[Congressional Record Volume 141, Number 186 (Monday, November 20, 1995)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E2224]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




           THE GANG RESISTANCE EDUCATION AND TRAINING PROGRAM

                                 ______


                          HON. STENY H. HOYER

                              of maryland

                    in the house of representatives

                       Monday, November 20, 1995

  Mr. HOYER. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor and draw attention to 
an effective program worthy of commendation and support. The Gang 
Resistance Education and Training program, [G.R.E.A.T.]. The program, 
developed in 1991, is sponsored by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and 
Firearms. Currently, the program is taught in 45 States by over 1,300 
officers representing 548 agencies. During the 1995-1996 school year, 
over 21,000 students will receive the G.R.E.A.T. curriculum in Prince 
George's County, MD.
  The G.R.E.A.T. program is a prevention program designed to help 
seventh graders become more responsible members of their communities. 
It establishes a joint enterprise between the police, the school 
system, and parents and provides a unique educational program which 
helps students set goals for themselves, resist hostile or illegal peer 
pressure, learn how to resolve conflicts without violence, and 
understand how gangs could ruin their lives.
  Not a day goes by without negative stories about our Nation's young 
people and their increasing involvement in criminal activity. This 
builds a strong case for involving our young people in programs that 
compensate for the crime and violence, drugs and alcohol abuse, and 
negative activity that is all too prevalent in our society. Timely and 
well-managed programs such as G.R.E.A.T. and strong support can make 
the difference between a wasted and a productive life.
  The future of America's children remains precarious. In our society, 
young people are confronted with the difficult task of overcoming many 
obstacles which threaten their maturation. As we look towards the 
future of this great Nation, this is a loss our country cannot afford. 
Fostering development of programs that promote successful passage from 
adolescence to adulthood is the right thing to do because we help 
prevent youth from adopting antisocial and irresponsible lifestyles.
  As gangs and gang related violence rise in our country, preventive 
programs will be on the forefront of the fight in reducing crime and 
substance abuse. I will continue to support the G.R.E.A.T. program and 
others which enable our youth to realize they have positive options for 
their future.
  Today I was joined at a press conference by Brett Sturgill, an eighth 
grader at Benjamin Tasker Middle School in Bowie, MD. His statements 
clearly illustrate the success of the G.R.E.A.T. program and the 
necessity of continuing to expand the program in order to reach more of 
our children. I respectfully submit that his remarks be entered into 
the Record.

                      G.R.E.A.T. Press Conference

       During my seventh grade year here at Tasker, I took part in 
     the G.R.E.A.T. program. G.R.E.A.T. is Gang Resistance 
     Education and Training. We learned that we all have basic 
     needs. Three physical needs are food, water, and shelter. But 
     just as important are three emotional needs of love, caring, 
     and understanding. These three emotional needs should be met 
     by your family and friends. But sometimes when there are 
     problems in families, kids turn to gangs. We learned that 
     this is not good because gangs are groups of people out to do 
     harm. Gang activities often lead to crime and with every 
     crime there is always a victim. We role-played various gang 
     situations and discussed victim's rights.
       We learned the importance of the extended family which 
     includes not only immediate family but other relatives and 
     friends who are supportive of us. Each family has traditions 
     and rituals which are part of their culture. These traditions 
     can be anything from opening gifts on Christmas Eve to having 
     pizza on Friday nights to special celebrations for birthdays. 
     These traditions and rituals are important because they make 
     us feel like we are a part of the family. We also learned 
     that it is important to respect other people's cultures.
       Conflict resolution was another important part of 
     G.R.E.A.T. We learned that when there is a conflict we should 
     first identify the problem. Then we need to think about our 
     possible choices and the consequences of each choice. After 
     that we should decide which action would be best and then do 
     it. The last thing is to think about our action and the 
     consequences of it. Did the problem work out okay? Did we 
     make a good choice?
       We also learned that we have responsibilities at home, at 
     school, and in the neighborhood. These might be taking out 
     the trash, feeding the dog, doing the dishes, shoveling the 
     driveway for a neighbor, or doing our best in school.
       Goal setting is another important part of G.R.E.A.T. A goal 
     is something you want to do in the future. They can be short 
     term goals like getting an A on an Algebra test or long term 
     goals like going to college.
       Set goals, be responsible, be a part of an extended family 
     of relatives and friends who support each other, and avoid 
     groups of people who are out to do harm. That is the message 
     of G.R.E.A.T.

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