problem in a relationship. Depression, anxiety, low self-esteem, sleep disturbances, and fear of intimacy are signs that a person has been a victim. Any type of violence can put people through misery for the rest of their lives.

Contributed by NB, age 17

Quotes about Peace: Part Four

"There have been periods of history in which episodes of terrible violence occurred but for which the word violence was never used.... Violence is shrouded in justifying myths that lend it moral legitimacy, and these myths for the most part kept people from recognizing the violence for what it was.  The people who burned witches at the stake never for one moment thought of their act as violence; rather they thought of it as an act of divinely mandated righteousness.  The same can be said of most of the violence we humans have ever committed. " -Gil Bailie

"Let us thank God that we live in an age when something has influence besides the bayonet."  -Daniel Webster

"In violence we forget who we are. " -Mary McCarthy

"It is clear that the way to heal society of its violence... and lack of love is to replace the pyramid of domination with the circle of equality and respect. " -Manitonquat

All quotes from QuoteGarden; contributed by SA, age 16

Thoughts from Youth: Play Your Part

Violence can occur anywhere and is always a problem.  It should be relevant whether it happens to someone you know or in your neighborhood.  Communities should always try to get together and stand up for peace.  Safety should always be the number one priority.  City councils and high positions should take violence into consideration, but the residents of communities need to play their part as well.  It’s a two way street, so both sides should play their parts.  Families need more involvement in their children’s education and outside activities.  Violence can happen anywhere and to anyone.  Remember to play a positive role in your community because you reflect your community.

Contributed by ZI, age 16

Quotes about Peace: Part Three

"We shall never be able to affect physical disarmament until we have succeeded in affecting moral disarmament." -J. Ramsay MacDonald

"The man who strikes first admits that his ideas have given out." -Chinese Proverb

"What broke in a man when he could bring himself to kill another?" -Alan Paton

"Who overcomes by force hath overcome but half his foe." -John Milton

All quotations from QuoteGarden; contributed by SA, age 16

Trinity Alliance

Trinity Alliance of Albany was founded in 1912 and works to improve neighbors, encourage health and well-being, and prmote education and employment. They provide a variety of support services and resources for the community including housing, substance abuse treatment, food pantries, and youth services.

For more information on Trinity Alliance, visit their website.

Contributed by ZI, age 16.

Quotes about Peace: Part Two

"If in this present age we were to go back to the old time of 'an eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth,' there would be very few hon. gentlemen in this House who would not, metaphorically speaking, be blind and toothless." Mr. Graham (Canadian House of Parliament member, 1914) This quote has been commonly attributed to Mahatma Ghandi as "An eye for an eye leaves the whole world blind."

"One must look hard through history to find when a clear understanding of the truth moved anyone to fire the first shot." -Robert Brault

"The more we sweat in peace the less we bleed in war." -Vijaya Lakshmi Pandit

"I take it that what all men are really after is some form of, perhaps only some formula of, peace." -James Conrad

All quotes from QuoteGarden; contributed by SA, age 16

Five weeks of news

Teens caught burglarizing Albany home

Albany man arrested in November stabbing case involving off-duty police officer

Albany drug dealer faces 45 years behind bars

Three teens arrested for attempted car break-ins

Delivery man robbed at gunpoint in Albany

UAlbany student dies in suicide

UPDATE: Callicutt, convicted of killing UAlbany student, sentenced to life in prison

Jury selection begins in domestic violence case against Albany cop

Albany man arrested for sexually assaulting 11-year-old in Puerto Rico

Albany teen charged with criminal gun possession

Albany sex offender indicted in teen rape case

These news headlines depict stories of violence and crime in the Albany area. Sadly enough, these stories happened from January 19th, 2011 to February 24th, 2011, a time span of only 5 weeks. 

News headlines taken from CBS 6, compiled by QC, age 14

Issue at Hand: Conclusion

The media clearly influences our lives and the way we see things. The responses from the AYPI agree that the media's constant flaunting of violent events is a way in which people justify violence to themselves. However, according to the Media Awareness Network, television can be good for kids with some parental guidance. Parents can use events on television as a way of starting discussion about the topic, which is a good way of making sure that their child is aware of the difference between what they see on TV and what they can do in reality.


