Violence and Rage

According to child behavior experts, one in three people abused as a child will also use physical force on her or his own children. This edition of Primetime spotlights three primary caregivers of one or more young children-a 63-year-old grandmother, a 36-year-old mother, and a 29-year-old father-who are hoping to beat those odds by taking part in a mentoring program for at-risk caregivers called Parent Aide. The people in this video are filmed at their worst-and also at their best as they begin to apply the new behavior-modification techniques to the children's actions as well as their own. Commentary by Alan Kazdin, director of the Yale University Parenting Center and Child Conduct Clinic and author of The Kazdin Method for Parenting the Defiant Child, is featured. (39 minutes)

It has been estimated that 1.5 million elder Americans suffer neglect, mistreatment, and even financial exploitation at the hands of their own families. In this program, ABC News correspondents Diane Sawyer and Marti Emerald probe what is quickly becoming the fastest-growing family crime in the U.S. Together they investigate several cases of elder abuse and examine the efforts of crusaders such as the members of the ground-breaking Fiduciary Abuse Specialist Team, a volunteer network of social workers, bankers, lawyers, doctors, and police personnel who seek out evidence of financially abused senior citizens. (16 minutes)

Using the shocking racist murder of James Byrd as a starting point, this disturbing program investigates America's proliferating hate groups. The KKK's Charles Lee; the founder of Aryan Nations and his successor, Pastor Neumann Britton; and William Pierce, head of the National Alliance and author of The Turner Diaries, calmly proclaim their chilling views on racial patriotism" and "positive hate." Countering, Julian Bond, of the NAACP; Irv Rubin, national chairman of the Jewish Defense League; Robert Blitzer, bureau chief of the FBI's domestic terrorism unit; and others explore the mentality of intolerance, abetted by the subversive Christian Identity movement. Original BBC broadcast title: Heart of Darkness. (48 minutes)"

In the future, brain scans could be used to assess a child's potential for violence-and to decide if that child should be kept apart from the public, even when he or she has never hurt anyone. Should neurologists and behavioral psychologists have that much power? This program explores the issue with a compelling dramatized story, showing just how a combination of medical expertise and governmental authority could be applied to create a safe" society-at the expense of those who fit certain parameters. Viewers will gain additional insight from USC Professor of Psychology Adrian Raine, Georgetown University Professor of Neurobiology Jonathan Pincus, Children's Society Policy Manager Sharon Moore, and other experts. A BBCW Production. (60 minutes)"

In this Fred Friendly Seminar, Harvard Law School's Charles Ogletree stimulates a vigorous exchange on the tension between artistic expression, freedom of speech, and social responsibility. Presented with scenarios involving antisocial and sometimes violent messages in mass media, Richard Dreyfuss, Def Jam Recordings' David Harleston, the ACLU's Nadine Strossen, Congressman Barney Frank (D-MA), and other distinguished panelists examine the impact that TV, music, and the movies have on young people, the police, and public attitudes toward society in general. In addition, the program explores how the disenfranchised express their often-stifled views through entertainment venues. (58 minutes)

Obscenities, screaming matches, fistfights, shootings-these have become almost standard forms of public expression. Why? Can society's violent downward spiral be reversed? This program explores the emotional causes and social dangers of short fuses, linking the pressures of a hard-driving, high-tech world to the prevalence of an easily threatened, easily angered point of view. Breaking its analysis into three parts, the program examines road rage, workplace aggression, and violence among sports spectators, with observations from police officers, anger management counselors, athletes, and recovering ragers." Nonviolent ways to assert needs and grievances are highlighted. (48 minutes)"

Every year, 20 million violent crimes are committed in America. This program looks at some of the ways in which people are trying to stop the cycle of crime and violence: working with inmates and ex-offenders; citizens and police working together to get prostitutes, drug dealers, and gang activities off the streets. Citizens on Patrol works in tandem with the Fort Worth, TX, police department; Gainesville, FL, has an innovative program to help retrain prisoners and reduce recidivism; and New Orleans has a community building program for inmates. In addition to examples of how communities are intervening to reduce crime, the program also shows some ways in which crime can be prevented and people can avoid becoming victims. (23 minutes)

In 1996, diehard fans of the extreme thrash metal band Slayer murdered a 15-year-old girl because she fit a description of a person in the song Altar of Sacrifice." Having seen the perpetrators imprisoned for 25-to-life, the victim's parents then lodged a civil suit against the musicians. In this program, ABC News correspondent Judy Muller explores the limits of free speech and art with Senator Joseph Lieberman, recording industry representative Hilary Rosen, and Bret Easton Ellis, author of the controversial American Psycho-three individuals with very strong opinions on First Amendment guarantees and the market-driven entertainment industry. (23 minutes)"

Why are television shows created with such a high level of violence, and how are viewers affected by it? In this program, George Gerbner, of the University of Pennsylvania's Annenberg School for Communication, and other media experts provide insightful commentary on both blatant and subtle TV violence. Drawn from one week of television programming, video clips fall into five main areas: building distrust through stereotypes and putdowns, the impact of TV on interpersonal relationships, news coverage and fiction by selection," TV as big business, and censorship. Some content may be objectionable. (30 minutes)"

A Bill Moyers SpecialThis four-part series focuses on solutions to the growing problem of violence in America. From a special kid's club" that helps children cope with domestic violence, to unusual, but highly effective, alternative sentencing programs for youthful offenders, to high schools that are taking revolutionary steps to foster cooperation among students, the efforts profiled in this series attest to a growing national movement in which people from all walks of life are working to put an end to violence, especially among young people. The series features documentary reports filmed across the country and speaks to experts who have studied the problem and have worked directly to implement programs that have a real, lasting impact. Numerous efforts to combat violence are profiled, including adult mentoring, conflict resolution, parent training, peer education, alternative sentencing, violence prevention counseling, school-based programs, community-policing and activism, substance abuse rehabilitation, and firearm safety. 4-part series, 56 minutes each."