Growing up used to be less traumatic just a few decades ago.
Children back then worried about such things as a flat tire on
their Schwinns and hoped that their teacher wouldn't give too
much homework. How life has changed. A 1994 poll found more than
half the children questioned said they were afraid of violent
crime against them or a family member. Are these kids just
paranoid, or is there a real problem? Well, it turns out this is
not some irrational fear based upon a false perception of
danger. Life has indeed become more violent and more dangerous
for children. Consider the following statistics: One in six
youths between the ages of 10 and 17 has seen or knows someone
who has been shot. The estimated number of child abuse victims
increased 40 percent between 1985 and 1991. Children under 18
were 244 percent more likely to be killed by guns in 1993 than
they were in 1986. Violent crime has increased by more than 560
percent since 1960. The innocence of childhood has been replaced
by the very real threat of