If a group of minors know someone in that group has a gun which is then used to commit a crime, but do nothing to prevent it, everyone in the group can be considered an accomplice and will be prosecuted as such. The interactive program asks questions of students and gives them assignments to work on during and after completion of the program. A team of law enforcement officers, prosecutors, and physicians present the program in classrooms, using visual aids, lecture, and group discussion. Scenarios are used throughout the program to illustrate the medical and legal consequences of gun violence, dispel some of the myths students may have about guns and discuss the options and choices people have in each of the scenarios have. Using case studies instead of lecturing on right versus wrong recognizes the intelligence of the children.
Kids get credit for being intelligent and savvy and able to make their own choices.
This is reinforced by the fact that most of the scenarios are based on actual occurrences, some of which are well known to the students. Students React Students who have participated in the course have commented on the effectiveness of the program. The medical section especially captures their attention. Many children gain their knowledge of the consequences of gun violence from television, which rarely gives an accurate portrayal of the pain, the physical injuries, the legal consequences, the emotional trauma, or the futility of guns as the best means of protecting oneself and settling disputes. This program dispels the myths of TV gun violence, while, at the same time, gives kids a more accurate portrayal of these very real consequences.