CFK Reports From: Violent and Explicit Video Games: Informing Parents and Protecting Children
Event: Hearing
Organized By: Subcommittee on Commerce, Trade, and Consumer Protection
Where/When: June 14, 2006; 2123 Rayburn House Office Building

When it was revealed last year that a popular video game “Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas” contained a hidden graphic sex scene unlocked by downloadable software, members of Congress waged a war against graphic content in video games.

CFK Reports From: Electronic Media in the Lives of Infants, Toddlers, Preschoolers and Their Parents
Event: Panel
Organized By: Kaiser Family Foundation-Program for the Study of Entertainment and Health
Where/When: May 24, 2006; Barbara Jordan Conference Center

The debate on the impact of electronic media—television, computers, DVD, etc.—on children and their development was the focus of this panel and the subject of a new Kaiser report that showed how parents use children’s media to help them cope.

CFK Reports From: Parental Power: TV Indecency, the FCC, and the Media's Response
Event: Policy forum
Organized By: Cato Institute Center for Constitutional Studies
Where/When: Cato Institute, Washington, DC, Wednesday, May 10, 2006

Jack Valenti, one of the key architects of the much-maligned but much-relied-on movie rating system, argued at this Cato Institute event that despite concerns about violence, language, sex and general crudeness on broadcast, cable and satellite TV programs, technology already gives parents near-total control of the TV content that comes into their homes.

Last month Connect for Kids reported on Teenangels, young volunteers who help their peers understand the importance of Internet safety. What other efforts are underway to help protect children and youth from being exploited through social networking online? Cecilia Garcia reports.

While parents worry about potential dangers to their children lurking in our web-surfing, IM-ing, text-messaging culture, their efforts to help can be hampered by their own lack of knowledge. The Teenangels program—which trains young people to protect their peers online—is one way around that problem. Tamekia Reece takes a look.

To engage girls in the study of science and technology, educators need to convey the right message about the roles these fields play in society and the skills they require--and they also need to provide more hands-on activities that have some social value. These were the main lessons imparted during a Webcast hosted by the National Science Foundation's Information Technology Experiences for Students and Teachers program. E-School News reports.

Bullying has a new face. Or perhaps, no face at all. Joan Lisante reports on cyber-bullying - kids using new technologies to hurt feelings, trash reputations, and wreck relationships.

Parent & Teen Universities, Inc. is a non-profit organization established to help parent, educators and law enforcement officers to understand and connect with teenagers.

How did a Nintendo Gameboy become a diabetic child's ally in the daily struggle to keep blood sugar levels under control? Rob Capriccioso reports on this and other developments in the emerging field of using video game technology to fight childhood disease and promote healthy behavior.