Article February 17, 1997 Issue

"Solutions Without Guns or Violence"

by Kim Shippey

When a close friend of his was shot to death in 1970, Joseph B. Clough (pronounced "kluf") decided to do something rather than just send condolences. This Harvard-educated metallurgist and grandfather became the founder and first president of an organization primarily concerned with researching the root causes of "gun proneness" (an inclination to carry and use guns) and developing related teaching materials for public schools in Cleveland, Ohio.

By 1993, this organization, called The Gun Safety Institute, had become closely associated with the Guidance Centers of Cleveland, and funds had become available for the establishment of a pilot study curriculum, "Solutions Without Guns or Violence," as part of daily classroom lessons in the city's public schools. More than thirty other school districts across the United States have since expressed a keen interest in the program, which, after extensive new research, this month is entering Phase Two, with a curriculum for twelve fifth-grade and twelve sixth-grade classes.

In an informal conversation, Mr. Clough told us more about the program and its goals.

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