For more information, visit the Media Awareness Network website.




Website found by JP, age 16

Issue at Hand: SA on the media

I believe the media promotes violence on television shows such as The Bad Girls
Club, Basketball Wives, and etc. For children, violent cartoons such as Tom and Jerry,
Fairy Odd Parents, and The Simpsons, etc., may lead to the child doing future violent
acts. The media shows "real life" situations, but at the same time it's like they're promoting
it or saying its okay to act like that or do the same stuff as the character in the cartoon.

"Children under the age of eight cannot tell the difference between reality and fantasy, so they figure the violent acts they see on television is part of reality. Watching TV leads to more aggressive behavior amongst children."

You can prevent the media from making your children act out of violence
because they think it's okay because of TV. Teach your children the difference between TV programming and reality, as well as right from wrong. Don’t let your child become a victim or the cause of violence in your community. It’s your chance to prevent dangerous situations in your child’s future. Stop it now while you can and they’re still young. Don’t wait until it’s too late.

Contributed by SA, age 16

Peace Website

http://tinyurl.com/peacesite




Follow this link to another site made by the AYPI featuring more poetry and youth work about peace.

Issue at Hand, NB on the media

I think that the media displays violence in movies and shows for younger kids and teens to get their attention and causes them to do violent things in their life that shouldn’t be allowed.  When kids watch movies or shows that pertain to violence, they start to develop ideas in their minds that what they see is okay to mimic in their own life.  Violence influences behavior and attitudes that causes kids to act the way they do.  Violence can also increase aggressive behavior or increase tolerance and acceptance of violent and abusive behavior.  The average pre-teen child has witnessed tens of thousands of acts of violence in the media.  The violent actions taken place in the media are mostly seen in video games because they are more damaging when the player is actively seeking to kill or wound other players.  Most violent video games have players that act as killer, which is the sole purpose of the game.  Media plays a big role in everything in the world.

Contributed by NB, age 17

Issue at Hand: ZI on the media's influence

Violence is everywhere, but did you ever think that it was in your home? Many may say "No, I have a modern family. My kids don't talk back and both my spouse and I go to work." Now, before everyone gets their panties in a bunch, understand that if you have any electronics such as a computer, cell phone, TV, game system, or radio, violence is surrounding your home. On the news and even the Internet, the media is either instigating or exaggerating stories of violence, which influences people into making bad decisions. For example, the disagreement between hip-hop legends Tupac Shakur and Christopher Wallace, who is also known by his rap name "Notorious B.I.G.", exploded into a national controversy. It became known as the "West Coast and East Coast Beef. The media got a kick out of the small conflict between the two, which could have been resolved. Exaggerating what one said and upsetting the other ended the lives of two talented rappers. It tore a nation that was once one into two and people felt forced to choose a side, which wasn't necessary. The media may not realize, but what they write in their magazines and post on their sites is affecting the lives of not just the people being written about, but the people who read the articles.

Contributed by ZI, age 16.

Issue at Hand: QC on the influence of the media

The media are instigators. When people share their opinions and experiences with the media, other see it and might not agree, which stirs things up a little. I don't think the media should give out so much of the information they receive because that honestly does lead to violence.


The average child watches 21 to 23 hours of TV per week. This means that by the time this child reaches age 70, they will have spent 7 to 10 years in front of the television. And with regular Saturday morning children's television containing about 20-25 acts of violence per hour, it is no wonder that the average person has viewed about 200,000 acts of violence by the time they reach 18 years of age. And while tragedies such as Columbine cannot be explained simply by blaming media violence, it could be an easily correctable contributing factor.




Statistics and factual information taken from Norman Herr, Ph.D.'s Internet Resources, compiled and contributed by QC, age 14.

Issue at Hand: RC on the influence of the media

Violent television and film has a negative impact on people's lives, especially teens and young children because they grow up to learn violence from television and movies. Video-games and music create negative impacts as well, as they express ideas of violent crimes. These ideas get into the teens' heads and make them believe that being violent is the better or cool thing to do. Media violence increases the likelihood of aggressive and violent behavior.


