1.Match the English and Danish Words

ViolenceIt’s Only Me

Nancy Gibbs

Pre-reading

 1.Match the English and Danish words

grusom
grusomhed
hån
at håne
trussel
true
en pinsel, en plage
at pine, at plage
plageånd
forkortelse (eg. stenografi)
kropsvisitere
forsømmelig
forsømme
smerte
mønster
medlidenhed
skydeskive
'torment – threat - cruel - pity - shorthand - taunt - tor'mentor - frisk - target - ne'glect - threaten - pattern - taunt -'negligent - cruelty - tor'ment - 'agony

Pre-reading

 2. Information and a questionnaire about children who become killers

Read the extract below and use the information it contains while you work on the following questions.

“Most of us think we know the kind of kid who becomes a killer, and most of the time we’re right. Boys commit about 85% of all youth homicides, and in those cases about 90% conform to a pattern in which the line from bad parenting and bad environment to murder is usually clear….Their lives start with abuse, neglect and emotional deprivation at home. Add the effects of racism, poverty, the drug and gang cultures, and it is not surprising that in a violent society like ours, damaged children become deadly teens.

But what about the other 10% of kids who kill: the boys who have loving parents and are not poor? What about boys like Dylan Klebold or Eric Harris, or Kip Kinkel of Springfield, Ore., who killed his parents and two schoolmates in 1998? Are their parents to blame when these kids become killers?

James Garbarino, “Some Kids Are Orchids” Time, December 20, 1999.

homicides:drab

conform:være i overensstemmelse med

deprivation:afsavn

homicides:drab

b.Who do you think is to blame when these kids become killers?

If you have other suggestions, write them in the empty box.

T / F / ?
the parents
shoot-and-splatter video games like Doom
singers like, e.g. Marilyn Manson
the easy access to guns in the US
the glorification of violence in films
hate-amplifying web sites
the violence shown in the news media
their friends
their school
their genes

Compare and, if possible, reach agreement

Post-reading

In your opinion what can parents do to prevent school shootings?
Read Kids and Guns: What Parents Can Do. Check the text for suggestions you had not thought about and discuss how important you think they are.

Kids and Guns: What Parents Can Do Newsweek, March 13, 2000

Gun violence is scary, and there’s no way to guarantee that your kid will be 100 percent safe. But you can significantly improve the odds. Here’s some advice:

ViolenceIt’s Only Me

Nancy Gibbs

Talk to your children about guns and violence. Explain that weapons are not toys and that kids should never play with them. Tell your kids that if they see an unlocked gun in a friend’s house, they should stay away from it and inform you about it immediately.

If you have a gun in your home, unload it and lock it away; store the bullets in a separate place, also under lock. Hide the keys. When your children are older, make sure they get training in gun safety.

Get to know the parents of your children’s friends. The more you know, the easier it is to spot the potential danger away from home. Ask other parents if they have a gun, and if they do, ask whether it’s locked up. This is a difficult conversation, but it’s important because nearly half of all accidental shootings of kids under 16 take place in the homes of friends and relatives.

Never leave young children home alone, even for just a few minutes. As your children get older, make sure you always know where they are and who their friends are. Studies show that unsupervised children have the most behaviour problems and are most likely to resolve conflicts with violence.

Encourage your local school to develop a violence education program that includes information about gun safety as well as conflict resolution. These programs are not just for teenagers; even children in early elementary school can benefit.

Monitorwhat your kids watch on TV and in the movies. Scenes of explicit violence should be off limits for school-age children. Young kids aren’t able to distinguish between what looks like reality on screen and real life.

Remember that you are your child’s primary role model. If you carry a gun, you could send you kid the message that guns solve problems.

ViolenceIt’s Only Me

Nancy Gibbs

ViolenceIt’s Only Me

Nancy Gibbs

im'prove the odds: forbedre chancerne

sig'nificantly: betydeligt

po'tentiel: mulig

unsupervised: der ikke er under opsyn

re'solve: løse

reso'lution: løsning

'benefit: have nytte af

'monitor: kontrollere

ex'plicit: direkte

off limits: forbudt område

di'stinguish: skelne

'primary: vigtigst

dis'pute: stridighed

ViolenceIt’s Only Me

Nancy Gibbs

Post-reading

In your opinion, what can be done by the following to prevent school shootings?

schools
federal government
the mass media/entertainment industry

Words that may come in handy:

security guards - security cameras - metal detectors - phone lines for anonymous tips -

investigate - pay attention - gun industry - gun laws - the Second Amendment -

to put a gun within everyone’s reach - availability - easy access to screen violence -

to glorify violence - the National Rifle Association - the advocates of gun control -

the opponents of gun control

Translate the Danish words into English.

grusom
grusomhed
hån
at håne
trussel
true
en pinsel, en plage
at pine, at plage
plageånd
forkortelse (egt. stenografi)
kropsvisitere
forsømmelig
forsømme
smerte
mønster
medlidenhed
skydeskive
'torment – threat - cruel - pity - shorthand - taunt - tor'mentor - frisk - target - ne'glect - threaten - pattern - taunt -'negligent - cruelty - tor'ment - 'agony