CM Magazine: Taking Charge. (Teens Against Violence Collection).

________________ CM . . . . Volume VI Number 6 . . . . November 12, 1999

Taking Charge. (Teens Against Violence Collection).

Claudette Jaiko (Director). Chantel Bowen (Producer). Ginny Stikeman and Josee Beaudet (Executive Producers).
Montreal, PQ: National Film Board of Canada, 1996.
25 min 34 sec, VHS, $39.95.
Order Number 9196 020.

Subject Headings:
Teenagers-Canada-Social conditions.
Violence-Canada.
Discrimination-Canada.
Sexual harassment-Canada.

Grades 7 and up / Ages 12 and up.
Review by Tom Knutson.

**1/2 /4

With its theme song declaring, "Enough is Enough," the message of Taking Charge is clear: teens are speaking out against violence and harassment in their schools and are starting to do something about it. Taking Charge looks at Toronto-area young adults who, through their own initiative, have organized groups to address the problems of violence, sexism, homophobia and racism in their schools. Students in grades 7 to 10 use role-playing and peer discussion sessions to facilitate dialogue on these issues and to determine how they can work together to understand and eliminate them. Taking Charge profiles some of these groups as well as several individuals who contributed to their development.
While the approach of the video is effective (for the most part the camera is a 'fly on the wall'), it also creates some challenges. The conversations flow easily between students as they express their ideas and stories without the guidance of an adult leader. However, these discussions tend to jump quickly from issue to issue in a disjointed way, and the overall arrangement of footage seems rather haphazard. Given the size of some groups, the sound levels were obviously difficult to establish, and a few speakers are almost inaudible.
Taking Charge is not so much a "how-to" video that suggests concrete ideas on how teens can create "anti-violence collectives" in their schools. Instead, the experiences and personal accounts expressed throughout the film give young adults the opportunity to develop a sense of empowerment and confidence that will enable them to speak out against violence. With a cover that includes a user's guide for teachers and facilitators, the video is ideally suited to the classroom or any other setting that incorporates peer discussion. However, many teens 12 and up who view Taking Charge on their own will still benefit from the powerful message that young people can make a difference.

Recommended.

Tom Knutson, a Children's Librarian at Vancouver Public Library, is Vice-Chair of the Young Adult and Children's Services Section (YAACS) of the British Columbia Library Association.

To comment on this title or this review, send mail to cm@umanitoba.ca.

Published by
The Manitoba Library Association
ISSN 1201-9364

TABLE OF CONTENTS FOR THIS ISSUE - November 12, 1999.