Contributed by RC, age 16

Issue at Hand: the media and violence

The APYI team was given the issue of the media's influence on violence as a topic on which to write. They were encouraged to think about the images shown to people on the news and the violence shown on many television shows and broadcasts and featured in video games.


For the next two weeks, the blog will be dedicated to their opinions and responses to this topic.

Truth Tellers!

The first of a series of broadcasts! Well, we hope it'll be a series...

Survey Results

At African American Family Day in Albany on August 6th, the Albany Youth Peace Initiative was tabling and collecting responses to a survey about community violence. Altogether thirty people aged 13 and older took the survey. There were 76.66% females and 23.33% males, ages thirteen and older.


Demographics:
Aged 13-16: 20%
17-19: 26.7%
20-29: 6.7%
30-39: 13.3%
40-49: 3.3%
50-59: 13.3%
60+: 16.7%


Those surveyed were asked how they identified racially and were encouraged to mark "all that apply". 66.7% identified as African-American. 16.7% of those surveyed said that they identified as Caucasian and another 16.7% as Hispanic. 10% answered "other", and 0% identified as Asian.


They were asked:
"Do you think violence affects you?"
63.3% answered "yes". 36.7% answered "no".


Despite 36.7% answering that they were not affected by violence, 100% of people answered "yes" when asked "Does violence affect your community?"


"Do you think you play a role in violent events?"
20% answered "yes". 80% answered "no".


"Do you think the media play a role in violence?"
80% answered "yes". 20% answered "no".


"Do you think violence is increasing or decreasing in your community?"
70% answered "increasing". 10% answered "decreasing". 20% answered "about the same".

Song: Achieve Peace

An original song about peace, written and performed by the Albany Youth Peace Initiative.

Quotes about Peace: Part 1

"The pacifist's task today is to find a method of helping and healing which provides a revolutionary constructive substitute for war." -Vera Brittain

"You cannot shake hands with a clenched fist." -attributed to both Golda Meir and Indira Gandhi

"Yes, we love peace, but we are not willing to take wounds for it as we are for war." -John Andrew Holmes

"Five great enemies to peace inhabit with us: avarice, ambition, envy, anger, and pride. If these enemies were to be banished, we should infallibly enjoy perpetual peace." -Francesco Petrarch

All quotations from QuoteGarden; compiled by SA, age 16.

Operation SNUG: Anti-Violence Program

New York is one of the most recent states to try a new anti-violence program, called Operation SNUG (guns spelled backwards), also known as Ceasefire.  The creator of SNUG is an epidemiologist, Gary Slutkin, who included five key components to the program: community mobilization, youth outreach, public education, faith-based leader involvement and law enforcement participation.  One of the most interesting aspects of the program is that it uses former criminals to personally promote nonviolence on the streets.  People who desire to commit violent acts are more likely to listen to those who have already participated in violence and have suffered the consequences.  SNUG was first implemented in Chicago 11 years ago and has since spread to more than a dozen cities in the U.S.  Officials are now pushing to expand the SNUG program by adding the already existing gun buy-back programs which have already been very successful in New York.

Poetry: Remembering

When I can’t write
A thought comes, and then it goes                
Where does it go?
I may never know
Imagining things that may not ever happen
But remember I’m just beginning…
I remember when I was pushed around
I remember when people spit on me instead of the ground
I remember when people treated me like nothing
It took me a while to realize I was made of something
I remember when I couldn’t accept myself, me
I always wondered who made me
I remember when I was defenseless
I thought cuz I couldn’t defeat words, I had to use my fists
I remember when people thought because I was quiet I couldn’t fight
I remember when my family had no place to sleep at night
I remember when my mother tried, but not hard enough
I remember when being me was tough
I remember when girls used to hate me
But probably still do
It took me a while to remember these thoughts
With such harsh words and insults
I remember when, people called me fat
I took it all in and people said I would snap
As you can see, I didn’t do that
At least not yet
It took me a while to find out who I am
Now I know who and what I am
I’m Sanaya
Guess what?
Ya poet is here
And she has no type of fear
Cuz it’s a new year

