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Violence Prevention CD-ROM Game Teaches Non-Violence
Not Your Usual Zap 'em and Fry 'em
May 17 /PRNewswire/ -- A teen-age intergalactic alien, sporting
a gold hoop earring, is on a mission to earth: to convince kids that
nonviolence is fun. That's the premise behind a successful CD-ROM computer
game, The Coolien Challenge, developed by EDR Media and a Cleveland children's
behavioral health agency, Applewood Centers, Inc., and used in homes, schools,
recreation centers, and other youth agencies nationally.
"Computer games don't have to be electronic affirmations that violence is fun," said Dr. Jeremy Shapiro, Vice President of Research at Applewood and a child psychologist. "We've found that what attracts kids -- colorful, dynamic action, and interactivity -- can be used to teach children alternatives to violence." EDR Media, a leading interactive multimedia production company, and Applewood developed The Coolien Challenge with funding from the National Institute of Mental Health as a companion piece to The Peacemakers Program, Applewood's violence prevention program for students in grades 4 through 9. The CD-ROM game takes students on an interactive journey in which they help the alien fulfill his mission of helping students at each school get through one full day without fighting. Student players observe everyday conflicts between peers. In one scenario, a boy standing in the lunch line, makes fun of another boy's shirt. Such ridicule can, but need not, lead to violence. Students then choose to either have the student get angry or laugh off the comment. "In this way students are able to see the consequences of their decisions," said Dr. Shapiro. "For example, if a student chooses wrongly, the situation escalates into aggression. But if he chooses correctly, the problem is controlled without violence." Guiding Principle The guiding principle of The Coolien Challenge (as in "Cool-alien") is that once young people have the right psychosocial skills, they will be better able to avoid violence. The game presents 11 teaching modules, each focusing on a skill needed for effective, peaceful problem solving. Teaching points include:
Named Editor's Choice The Coolien Challenge is used in schools in Cleveland, East Cleveland, Parma, Shaker Heights, and Cincinnati Ohio and San Diego. The Children's Software Revue named it Editor's Choice and Electronic School said The Coolien Challenge "should be a part of the software repertoire of every secondary school counselor and health teacher in America." In pilot testing among students who could use the game only during free time, the study found that 92 percent of the time students stopped playing only because their free time had ended. The game can be used in health, social studies, English, or language arts courses, as well as at home. Applewood Centers, Inc. and its affiliate, Children's Aid Society, are among the largest mental health and social service agencies in Greater Cleveland. Their services include outpatient psychiatric counseling, residential services, foster care and adoption services, The Eleanor Gerson alternative high school, family child care oversight, The Peacemakers Program, and a Center for Research, Training, and Quality Improvement. MAKE YOUR OPINION COUNT - Click Here SOURCE Applewood Centers, Inc. [] 
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