General (3)
Public Comment
From:Theresa Bass
Sent:Monday, October 17, 2022 2:28 PM
To:Public Comment
Subject:FW: \[EXTERNAL\] FW: OPEN LETTER SUPPORT FOR LEGISLATION TO ADDRESS
INCREASE SERVICE THERAPY DOGS AT ALL LEVELS OF EDUCATION TO ADDRESS
WELL BEING REDUCE ANXIETY IMPROVE READING WITH YOUTH CIVIC PROGRAM.
Attachments:20150HR28_98 (9).pdf; 20170AB24_93 (6).pdf; humane_education_pr.pdf; E-SPORTS
GAMING Los Angeles Times - eNewspaper.pdf; PVM Study Finds That Disrupting
Anxiety...pdf
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Subject: \[EXTERNAL\] FW: OPEN LETTER SUPPORT FOR LEGISLATION TO ADDRESS INCREASE SERVICE THERAPY DOGS AT
ALL LEVELS OF EDUCATION TO ADDRESS WELL BEING REDUCE ANXIETY IMPROVE READING WITH YOUTH CIVIC
PROGRAM.
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Subject: OPEN LETTER SUPPORT FOR LEGISLATION TO ADDRESS INCREASE SERVICE THERAPY DOGS AT ALL LEVELS OF
EDUCATION TO ADDRESS WELL BEING REDUCE ANXIETY IMPROVE READING WITH YOUTH CIVIC PROGRAM.
OPEN
LETTER/ PUBLIC COMMENT NEXT MEETING
10-16-2022
(P.R.D.D.C.)
PARENTS FOR THE RIGHTS OF DEVELOPMENTALLY DISABLED CHILDREN
CRAIG A. DURFEY FOUNDER OF P.R.D.D.C.
GARDEN GROVE, CA 92842
CELL
SOCIALEMOTIONALPAWS.COM
FACEBOOK: CRAIG DURFEY
U.S. HOUSE OF CONGRESS H2404 - HONORING CRAIG DURFEY FOR HIS FIGHT AGAINST AUTISM
... Ms. LORETTA SANCHEZ of California.
https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/CREC-2003-03-27/pdf/CREC-2003-03-27.pdf
new website socialemotionalpaws.org
MAYOR STEVE JONES
11222 Acacia Parkway
Garden Grove, CA 92840
CITY COUNCIL
Dr. Linda Darling-Hammond
State Board President
State Board of Education
1430 N Street, Room 5111
Sacramento, CA 95814
916-319-0827
Instructional Quality Commission
c/o California Department of Education
Curriculum Frameworks & Instructional Resources Division
1430 N Street, Suite 3207
Sacramento, CA 95814
Telephone: 916-319-0881; Fax: 916-319-0172
Email: iqc@cde.ca.gov
2
Mike Torres, Executive Director
Instructional Quality Commission
Curriculum Frameworks & Instructional Resources Division (CFIRD)
California Department of Education
1430 N Street, Room 3207
Sacramento, CA 95814
Telephone: 916-323-6946; Fax: 916-319-0172
Email: mtorres@cde.ca.gov
Deniece Figueroa, Commission Liaison
CFIRD, Director's Office
California Department of Education
1430 N Street, Room 3207
Sacramento, CA 95814
Telephone: 916-319-0450; Fax: 916-319-0172
Email: dfigueroa@cde.ca.gov
Susan Sweeney, Analyst
CFIRD, Director's Office
California Department of Education
1430 N Street, Room 3207
Sacramento, CA 95814
Telephone: 916-319-0442; Fax: 916-319-0172
Email: ssweeney@cde.ca.gov
Office of Superintendent Tony Thurmond
California Department of Education
1430 N Street, Suite 5602
Sacramento, CA 95814-5901
(916) 319-0800
California Department of Education
1430 N Street, Suite 5602
Sacramento, CA 95814-5901
(916) 319-0800
Monica Nepomuceno
916-323-2212
Tomás J. Aragón, M.D., Dr.P.H.
