By Brian Anderson
San Ramon Valley Times

Sept. 28, 1999

DANVILLE — San Ramon Valley youths feel disrespected and left out of the community but believe better communication and support from adults could help change that, a local task force has determined.

The 32-member San Ramon Valley Advisory Committee on Youth Safety and Development explored causes of teen violence, drug use and other concerns, according to its draft report.

After months of gathering and analyzing data, the committee Wednesday will officially release its findings as well as 39 short- and long-term recommendations that members hope will combat some students' unhealthy and dangerous behavior.

Although fairly comprehensive, the findings and recommendations are no cure-all, said one school board member.

"There's actually nothing you can do to prevent (teen violence)," said Chris Kenber, the board's vice president. "What we can do is to try and figure out what these services are that we ought to be providing our kids so you reduce the probability of those kinds of incidents occurring."

The 23-page draft report concluded that local youths feel a lack of respect and want to be supported for their individuality. Being branded or stereotyped also frustrates them, the committee determined.

More involvement in the community and having supportive adult role models would help teens alleviate feeling "disenfranchised and powerless to create change," the report found.

Like their kids, parents also feel disrespected. Through questionnaires, parents said they believe substance abuse, peer pressure, lack of respect and the absence of a safe place to hang out are critical issues teens face. Better coordination of services and improved awareness of these problems would help stem the tide of risky behavior, parents concluded.

Data was gleaned from a "limited number" of surveys that were returned to the group as well as from interviews with an unspecified number of parents and youths, the committee reported.

Most of the findings and proposals are directed toward high school and middle school students. Members focused on older students because they are involved in risky behavior or in need of help more often than elementary school children, said San Ramon Valley school district spokesman Terry Koehne.

There are proposals, however, that will benefit all young people, he added.

The group pointed out that community leaders, officials and students need to work together to improve relationships and communication between young people and adults.

Committee members also contend that counselor-staffed teen centers, expanded conflict resolution and troubled-youth resources would help bridge the generation gap.

"The list of recommendations brought forth by the advisory committee is more than merely a collection of ideas or lofty goals," the report reads. "It is a document based on considerable research and community input and is the result of a thoughtful process that has engaged more than 32 local community leaders, police officials, educators, counselors, religious leaders, parents and students for more than six months."

The group was forged in February -- five months after the group beating of a Las Lomas High School student at a September 1998 football game at San Ramon Valley High School in Danville. Members were charged with identifying ways to enhance youth services and develop measures to help prevent similar violence.

Months before the beating, the Del Valle Council of PTAs came up with the idea of a youth council to prevent or prepare to deal with a nationwide upswing in teen violence. Del Valle joined the district to create the committee and was instrumental in developing the report, Koehne said.

A facilitator was hired, and five subcommittees were formed to analyze data, identify existing programs and talk to parents, youths and teachers about the state of local young people.

Information from the subcommittees was presented in mid-April to the group, which then hammered out the recommendations that were presented during a meeting in July.

There was no mention in the report of how much the proposed programs and services would cost. But Koehne said the school district's grant writer could apply for thousands of dollars available to programs similar to those suggested.

Kenber said the district has an obligation to examine what proposals it can afford to pay for.

"Obviously we have limited funds like every other agency," he said. "But we ought to look at what we should re-prioritize so we can help to implement these recommendations that apply to the school district."