Kids Choose to Help Erase Violence
A national survey commissioned by Crayola revealed that
if kids could erase a problem from the world, it would be
violence. Of the 1,000 kids who participated in the Erase
It! Survey, 33% selected violence, followed by school
bullies (18%), homelessness (16%), illness (14%),
hunger (13%) and pollution (4%). Crayola fielded the
survey to give kids a voice in deciding where the company
should direct its Erase It! Fund donation and the
opportunity to draw what was on their minds. Because kids
rated violence as their top concern, Crayola donated
$100,000 to Students Against Violence Everywhere (SAVE) to
support its anti-violence education programs in more than
1,500 schools across the country.
In addition to the survey, kids sent in drawings of the
types of violence they'd like to see erased -- everything
from gang violence and terrorism to theft and
kidnappings -- as well as artwork illustrating other
problems like child abuse, drugs, smoking, junk food and
saving endangered animals. More than 150 of the works were
selected to appear on a mosaic mural unveiled here at the
Central Park Zoo by Amber Tamblyn, star of the hit summer
movie "Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants" and the CBS
series "Joan of Arcadia," and students from SAVE's New
York Chapter.
"Kids are incredible. Not only do they believe they have
the power to make a difference, they want to help," said
Tamblyn. "Listening to what they have to say and giving
them the chance to be creative in their expression
encourages them to do more good for the world."
Kid Power
An overwhelming majority of kids surveyed (80%) believe
that together they can make a difference and help erase
problems from the world. When asked if they believe that
violence can be totally erased, 50% said "yes."
Why Erase Violence?
The impact of messages kids are exposed to through a
variety of media and their own personal experiences was
evident in their reasons for believing that it was more
important to erase violence over other problems.
Reasons they cited included: "I don't like seeing people
getting hurt;" "Other issues would begin to erase
themselves if we erase violence;" "Even schools are not
safe;" "Parents would not have to worry about their kids
being snatched up."
About the Crayola Erase It! Fund
The Erase It! Fund was created to give kids a voice in
helping to erase a problem from the world. Kids decide
on the problem and Crayola donates a portion of the
purchase of Erasable markers to a charity that helps
erase the issue they're most concerned about.
