I'm all for a curfew for kids IF (1) after hours juvenile crime is on the increase, and (2) there is solid evidence that curfews have worked to reduce juvenile crime during curfew hours.
From a politicians standpoint, establishing a curfew is an easy decision to make, because, without the facts, people's general perception is that curfew's work. However, there is little or no evidence that curfews work and there is plenty of scientific data that shows that curfews don't reduce youth crime. See "The Impact of Juvenile Curfew Laws in California" - www.cjcj.org (search for "curfew"); "Evaluation of the Youth Curfew in Price George's County, Maryland www.ncjrs.gov (search by title); Center on Juvenile and Criminal Justice - www.cjej.org; and Justice Policy Institute - www.justicepolicy.org .
I question if we should even have a curfew in the first place. Do we really want our police to divert their resources to chase kids home? Don't the police have enough to do already besides baby-sit for other people's children? And, do the police really want to create more hostility between the police and the kids? - Gordon Clay
Related issues: Talking With Kids About Tough Issues, Adolescence, kidstuff, children, fathers, fathers & sons, single fathers, step fathers, military fathers & fathers stories and Dads&Daughters newsletter.
Note: New Moon Network is always looking for fathers with daughters to write for the"fathering" section. lynettelamb@earthlink.net
In the entertainment and advertising industries, exploitation of the female body is part of the cost of doing business. Fashion, film, television, and magazines bombard our daughters with unrealistic ideals about their bodies, perpetuating the likelihood that they will develop an eating disorder, low self-esteem, and feelings of depression.
Middle school girls who read dieting articles are twice as likely in later years to smoke cigarettes or fast in order to lose weight, and are three times as likely to become bulimic?
An emphasis on physical attractiveness among college-aged women has been found to decrease their interest in math and science, and lower leadership aspirations?
Parents are the linchpin to breaking the vicious cycle of hyper-exploitation of girls in our culture. Dads & Daughters one-of-a-kind education, research, and advocacy is a dynamic resource that helps parents to teach their daughters to think critically about exploitation of girls and women in American culture.
Shellie Bailey-Shah writes an article for KATU News in Portland that asks why girls are developing at younger and younger ages. It seems that the same factors that speed up the process in girls have the opposite effect on boys.
According to a new study, testosterone levels during pregnancy could make a difference between the little girl who likes playing ball and the girl who prefers playing "house."
Rose Pullen, 15, could barely hear the screams of her father, who was trapped under a car. But she did hear them, and, thanks to some just-in-case training, managed to extricate her dad  just-in-time.
A new film, "Apple Pie" by Mary Mazzio (1992 Olympic Rowing Team), aired on June 23 on ESPN2. This film captures intimate histories and private moments between athletes and their mothers, and the power and strength and backbone of women - and what they instill in their children. The film features Hockey medalist Cammi Granato and her mom Natalie, Mia and Stephanie Hamm; Indy driver Sarah Fisher and her mom, Reba, among many others. Mazzio also wrote, produced and directed the award-winning film "A Hero for Daisy." Check your local listing for the broadcast time in your area. Learn more at www.applepiemovie.com
Do you have a 2003 graduate who's interested in engineering? Encourage her to apply for a two week residential program at Kettering University. Participants will learn all about a future in engineering through hands-on labs, visits to a crash test lab, grad school and medical school, and through interaction with successful women in the engineering field. Don't Delay! Applications are due by May 1st.
Take your daughter and browse through the covers of the videos and DVDs at your favorite rental shop. While viewing covers, think about the following questions that pertain to leading roles for women: How many covers feature women prominently? How many women are pictured without men? How many women are posed in a sexual way? How many men and women are shown with weapons? Is violence against women implied on the cover? Sit down and share your perspectives with one another. From the new issue of the newsletter Daughters: For Parents of Girls, subscribe
The Women's Sports Foundation compiled a list of ten things fathers can do to encourage their daughters to participate in sports, stay active, and eat healthy. Source: www.womenssportsfoundation.org/cgi-bin/iowa/issues/family/article.html?record=785
"In basketball tonight Duke beat North Carolina, Purdue upset Notre Dame, and now, turning to the women, the Lady Bulldogs defeated the Lady Bruins." It's great to hear women's sports included in newscasts, but what does this association tell your daughter about her place in sports?
How about the term "man-to-man coverage"? Efforts need to be made by everyone in sports: announcers, coaches, players, and parents need to pay attention to gender equity in the language they use in order to truly give female athletes the respect they deserve.
Some people say I have attitude - maybe I do. But I think you have to. You have to believe in yourself when no one else does - that makes you a winner right there. Venus Williams, US tennis champion
Bonehead facts: You have 22 bones in your skull. Don't be a bonehead. Wear a helmet when riding a bicycle or motorcycle - you too, dad!