Contributed by SA, age 16

In memory of El-I-Meek Rouse

Together we can stop the violence

Violence makes neighborhoods & communities unsafe. It affects how the community functions. Rouse, a 25-year-old Albany native, was gunned down two years ago outside his home at Albany's Ida Yarborough apartments. Rouse was a good kid; he didn’t run the streets and had a good head on his shoulders. As a teen, Rouse was a promising football and basketball player for Troy High School. The violence that is happening in our community and neighborhood does not only affect the family and friends of the victim and murderer, but the whole community. Rouse's case remains unsolved.

Photos by the Albany Youth Peace Initiative; caption by QC, age 14

Peace Interviews: Part One

The Peace Project team interviewed citizens of Albany on how violence affects them and their community.

Poetry: Home Sweet Terror

I lay there and silently weep as he walks away
I hear a door slam and begin to pick up the pieces of my broken life
I try to pretend the hurt is not there

I'm brought to reality with each punch...
Each burn...
Each cry for help...

Nobody reaches out for the small helpless girl

She remembers the time her life was perfect
The time he actually loved her
The time he bought her a puppy for Christmas
And the time he didn't torture her mother

She hears footsteps in the distance and cowers in the corner
He finds her and quickly picks her up like it's all ok
"Just be a good little girl for daddy" he says
She begins to cry once more as he begins the torture once again

But nobody notices the damages he causes
Nobody notices the bruises
Nobody sees what goes on behind those closed doors...

But everybody pretends it's all ok

He pretends what he does is normal
That it doesn't hurt her
That she's not just a little girl

She constantly screams "Why do you do this to me?"
But it goes unnoticed
Just continues destroying every bit of her life

She still cries for help and the world stays silent
Her cries become more persistent and painful to hear
Nobody wants to believe that it's real
That it's really happening

"A father wouldn't do that kind of thing" they say
They swear she is just telling stories and that everything is ok
She's just a spoiled child wanting more

Contributed by TW, age 16

In memory of Shawn Hood

 

Due to the death of Shawn A. Hood, a community event was held in his honor to decrease the violence on September 18th, 2010. He died from a stab to the neck on June 27th, 2010. His killer was not immediatley found, but a group of people from the Arbor Hill community did not stop looking. Two months after Hood's death, his killer was arrested and charged with a felony of second-degree murder. The community event didn't stop killings from occuring in the Arbor Hill community, but it was a start to bring people together and show them that violence is never the answer.



Pictures taken by the Albany Youth Peace Initiative; text contributed by ZI, age 16

Crime in Albany

This map shows the locations of shootings that have happened in the city within the past year. Since August 1st, 2010, there have been 21 shootings in Albany. The numbers by month are featured below.

September 2010: 3

October 2010: 1

November 2010: 1

December 2010: 2

January 2011: 2

February 2011: 2

April 2011: 5

May 2011: 1

June 2011: 1

July 2011: 3

Statistics taken from Spotcrime.com. Post contributed by RC, age 16.

Types of Violence: Bullying

Different Types of Bullying

• Physical bullying: 30% of all bullying is physical. Physical bullying is when one person is trying to hurt or injure another person. This involves kicking, punching, slapping, pushing, shoving, hitting, etc. This can also include taking the property of another person or destroying their things.
• Verbal bullying: 46.5% of bullying in schools is verbal. Verbal bullying can involve making fun of a person's gender, sexuality, appearance, ethnicity, or socioeconomic status.
• Indirect bullying: Indirect bullying is when people spread rumors about another person, tell stories about someone, tell about a person's personal business, or exclude them from groups.
• Social alienation: This is when a group spreads rumors about a person, does not include a person on purpose, or makes fun of someone for being different.
• Intimidation: Intimidation is when a person threatens or frightens another person in order to make them do something.
• Cyber bullying: Last but not least, cyber bullying is bullying using messages, pictures, or information sent via electronic devices such as computers, cell phones, email, instant messaging, voicemail, and text messaging.

