Prevention Works

War of Cognition: Violence and Video Games

Could there be a correlation between the rise in violent acts committed by children and youth, and video games? Some New York City officials have become concerned about the upcoming October release of the new version of the video game Grand Theft Auto. This version is said to depict violence in a city that resembles New York.  So what does this mean for the children and youth that are consumers of this type of violence? Our nation struggles to maintain positive relationships between youth and police officers; how will that tenuous balance play out in the face of this video game, which glorifies violence? Past versions of this game have been under heavy scrutiny. Although no evidence suggests a significant correlation between youth playing the video games and their likelihood to commit violent acts, some youth who have committed crimes have cited this game as a contributing factor to their delinquency. As noted by David Walsh, a child psychologist, several factors may impact a young person’s developing cognitive processes but not affect a fully developed adult.

Even if the evidence is limited, it is probably worthwhile to explore the connection between video games and youth violence. Moreover, as noted by Walsh, young people who have other contributing factors may be at a greater risk for displaying aggressive behaviors. What these behaviors are may not be specifically known; however any aggressive behavior among our youth is enough to raise concern. Parents play a pivotal role in supervising their child’s video game participation and exposure to violence. Take a look at the following article from the CBS News website:

"In June 2003, a young boy, age 18, shot and killed two police officers and a 911 dispatcher after being arrested and taken in for processing on suspicion of stealing a car." 

With three casualties and an 18-year-old behind bars, a lawsuit is currently pending against the makers of the Grand Theft Auto game. Why? This young man alleged that he had been playing the Grand Theft Auto game day and night for nine months. Let’s not focus on the act or the young man himself, but the long-term effects for the families and society as whole. Once again we have another African American male entering the penal system, likely for a significant part, if not the rest of his life. Three families are now without their loved ones. No one wants to take the blame, but everyone is pointing the finger. Interestingly enough, this young man was known to have preexisting family stressors, so may we ask, "Did we drop the ball again?"

What can parents do?
Parents can monitor the time that their kids are allowed to play video games, while ensuring that games are age-appropriate. Communication is equally important, especially when addressing some of the more sensitive topics that may arise between young people and their parents.  Observations and actively listening to what youth may be speaking about can also aid in the process. Parents should be understanding, firm, and consistent.

NCPC’s Role
Here at the National Crime Prevention Council we are committed to helping people keep themselves, their families and their communities safe from crime.  If violence in video games, such as Grand Theft Auto, is linked to increases in violence among children and youth, then we are failing them.  NCPC and the Metropolitan Police Department in Washington, DC, are developing a partnership to support and enhance the relationship between police and youth. This program calls for police to visit schools and deliver safety messages to youth, while interacting with them through communication and age-appropriate activities.  Often times, the police officers make their visits with the beloved icon of the National Crime Prevention Council, McGruff®.  How might this help in your community, or what in your community can help in other communities?

With programs like DC’s, there is hope for our kids. But Grand Theft Auto leads in the other direction. If children are the future, and if Grand Theft Auto is allowed to be the model, one can only believe that the future is quite dim.

Feeling the Pinch of Theft

Just two days after I wrote a piece on the importance of safeguarding your personal information during tax season to prevent identity theft, the Washington Post reported that the IRS may have blown it for you anyway. 

Apparently, the government agency did not protect our personal data as well as we had hoped, and the identities of thousands of taxpayers may now be at risk. But, as disheartening as this news may be, I implore everyone to stay vigilant and treat your own private information with tremendous care. Don’t let this latest data debacle discourage you; use it as a call to action instead. The many data thefts of the last year have proven time and time again that businesses and other agencies are not doing enough to protect our identities. We must demand more from them. We cannot afford to sit back and hope for the best while companies that hoard our information continue to employ lax security measures. 

In this most recent example of data theft, it has been revealed that the IRS was warned of security flaws as early as 2003.  It’s maddening to wonder why no action was taken.  But now is the time. Write to your elected representatives and demand legislation that requires companies to update their security measures and receive more training in data protection.  The current measures are apparently insufficient. 

