Youth Development/Afterschool/Violence-Flashpoint

FLASHPOINT: Life Skills Through the Lens of Media Literacy FLASHPOINT is a "12-step" prevention and education program developed by a Massachusetts District Attorney, Kevin Burke, and funded by the U.S. Department of Justice, Office of Justice Programs. The creators of FLASHPOINT are professionals from various disciplines who recognize the influence that media has on youth development. The media is a significant contributor to negative cultural images, high risk behavior and streams of violence that influence the decision making process. A flashpoint is the instant in the decision making process where thoughts and feelings are turned into action. To combat the negative influence of media, FLASHPOINT advocates "media literacy" as opposed to censorship. "Media literacy" is the ability to critically analyze what we hear, see and read. It provides youth with the skills to become discerning consumers of the media. FLASHPOINT is designed primarily for high risk youth, but acknowledges that media literacy is critical for all youth. The program helps adolescents to rethink their own decision making and helps them make more informed choices. The program consists of two books and a video tape. The books are intended to eliminate the negative effect of the media by providing youth with essential survival skills. The facilitators' guide discusses the teaching strategies incorporated into the program, including: group discussion, mini-lecture, brainstorming, role play, case study, games, art projects, and journal writing. The student or participant's handbook, in keeping with the media theme, is referred to as the "Director's log," and the 12-steps are referred to as "Takes". These terms imply that students are not passive participants but take an active role in the program. The curriculum focuses on both criminal and noncriminal acts that affect young people, and it is composed of four main topic areas: 1) media literacy, 2) violence, 3) substance abuse, and 4) prejudice. It includes activities, exercises, and video segments that demonstrate where these issues overlap and how they are integrated with one another. Each Take is 90 minutes long and is accompanied by a mandatory research assignment. The curriculum promotes the idea that early intervention, cooperative learning, and appreciation of differences are effective ways of preventing violence, substance abuse and prejudice. FLASHPOINT uses clips of movies, commercials, and music videos, to help participants better understand how media, are constructed and how they convey values. Videotape segments depict clips from familiar movies, such as "Basketball Diaries", and famous actors like Harrison Ford and Keanu Reeves. It illustrates the differences between television violence and the physical, emotional and legal consequences of violence in real life. On several occasions, District Attorney Kevin Burke appears on the tape to explain the legal consequences, according to Massachusetts law, of actions seen on film. The tape also uses popular commercials that most youth can identify with, such as Budweiser, to teach participants how to "see through" alcohol and tobacco advertising. Participants are taught to "deconstruct" media, take apart and analyze, what they see and hear to understand how media is constructed. FLASHPOINT ends after the 12th Take, where participants graduate and receive and Diploma. FLASHPOINT does not condemn the media but believes that youth who can analyze media and think about media critically will be better decision makers.