Director & State Public Health Officer California
Department of Public Health California Department of Public Health
PO Box, 997377, MS 0500, Sacramento, CA 95899-7377
CDPHpress@cdph.ca.gov
3
Mental Health Accountability Commission
1812 9th Street
Sacramento, CA 95811
Phone: (916) 500-0577
Fax: (916) 623-4687
Email: MHSOAC@mhsoac.ca.gov
Orange County Board Supervisor
400 W Civic Center Dr, Santa Ana, CA 92701
Don Barnes
Sheriff-Coroner
Orange County Sheriff’s Department
550 North Flower Street Santa Ana
CA 92703
714-647-1807
OCFA Executive
Regional Fire Operations and Training Center
Board Room
1 Fire Authority Road
Irvine, CA 92602
CA State Assembly
CA State Senate
Open letter
From my very recent letters addressing what has impacted our youth from social
media and Esports, Blue light, has harm them from screentime, that youth
wellness has declined with greater suicides, anxiety, calling change through CA
State proposal legislation support to improve wellness, that today request
support for a letter to address shortage trained therapy dogs due the cost funding
ought to sought from the proposition 63 funds.
To address the impact from social media as such its very well-known dog
therapy, PAWS Reading PAWS TO READ PROGRAM (socialemotionalpaws.com) as well as
horses have shown tremendous benefits with Echo Therapy green space outdoor
nature wellness.
HR 28 CA State resolution Bill Text - HR-28 (ca.gov) has recognized the correlation
of social media to bullying, lack of Humane education programs seeks to prevent
4
violence by teaching empathy, compassion, and respect for all living beings and
help children develop into caring, responsible citizens. 'Comfort dogs' are stationed
throughout schools in Uvalde Texas (socialemotionalpaws.com) and DOGS LEND KIDS A
HELPING PAW Kids and dogs. They just go together (socialemotionalpaws.com)
CA State has AB-24 Instructional programs: State Seal of Civic
Engagement.(2017-2018) a youth Civic driven to engage community activity
mentor services as such ought to create dog therapy a 4 H program to train
service dogs. Cell dogs in Orange County CA a nonprofit could be utilized or
qualified to provide service in CA State within their community seeking dog
from animals from a local shelter. To provide funding to provide food shelter,
veterinary care with schools would create facility to care with cooling
systems, staff funding.
Under CA State education code section 233.5 part of the hate violence
prevention act and 60042 of the Education Code require instruction in
kindergarten and grades 1 to 12, inclusive, to promote and encourage kindness to
pets and humane treatment of animals. Bill Text - HR-28 (ca.gov)
Cell Dogs: We rescue dogs from local shelters and enroll them in basic obedience
training programs. These classes take place in correctional facilities and actively
involve program trainers. For each training cycle, we make sure all dogs are
lovingly adopted or promoted to our advanced training program for specialized
service dog training. Adopt a Dog | Cell Dogs with What We Do | Cell Dogs and What’s
Happening | Cell Dogs.
CA State HR 28 Resolution:
WHEREAS, Sections 233.5 (part of the Hate Violence Prevention Act) and 60042
of the Education Code require instruction in kindergarten and grades 1 to 12,
inclusive, to promote and encourage kindness to pets and humane treatment of
animals; and
WHEREAS, The States of Florida, Illinois, Maine, New Jersey, Oregon,
Pennsylvania, Washington, and Wisconsin have adopted humane education laws
similar to California’s; and
WHEREAS, Numerous academic studies have established a correlation between
animal cruelty during childhood and interpersonal violence in adulthood; and
WHEREAS, Law enforcement agencies in major cities such as Houston, Chicago,
and Los Angeles have acknowledged this correlation and formed special
enforcement units to combat animal cruelty; and
5
WHEREAS, Humane education, such as that involving wildlife, the animals’ place
in the overall environment, and the negative impacts humans can have on them,
including death and extinction, can disrupt the cycle of animal and human abuse
by decreasing a child’s potential to be abusive or neglectful toward animals and,
consequently, to promote prosocial behavior toward humans; and
WHEREAS, Humane education programs seek to prevent violence by teaching
empathy, compassion, and respect for all living beings and help children develop
into caring, responsible citizens; and
WHEREAS, Reputable nonprofit organizations are working to
implement humane education programs through in-classroom presentations,
teacher training, and the provision of relevant resources, and these organizations
could assist California schools in complying with
the Education Code’s humane education provisions without burdening school
budgets; and Bill Text - HR-28 (ca.gov)
Cell Dogs harnesses the power of the human-animal bond and
transforms lives by setting a new course for shelter dogs and
incarcerated individuals. By providing second chances, we make a
lasting difference in our communities.
Rescuing unwanted dogs reduces euthanasia rates and gives each dog a chance
at a new life. Their happy adoptive families are proof positive that shelter dogs
make great pets.
6
We rehabilitate juveniles and adults in correctional institutions by teaching
responsibility and imparting crucial life and job skills. In becoming contributing
members of the community, the people who grow through our programs are far
less likely to reoffend. The state of California typically spends upwards of
$75,000 each year to house and care for a single inmate. By heading off future
incarcerations, our program saves taxpayer dollars.