In the meantime, consumers must remain on the front lines in this battle against identity theft.  Safeguard your personal data, and treat Social Security numbers, bank and credit card numbers, and ATM codes and the like as confidential information. Our publication, Preventing Identity Theft: A Guide for Consumers (PDF), provides some very good tips to help you guard against identity theft.

Finally, on a related note, the Washington Post also reported that a large group of retailers are combining their efforts to reduce the incidence of theft in their stores.  Consumers might not think about it, but Joseph LaRocca, vice president of loss prevention for the National Retail Federation, estimated in the article that shoppers pay 1.5 percent of each dollar to make up for stolen products.  He continued to say,

“Ultimately, consumers pay higher prices. It’s like a hidden crime tax.”

This recent collaboration of retailers is an important step for us all. By working together, many different stores will be able to share details of theft they experience with each other and with law enforcement agencies. I hope this effort will raise awareness as well as convictions—and eventually reduce that hidden “crime tax.” 

Nightclub Violence Fuels New Legislation

Lawmakers are cracking down on violence affecting young people in bars and nightclubs in different parts of the country.  The murders of a 17-year-old girl outside a Washington, DC, bar and of two young women leaving Manhattan nightclubs are just a few examples of these violent acts.  In New York, lawmakers have passed legislation that will require dozens of clubs and bars to have cameras at both front and back entrances.  It also allows officials to close business that are selling fake IDs and hiring unlicensed bouncers. 

In Washington, DC, City Council Member Jim Graham has sponsored a “Youth Protection Bill” that would place stronger restrictions on nightclubs that serve alcohol and allow patrons 18 and under on the premises.  Under the bill, these clubs would have to require that minors be accompanied by an adult after 11:00 p.m. on weeknights and midnight on weekends, or have a $300 annual license that would certify that an approved security plan is in place.  Currently, all venues in Washington that serve alcohol may admit all ages, but they must ensure that only patrons 21 and up may drink.  In nearby Prince Georges County, MD, officials recently ordered nine nightclubs to be shut down, calling them “magnets for violent crime.” 

In September the Miami-Dade (Florida) States Attorneys Office, local bar owners, and public safety advocates held a summit to discuss ways in which to protect patrons of local bars and clubs.

Some ways to stay safe when visiting any of these places are to

• Never walk alone at night, try to walk in groups, or have a friend escort you to your car or home
• Try to find parking in well-lighted areas, lock car doors, and never leave valuables in sight
• Have a plan for escape and consider your options if a threatening situation should occur
• Try to avoid areas in which a crime could occur, e.g., dark alleys, abandoned parking lots, etc.
• Call 911 immediately if you encounter a dangerous situation or feel that you may be threatened

According to the Bureau of Justice Statistics, about 30 percent of all violent crimes involve alcohol.  When you are at a bar or club, try to keep in mind that everyone around you might not be thinking clearly.  Trust your instincts, and try to avoid potentially dangerous situations altogether. 

New Orleans: Fighting Fire with Fire?

So here we are again, talking about New Orleans and all its woes. If it seems like we’re always talking about New Orleans, it’s because there’s still so much that needs to be talked about. It’s been almost been two years since Katrina unleashed her fury on that great city, and, unfortunately, many things not only aren’t getting better, but getting worse. Right now New Orleans has the highest murder rate per capita in the United States, and with law enforcement having little effect, citizens are taking matters into their own hands.

A resident by the name of Stephanie Pedro said in an article on TIME.com that as of now, she travels with mace in one pocket and a $20 bill in another in case she’s attacked by a mugger. However, she feels that that may not be enough; she now wants to purchase a firearm. "I would like to have a visible gun on my hip" she said. Apparently she’s not the only resident who wants to be armed. According to the same article, "In the first three months of this year, the number of people in New Orleans who were granted permits to carry a concealed weapon more than doubled, to 85, over the same period in 2005." It should be noted that during this period in 2005, the city’s population was practically twice what it is today. Jefferson Parish, an area that includes most of New Orleans’ suburbs, saw concealed weapon permit applications rise a whopping 300 percent while weapons sales at the Jefferson Gun Outlet in Metairie are up about 40 percent.