Contributed by SA, age 16

Thoughts: on loss

There are several types of violence, including physical, sexual, and emotional. The crime rate keeps rising, or seems to, especially in senseless killings and wanton attacks. The dictionary defines violence as an unjust or unwarranted exertion of force or power, as against laws or the rights of others.

Everyone sees violence in their own way and everyone has their own opinion about violence. In my eyes, violence is just a way in which people try to get attention or get their way.

Violence affects a lot of people. A lot of people lose family members and friends to nonsense violence. I have personally been affected by violence. On June 12, 2011 I love someone very close and important to me. No one deserves to go through that.

Contributed by RC, age 16

Drugs and their relationship to violence

What is addiction?
You can get mentally addicted, physically addicted, or both. When you are mentally addicted, you feel that you cannot act normally without drugs. When you are physically addicted, you have forced your body to need a substance that is foreign to it naturally.


Some types of drugs...
Heroin is an opiate processed directly from the extracts of poppy. It was originally created to help cure people of an addiction to morphine.
Cocaine is obtained from the leaves of the coca plant. It is both a stimulant of the central nervous system and an appetite suppressant. The effect has been described as a euphoric sense of happiness and increased energy.
Methamphetamine, popularly shortened to meth or ice, is a psycostimulant drug.
Crack cocaine, often nicknamed "crack," is believed to have been created and made popular in the early 1980's.
Lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD), or acid, is a semisynthetic and psychedelic drug.
Ecstasy is a recreational drug that is associated with club drugs and often used with sex.
Marijuana, as it is known when it is in its herbal form, is a psychoactive product of the plant Cannabis sativa. In the 20th century, there was a rise in its use for recreational, religious, spiritual, or medicinal purposes.


Drugs relate to violence in that drugs make people's emotions change and do dangerous things. Drug use is more closely linked to robbery and property crime than violent crime, as many addicts commit crimes in order to get money to buy drugs. In state prisons, those convicted of violent crimes are less likely to have used drugs than those convicted of property crimes, yet at least a quarter of men who commit acts of domestic violence also have drug abuse problems. In addition, women who are drug addicts are more likely to be victims of abuse.


Statistics seem to indicate a connection between alcohol, drug abuse and domestic violence. When a drug addiction enters a family via one of its members, the effect can be devastating. Whether drinking alcohol has a cause-and-effect relationship with domestic abuse is uncertain, but the truth is that violence is a part of many alcoholic and drug-abusive homes. The usage of drugs not only has an affect on households but the community. Drug cartels are an obvious and dangerous source of community violence. From 1969 up until now, the number of homicides in America from the usage and dealing of drugs has easily surpassed one million deaths.
Rehabilitation Support Services
586 Western Ave, Albany (518)482-4192
314 Central Ave, Albany (518)462-6636


Contributed by RC, RT, and JP, all age 16

Youth Peace Outside of our Community

Around the world, youth are coming together to promote peace in their communities. These are just a few examples of projects that have the same hopes for their communities as we have for ours.

Richmond Youth Peace Project

This program in Richmond, Virginia aims to teach youth to solve disputes peacefully and to express their ideas positively, such as through the arts.

Information on the Richmond Youth Peace Project

United Youth for Peace Project

Created in response to post-election violence that occurred in 2007, the United Youth for Peace Project was initiated by students from Notre Dame University in Maryland. The aim of the project was to aid recovery in Eldoret, Kenya, the town that recorded the greatest number of casualties and destroyed residential structures.

Information on the United Youth for Peace Project

World Youth Peace Summit

There was a summit held in Connecticut during July of 2011. Peace walks occurred in May of 2011 to support the summit. The first World Youth Peace Summit was held in 2009 and the next summit will be held in 2016, with future summits occurring every 5 years.

Information on the World Youth Peace Summit

Youth Peace Initiative

The Youth Peace Initiative is a project of the Sydney Peace Foundation and is based in Sydney, Australia. The Youth Peace Initiative connects and recognizes peace efforts made by various youth groups around the world.