Some special canine graduates become service dogs and help their human
partners enjoy a fuller life. Their valuable skills benefit children with autism
spectrum disorder (ASD), changing the lives of entire families. They also assist
individuals with mobility challenges, providing them with more independence. We
also train service dogs to support veterans with post-traumatic stress disorder
(PTSD).
Our Mission | Cell Dogs
WHAT WE DO
We rescue dogs from local shelters and enroll them in basic obedience training
programs. These classes take place in correctional facilities and actively involve
program trainers. For each training cycle, we make sure all dogs are lovingly
adopted or promoted to our advanced training program for specialized service
dog training.
What We Do | Cell Dogs
PAWS TO READ PROGRAM (socialemotionalpaws.com)
HOW CELL DOGS TRANSFORMS LIVES
STEP 1 INMATE TRAINING
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Program trainers are chosen on the basis of continued good behavior as well as enthusiasm for
the work we do. They take part in a four-week lecture curriculum prior to being tasked with
hands-on dog training.
STEP 2 DOG RESCUING
9
10
Cell Dogs staff visits local shelters to select dogs for the next training cycle. We hold three cycles
annually at each partnering correctional facility.
STEP 3 DOG TRAINING
11
12
The dogs move into their new living quarters and begin schooling. Weekly classes gauge
progress as we offer trainers further instruction and support. Cell Dogs staff matches each dog
most ideally with an adopter.
STEP 4 HAPPY ADOPTIONS
Completing their educations, the dogs graduate and go to their forever homes.
Canines who show additional potential are promoted to the Cell Dogs advanced
program for service dog training.
13
Shelter Me is an inspiring series that celebrates the human-animal bond with
uplifting stories about shelter pets getting a second chance. We are privileged to
be a part of this wonderful project!
Shelter Me: Second Chances is hosted by Edie Falco and features Cell Dogs at OC
Probation. This program provides hope and life-long lessons for the young
inmates.
WATCH OUR VIDEO
MORE IN THIS SECTION
OUR MISSION
TRAINING PROGRAMS
HISTORY
OUR TEAM
PARTNERS
The PAW Program (Pups and Wards)
OC PROBATION – JUVENILE HALL
Cell Dogs at OC Probation, actively working since 2009, selects 25-30
juvenile wards each year for participation. Working with the dogs demands
commitment and patience, and program trainers learn the rewards of
working hard towards positive goals. California recidivism rates for juvenile
offenders are upwards of 55% within the first year of release. A recent
research study by the University of California Irvine/National Institute of
Health reported the recidivism rate for our Cell Dogs program to be just
16%.
ADVANCED TRAINING - SERVICE DOGS
During our training courses, some dogs prove to be quick studies in basic
obedience. These canines, expressing an eagerness to learn more and do
more, are then given advanced training to become service dogs. Our scope
at Cell Dogs includes Autism Service Dogs, PTSD Service Dogs, and
Wheelchair Service Dogs. This training program typically requires an
additional 6-9 months
14
Many opportunities to invest a known fact having dogs, horses provide all ranges
of wellness activities that can assist those who have been impacted by various
wellness issues. Investing prop 63 funds with any other Proposition 98 amended
the state constitution to require a minimum percentage of the state budget to be
spent on K-14 education, which is referred to as the minimum can have in my own
opinion a shift towards greater outcome wellness, from where are now this type
of therapy has a long track record for veterans wo suffer from PTSD PVM Study
Finds That Disrupting Anxiety is PTSD Service Dog’s Most Important Task for Veterans.
Science has shown that service dogs can benefit some veterans with PTSD. But
the exact role service dogs play in the day-to-day lives of veterans – and the
helpfulness of the tasks they perform – is less known. A recent study led by the
Purdue University College of Veterinary Medicine shows what trained tasks
service dogs perform the most often and which ones are the most helpful to
veterans with post-traumatic stress disorder. The study found that the task of
disrupting episodes of anxiety ranked among the most important and most often
used.