During the first few months immediately following Katrina, New Orleans was in such a state of chaos and despair that criminals and gangs took advantage of the city’s vulnerability. Police were in over their heads and have since been playing catch up. Measures have been taken to try to reduce the amount of crime, including late-night traffic checkpoints and crime cameras in high-risk areas. Even National Guard troops and state police were brought in to patrol the streets. However, with all that said, New Orleans has recorded at least 53 homicides since January and many citizens feel anything but safe. They feel a real need to protect themselves, and with everything they have been through during the past couple of years, it’s no wonder some have a "do it yourself" mentality.

Law enforcement officials are worried that the rise in the ownership of weapons may do more harm than good. New Orleans Police Department Sgt. Donovan Livaccari said in the TIME.com article that he is concerned that the public may be unaware of what rights and responsibilities they actually have regarding firearms. Not knowing their responsibilities may cause citizens to end up in trouble with the law themselves. There is also the possibility that if confronted with a firearm, a criminal could get scared and react more violently than if he hadn’t been threatened with a weapon. Each of these issues raises valid points. However, they have not been persuasive enough to stop some of the people of New Orleans from arming themselves.

Although it is impossible for me to identify with all the hardships and frustration that the people of New Orleans have dealt with over these past two years, I want to remind everyone that firearms aren’t the only option. We here at the National Crime Prevention Council offer many tips on how you can keep yourself safe in the face of violence. And although they may seem like simple tactics in the face of problems like those in New Orleans, their impact could be huge if practiced on a daily basis.

Home, Sweet Home

Do you know your neighbors? When someone new moves in, do you introduce yourself? Do you look for unusual and suspicious activity around your neighbors’ homes? If you work full time and are barely home yourself, the answer is likely no; busy adults scarcely have time for their own homes and families, let alone to look after their neighbors’. This is unfortunate, though; when neighbors join together, they are better able to “Take A Bite Out Of Crime®.” And, unfortunately, when we’re too busy to look after one another, large-scale crimes can often go undetected, as an article in Friday’s Washington Post made abundantly clear.

The Post carried a story by the Associated Press about growing marijuana in the suburbs. As many of our readers know, “most pot is grown outdoors on farms and in ditches, backyards and gardens.” However, enterprising criminals also grow pot indoors, hydroponically, under 24-hour sun lamps in the privacy of single-family homes. According to the article, some of these operations can generate approximately $3.2 million a year for the owners and are sometimes backed by complex, illegal business operations. Although these indoor drug plots have been a problem in Canada and California for years, they are now springing up south and east, where police are less familiar with them and, therefore, are less likely to spot them. And, unfortunately, without the community’s help, they can exist largely undetected; as the article explained, “the big advantage of such operations is the privacy that comes with being in a community full of people so busy working and raising their families that they don't know the neighbors well and pay little attention to what is going on next door.” In the cases where operations have been discovered, police have relied on “tips, surveillance and information from the power company on electricity usage.”

We all now know about meth labs found in homes or residential areas that create toxic environments in their wake. It is hardly surprising that other drug producers have also moved into suburbia. To me, the phenomenon reinforces the importance of communities in preventing crime. Drug producers rely on the assumption that no one will notice them.  Form a Neighborhood Watch group, hold an event to promote prevention, and generally, watch out for your community. If something seems suspicious, make note of it and talk to your local police department. Preventing crime is everyone’s business.

Protect Your Personal Data at Tax Time

As I prepared my tax return the other day, I was reminded of just how much of my private information is vulnerable during this hectic season.  Among the flurry of forms, statements, receipts, and other papers in front of me, I noticed that my address, Social Security number, banking information, and other sensitive items were on widespread display.  With many Americans still preparing their returns, I thought a couple of helpful reminders and some links to information would be beneficial today. 

