Columbine marked a horrible defining moment for a societal ill that, with similar tragedies in the Netherlands, the UK, Sweden, Israel, Canada, and elsewhere, had also become the world's problem. It also drew attention to the fact that our schools weren't necessarily safe harbors for children anymore. Not only were innocent children getting shot by other children, but also a more insidious, underlying problem existed: the young perpetrators of violence were often themselves victims -- of neglect, by either parents or teachers or both, or of cruelty, by classmates and other peers. As a result, these kids became filled with a rage that exploded. The Columbine shootings made the comprehensive prevention of school violence one of the central issues of our time.

When Rosalind Wiseman graduated from college in the early 1990s, school violence -- and more generally, violence among youth -- had not reached the sensationalized levels that came with the events at Columbine. Certainly no less prevalent, it just seemed to manifest itself in different ways. She had endured an abusive relationship while in high school and found herself drawn to teaching teenage girls self-defense. She helped found a Washington DC-based organization called Empower (originally known as Women's Way Self-Defense) to do just that. She realized, though, that simply helping young girls defend themselves wasn't enough, that the same dynamic that rendered sixth-grade girls susceptible to date rape also kept them at the mercy of powerful members of their own social cliques. Quickly, Wiseman and Empower became determined to have a more significant impact by addressing, as she puts it, "who's bystanding violence and why people are vulnerable to violence in the first place."

Since then, Wiseman has established herself as an impassioned, articulate voice against school violence in all its manifestations. The author of the 1995 book Defending Ourselves and the upcoming Queen Bees and Wannabes (to be published by Crown next spring), she has spearheaded an aggressive effort by Empower to embed violence prevention in the curriculum of schools in the DC area and throughout the US. "Owning Up" is now Empower's flagship program and centers around a series of 16 classes designed to challenge youth to break the cultural cycle of violence by teaching them to become healthy, confident men and women who aren't negatively manipulated by their peers or inclined to react desperately in difficult situations.

But the empowerment only starts with "Owning Up." Empower has also launched "Stepping Up," a program that galvanizes all students around bringing an end to anti-gay violence in schools. Another program, the Girls' Advisory Board, brings a group of 14- to 18-year-old girls from DC schools together to help Empower structure its violence-prevention programs. In addition (and a critical part of the organization's nationwide reach), Empower also offers professional development training for educators intent on working closely with students to make a difference in their schools. Empower continues to get high-profile attention and recently hosted a sold-out benefit concert near Washington featuring the singers Rosanne Cash and Marc Cohn. Said Cash, herself long dedicated to violence prevention: "Empower has the greatest overall effectiveness, the best and most committed people, and the biggest heart of any group I've come across. The event itself was spectacular fun and very moving."

In February 2002, Empower will take a major leap forward by convening its first School Violence Prevention Institute in Washington DC. SVPI will be a week-long intensive program, offering interactive workshops and opportunities to learn from anti-violence experts in many different fields. Empower plans to attract and engage a cross-section of students and educators from across the country in turning back the clock -- and the calendar -- on violence.

Wood Turner
Editor/Publisher, GoodThings, Inc.

(Thoughts on this GoodLetter? E-mail us -- don't forget to tell us your name, where you're from, and if we can use your words in a future GoodLetter or on our Web site.)