“There has been some debate on what kind of training PTSD service dogs need to
be effective and how their assistance may be different than what a pet dog can
provide,” said Kerri Rodriguez, PhD, a human-animal interaction graduate
researcher and lead author on the study. “This study suggests that veterans are,
in fact, using and benefiting from the specific trained tasks, which sets these
dogs apart from pet dogs or emotional support dogs.” PVM Study Finds That
Disrupting Anxiety is PTSD Service Dog’s Most Important Task for Veterans | Purdue
University College of Veterinary Medicine
15
Requesting consideration for a letter support and contact the CA State legislators
for November proposal bills to introduce as well seek consideration current
opportunities CA State Mental Health Services Oversight and Accountability
Commission funding request. About MHSOAC - Mental Health Services Oversight &
Accountability Commission (ca.gov). (1183) Meet The Puppies Training To Be Service
Dogs - YouTube
Therapy Dogs Who Consoled Students, Staff After Parkland Shooting Get Their
Own Yearbook Page and Texas Children's Video Published on Oct 25, 2016,
SUBSCRIBED 14KMeet Elsa, Texas Children’s new therapy dog. Elsa is part of
the hospital’s newly launched facility dog program that uses animal-assisted
therapy to enhance the emotional well-being of patients who are having trouble
coping with hospital stays, a new diagnosis or other traumatic experiences.
(1183) Texas Children’s Therapy Dog Program - YouTube and
SERVICE DOGS AND INVISIBLE DISABILITIES | TEDXDEERFIELD:
TEDx Talks Published on May 10, 2018SUBSCRIBED 18MPsychiatric service dogs
are misunderstood; very few people produce them and there is a desperate need
for more people to do so. There are even more people that could benefit from
these animals that do not realize that exist--and that they represent a treatment
that can often meet . Psychiatric service dogs are misunderstood; very few
people produce them and there is a desperate need for more people to do so.
There are even more people that could benefit from these animals that do not
realize that exist--and that they represent a treatment that can often meet needs
that no other option can.
There is also a desperate need for more members of the public to be well
informed regarding how to interact with people with service dogs. Did you know
that it is common for people to bark (yes, that’s right, people barking!) at service
dogs? If people understood more about how these dogs “work,” they can be more
respectful and appropriate these outstanding animals. Sarah runs Diggity Dogs, a
non-profit organization that produces medical alert and psychiatric service dogs
for conditions that most people don’t realize dogs can address. This talk was
given at a TEDx event using the TED conference format but independently
organized by a local community. Learn more at https://www.ted.com/tedx(1183)
Service Dogs and Invisible Disabilities | Sarah Meikle | TEDxDeerfield - YouTube .
Service dogs attend first day of school (1183) Service dogs attend first day of school -
YouTube and A DAY IN MY LIFE // HIGH SCHOOL WITH A SERVICE DOG wanted to
show you how a normal high school day is with a service dog! Let me know if you
16
would like more videos like this! (1183) A Day In My Life // High School with a Service
Dog - YouTube .
Thank You
Craig A Durfey
17
AMENDED IN ASSEMBLY MAY 2, 2016
california legislature—2015–16 regular session
House Resolution No. 28
Introduced by Assembly Members Dababneh and Calderon
(Coauthors: Assembly Members Achadjian, Alejo, Travis Allen,
Arambula, Atkins, Baker, Bigelow, Bloom, Bonilla, Bonta, Brough,
Brown, Burke, Campos, Chang, Chau, Chávez, Chiu, Chu, Cooley,
Cooper, Dahle, Daly, Dodd, Eggman, Frazier, Cristina Garcia,
Eduardo Garcia, Gatto, Gipson, Gomez, Gonzalez, Gordon, Gray,
Hadley, Harper, Holden, Irwin, Jones, Jones-Sawyer, Kim, Lackey,
Levine, Linder, Lopez, Low, Maienschein, Mathis, Mayes, McCarty,
Medina, Melendez, Mullin, Nazarian, Obernolte, O'Donnell, Olsen,
Quirk, Rendon, Rodriguez, Salas, Santiago, Steinorth, Mark Stone,
Thurmond, Ting, Wagner, Waldron, Weber, Wilk, and Wood)
July 15, 2015
House Resolution No. 28—Relative to humane education.