Information on the Youth Peace Initiative

Types of Violence: Rape

Types of Rape:

• Acquaintance rape is forced, unwanted sexual intercourse with a person who is known to the victim. It can be someone you have recently met, someone you dated a few times, someone you used to work with, etc. It is a violation of the victim's body and trust.
• Stranger rape is forced, unwanted sexual intercourse by someone the victim does not know.
• Marital rape can be defined as any unwanted intercourse between spouses that is obtained by force, threat of force, or when the victim is unable to give consent.
• Gang rape is when a group of people participate in the rape of a single victim.
• Drug-facilitated rape is when drugs or alcohol are used to compromise an individual's ability to consent to sexual activity. In addition, drugs and alcohol are used to minimize the resistance and memory of the victim of a sexual assault.
• Statutory rape describes consensual sexual relations that occur when one participant is below the age required to legally consent to the behavior. Basically, statutory rape is illegal sexual activity between two people when it would otherwise be legal if not for their age. The age of consent is the age at which individuals are considered competent to give consent to sexual conduct. Different jurisdictions use many different terms for the crime, such as "sexual assault," "rape of a child," "corruption of a minor," or "unlawful carnal knowledge." Statutory rape differs from forcible rape in that overt force or threat need not be present. However, statutory rape is assumed to involve coercion because a minor is legally incapable of giving consent to the act.

Resources for victims:
- crisisinterventioncenter.org
-The Albany County Crime Victim and Sexual Violence Center offers a 24-hour sexual assault hotline: (518)447-7716

Contributed by RT, age 16

Types of Violence: Hate Crimes

Hate crimes are criminal acts that are committed against a person or group because of a certain aspect about them. The reason can be their race, religion, sexual orientation, ethnicity, disability, age, or gender. A person is selected because of a characteristic that he or she can't change.


Hate crimes appear to have more serious psychological affects on the victims and communities than do other crimes. People suffer greater emotional traumas because the hate crimes target certain aspects of their identity. It sends a message that certain groups are not welcome and are unsafe in a particular community.

Contributed by NB, age 17

Crime Rate

In 2006, the crime rate in the city of Albany, NY was higher than the national average (per 100,000 people) for rapes, robberies, aggravated assaults, burglaries, and larceny/theft. The only crime types for which Albany had a lower crime rate than the national average were murders and motor vehicle thefts.

Statistics from areaconnect.com

Equinox

Equinox was founded in 1969. It began as a volunteer organization. The first program was a 24-hour crisis intervention center that linked people in need with existing community resources. Current services include residential programs for homeless youth and victims of domestic violence, counseling services, advocacy, and outreach. Today, Equinox works to help individuals and families who might otherwise not receive services.


Contact Information:


95 Central Avenue
Albany, NY 12206
Phone: (518)434-6135


Domestic Violence Hotline: (518)432-7865


Equinox House for Youth: (518)465-9524


http://www.equinoxinc.org/


Contributed by RT, age 16

Thoughts: on bullying

I think bullying is cruel and there should be a punishment. People shouldn't be putting other people down. It shows that the person doing the bullying is insecure about themselves. Bullying is the cause of many youth committing suicide or committing crimes.

I was bullied from Pre-K to 6th grade. It drove me crazy. I hated being bullied. I hated the people who bullied me. I had few or no friends. I got into fights. I was always kicked out of class. I was called the bully when it was the other person who was bullying me. No one understood me. I got made fun of by my sisters when I went home and was made fun of by my classmates at school. I learned that people took my kindness for granted. So I learned to not be sharing my friendship with those who didn't earn it. But today, I thank God for all he put me through because it made me the person I am today.

Contributed by SA, age 16

Thoughts: on Peace

To me, peace means mutual respect, no drama, and no fights. But I believe it's hard to have peace when you have careless people in the world and in our community who may think that they have nothing to live for and then may want to make things harder for others. But I feel like we can make peace a main goal, starting by decreasing the violence in our community.

Contributed by AC, age 16

Thoughts: on necessity

Violence to me is irrelevant and unnecessary. The problem is not only about guns, knives, and weapons, or even general gang violence. The problem can also be in domestic violence, including physical, emotional, and sexual abuse.

