January – February 2009 Issue

Working on a gay-rights documentary helped Rene, 17, see the importance of this issue.

I feared my father would never stop terrorizing my family.

When my father went to jail for hitting my mom, I thought everything was going to be fine. But it wasn’t. Things got worse after he was released from jail. He turned into some kind of monster who kept coming around harassing us and hitting my mom. I thought it would never end.

Teens suggest solutions to racial fights at school and gang problems.

At first it wasn’t important to Stephany, 14, but she came to see this as a civil rights issue.

This fall we asked our readers to share their experiences with violence in their neighborhoods and at school. Here are the answers from the more than 1,000 teens who responded.

Readers share their thoughts and reactions to stories that appeared in our November – December 2008 issue.

Our essay contest about the problems of violence inspired our readers to share their thoughts about how violence affects us all.

L.A. Youth writers recommend Beastly (a modern spin on Beauty and the Beast) and I Am Not Esther.

L.A. Youth writers were inspired by this history-making occasion and Barack Obama’s speech.

Check out what L.A. Youth writers had to say about the latest by Beyoncé, Janelle Monáe and AC/DC.