All of our information about avoiding identity theft (PDF) applies, but during tax season, thieves and scammers are aware that there is more sensitive information than usual floating around in the mail.  So people should be especially shrewd during these months, and take extra steps to safeguard their private details. 

For example, if you have tax-related information stored on your computer, be sure that that those files are encrypted and/or protected by passwords.  Protect all of your related personal documents by locking them away or storing them in a safe location.  Also, shred any important documents that you are throwing away. 

If someone is preparing your tax return for you, be sure that you trust that person.  He or she will have complete access to your private information, so investigate them first.  Be sure that the preparer does not share your information or sell it to any third parties. 

Also, when it is time to submit your return to the Internal Revenue Service, be sure you do so securely.  That means using a secure website to send your tax return electronically (here is a good place to start), or, if you are sending your return through the mail, take it to the post office rather than leaving it in your personal curbside mailbox, where the danger of theft is high. 

Finally, be extra cautious of scams around this time.  During tax season, scammers up the volume of phishing emails.  These emails may look like they were sent by the IRS, but they are almost certainly not.  If you are unsure, or you suspect that you received a phishing email, go to the IRS website where you can find more information and file a complaint.

The IRS has also released a list of the “Dirty Dozen” tax scams for this year.  Familiarize yourself with each of them, so you know what to look out for. 

If you stay vigilant in safeguarding your private information, your chances of becoming a victim of identity theft are diminished.  But with the excess amount of paperwork during tax season, it is easier for things to get out of hand.  Keep all of your personal documents in one secure location, and remember to completely destroy other documents that you no longer need.  By taking time to prevent the crime now, you could save yourself a lot of time, money, and hassle in the future. 

Not Your Normal Strawberry Treat

Everyone knows that drug traffickers have no ethics, but now they’ve reached a new low. Always looking for ways to attract users of all ages, they are now turning to flavored methamphetamines in an attempt to hook young people, among others, according to USA TODAY. The newspaper reports that the flavored product has been seized in California, Idaho, Minnesota, Missouri, New Mexico, Nevada, Texas, and Washington State.

“Drug traffickers are trying to lure new customers, no matter what their age, by making meth seem less dangerous,” said DEA spokesman Steve Robertson. They do this by producing a type of meth that tastes like a soda, fruit, or candy. One popular flavor that has been confiscated is “Strawberry Quick,” which has a red tint and smells of strawberries. Flavored meth is a gimmick; most people realize that meth is a horrible drug that has ruined many lives. Seeing that it is increasingly harder to sell drugs like meth to kids, drug dealers are trying to make meth seem less dangerous by making it better tasting. Meth is one of the most widely used hard drugs worldwide with 26 million habitual users. By selling these flavored varieties, drug dealers are creating new, addicted, and potentially overdosed users who will continue to get younger because of the new way—flavoring—the drug is being marketed.

Meth is a highly dangerous drug. Overdosing can be fatal. Meth stimulates the mesolimbic reward pathway, causing euphoria and excitement, making it prone to abuse and addiction. It rapidly enters the brain and triggers a cascading release of dopamine, norepinephrine, and, to a lesser extent, serotonin. Users may become obsessed or perform repetitive tasks such as cleaning, hand-washing, or assembling and disassembling objects. Withdrawal is characterized by excessive sleeping, eating, and depression-like symptoms, often accompanied by anxiety and drug-craving. Meth addicts may quickly lose their teeth, a condition known as “meth mouth,” have drastic weight loss, and display amphetamine psychosis. Meth is manufactured in labs that can easily be set up in any number of locations. Once a West Coast problem, meth use is now prevalent in the Midwest and other parts of the country. The advent of flavored meth is just the latest permutation of the meth problem, though one of the most dangerous because of one of its target groups—our kids. 

If you want to join the fight against the use and production of methamphetamines, please visit the Meth Awareness Site, www.ncpc.org, or contact your local police.