I honestly think violence breaks out and mainly happens because of jealousy and competition. It isn't always the fault of the person committing the crime because honestly, a lot of the anger that leads to violence comes from the individual's background. Bad surroundings can break and hurt a person inside and cause them to react and act out the way they do. This leads to gang and street violence as well as domestic violence. Instead of thinking as a group, I say people should try to be their own individual.

Me personally, I could have been the victim or instigator of a violent situation. I would always get told that violence is not the answer, but I never really paid attention. I never realized until now that when you have so much to lose and so little time to live your life that violence and the consequences that you will eventually have to face are not worth it. It doesn't make any sense. I believe we should stop the violence and make peace because it isn't worth it.

Domestic violence: It is never okay to hit a boy, girl, man, woman, baby, or anyone. Domestic violence shouldn't happen to anyone, ever. But it does - and when it does it is important that people seek help.


Contributed by QC, age 14

Thoughts: on Violence

To me, violence is stupid and not necessary. A lot of people witness the violence, but they choose to not tell the police or they just sit back and watch. Kids are the main ones that the community has to be careful around because as kids watch what goes on in the streets, they begin to think it's okay and they may grow up and do the same thing.


Violence takes a toll on everyone in the community. It affects a lot of people, especially by taking a lot of lives away. We need to come together as a community and stop the violence. Nothing is worth going to jail and taking someone's life.

Contributed by ZI, age 16

Poetry: Love Hurts

Journal Entry: Love Hurts

My heart beats like a drum
Yes, I tried, but I can’t run
Cuz I got caught in his trap
Oh, yes he wants me back
But it’s enough of him, I had
I was the one he grabbed
If I had the chance to rewind time back again 
I would never chose him to be my man
Cuz now he won’t leave me alone
I got over 100 messages on my cell phone
Repeating myself again
Cuz I keep telling him we should just be friends
Now I wonder
Will I be stuck here like this to the end?
Now he gots the nerve to call me honey
And spending all his money (on me)
Did he forget he bust my lip
But he made a promise that he wouldn’t do it again
So here I am thinking about my future
And the only thing I see is him beating me all over again
Now tell me would this love nightmare end
It’s like him stabbing me in my heart all over again
Crying as the blood rushes from my heart
I knew I should have left him when he first abused me from the start  
Now here hurting in pain
Wishing this thing I feel will go away
I blacked out and these people take me away
Now I ask God will I see another day
Your Friend,
Maya 

Contributed by SA, age 16

Reading of Hersey's "Hiroshima"

On the 66^th anniversary of the use of the atomic bomb, there will be a reading of “Hiroshima” by John Hersey. The book follows the aftermath of the bomb as it affects six survivors and was written after Hersey spent 3 weeks doing research and interviews in Japan. The book was first published in The New Yorker, which dedicated a whole issue to printing Hersey’s narrative. The reading will be from 11 am-3 pm in Townsend Park, located on the corner of

Henry Johnson Boulevard

and

Central Ave.

Taken from the Capital District Peace Calender with information regarding John Hersey from Wikipedia.

Thoughts: Domestic Violence

I think domestic violence (also known as dating violence) is a cruel crime and is the cause of many deaths in America. One of the most common causes of domestic violence is when a man or woman feels like they have to be in control of their relationship. There are many forms of domestic violence, including physical, emotional, mental, and verbal abuse. The most common form of abuse that people are aware of is physical abuse. I personally think mental abuse is the worst because it causes the person to have low self-esteem and sometimes leads to them hurting themselves or others. It may take a few weeks to heal from physical abuse but it can take years or longer to heal from mental abuse. I feel like the cause of domestic violence is when one partner is insecure about themselves, so that every little thing that their partner does makes them think that their partner is going to leave them. Or they don’t know how to manage their anger or know how to love others partner properly. They are afraid that their partner is going to leave them. What they don’t know is that their outburst is going to eventually lend to the partner getting hurt or leaving them, and they can’t blame anyone but themselves.

Contributed by SA, age 16