line 1 WHEREAS, Sections 233.5 (part of the Hate Violence
line 2 Prevention Act) and 60042 of the Education Code require
line 3 instruction in kindergarten and grades 1 to 12, inclusive, to promote
line 4 and encourage kindness to pets and humane treatment of animals;
line 5 and
line 6 WHEREAS, The States of Florida, Illinois, Maine, New Jersey,
line 7 Oregon, Pennsylvania, Washington, and Wisconsin have adopted
line 8 humane education laws similar to California’s; and
line 9 WHEREAS, Numerous academic studies have established a
line 10 correlation between animal cruelty during childhood and
line 11 interpersonal violence in adulthood; and
98
line 1 WHEREAS, Law enforcement agencies in major cities such as
line 2 Houston, Chicago, and Los Angeles have acknowledged this
line 3 correlation and formed special enforcement units to combat animal
line 4 cruelty; and
line 5 WHEREAS, Humane education, such as that involving wildlife,
line 6 the animals’ place in the overall environment, and the negative
line 7 impacts humans can have on them, including death and extinction,
line 8 can disrupt the cycle of animal and human abuse by decreasing a
line 9 child’s potential to be abusive or neglectful toward animals and,
line 10 consequently, to promote prosocial behavior toward humans; and
line 11 WHEREAS, Humane education programs seek to prevent
line 12 violence by teaching empathy, compassion, and respect for all
line 13 living beings and help children develop into caring, responsible
line 14 citizens; and
line 15 WHEREAS, Reputable nonprofit organizations are working to
line 16 implement humane education programs through in-classroom
line 17 presentations, teacher training, and the provision of relevant
line 18 resources, and these organizations could assist California schools
line 19 in complying with the Education Code’s humane education
line 20 provisions without burdening school budgets; and
line 21 WHEREAS, The experiences of these nonprofit organizations,
line 22 as well as other teachers or organizations that have conducted pilot
line 23 humane education efforts, provide evidence that student knowledge
line 24 and positive perceptions of animals is not as commonplace as it
line 25 should be; and
line 26 WHEREAS, Deficiencies in children’s understanding of the
line 27 role animals have in the economy of nature and in people’s lives
line 28 contribute to a proliferation in the number of wild and domestic
line 29 animals that are suffering from cruelty, abandonment, high animal
line 30 shelter euthanasia rates, and, in extreme circumstances, extinction;
line 31 and
line 32 WHEREAS, Schools and school districts are undertaking steps
line 33 to rectify these deficiencies by promoting humane education and
line 34 implementing it in classrooms; now, therefore, be it
line 35 Resolved by the Assembly of the State of California, That
line 36 compliance with Education Code provisions should include
line 37 educating students on the principles of kindness and respect for
line 38 animals and observance of laws, regulations, and policies pertaining
line 39 to the humane treatment of animals, including wildlife and its
line 40 environment; and be it further
98
— 2 —HR 28
line 1 Resolved, That actions such as implementing statewide or
line 2 districtwide “humane education days” and involving nonprofit
line 3 organizations in humane education activities with local faculty
line 4 and school administrators be considered for inclusion in compliance
line 5 efforts; and be it further
line 6 Resolved, That the Superintendent of Public Instruction be
line 7 encouraged to ensure the incorporation of humane education in
line 8 the core curriculum; and be it further
line 9 Resolved, That the Chief Clerk of the Assembly transmit copies
line 10 of this resolution to the State Senate, the Superintendent of Public
line 11 Instruction, the State Board of Education, the State Department of
line 12 Education, and the author for appropriate distribution.
O
98
HR 28— 3 —
Assembly Bill No. 24
CHAPTER 604
An act to add Article 7 (commencing with Section 51470) to Chapter 3
of Part 28 of Division 4 of Title 2 of the Education Code, relating to
instructional programs.
[Approved by Governor October 9, 2017. Filed with
Secretary of State October 9, 2017.]
legislative counsel’s digest
AB 24, Eggman. Instructional programs: State Seal of Civic Engagement.
Existing law sets forth various requirements for the issuance of diplomas
conferred upon a pupil as evidence of graduation from high school. Existing
law establishes the Golden State Seal Merit Diploma for the purpose of
recognizing pupils who have mastered the high school curriculum. Existing
law also establishes the State Seal of Biliteracy, awarded by the
Superintendent of Public Instruction in accordance with specified criteria,
to recognize high school graduates who have attained a high level of
proficiency in speaking, reading, and writing in one or more languages in
addition to English.
This bill would require the Superintendent, on or before January 1, 2020,
to recommend to the State Board of Education criteria for awarding a State
Seal of Civic Engagement to pupils who have demonstrated excellence in
civics education and participation and have demonstrated an understanding
of the United States Constitution, the California Constitution, and the
democratic system of government. The bill would require the Superintendent
to consider, among other criteria, the successful completion of history,
government, and civics courses, including courses that incorporate character
education, and voluntary participation in community service or
extracurricular activities. The bill would require the state board, on or before
January 31, 2021, to adopt, reject, or modify the criteria recommended by
the Superintendent.
The bill would require the Superintendent to prepare and deliver to
participating school districts the seal insignia to be affixed to the diploma
or transcript of a pupil awarded the State Seal of Civic Engagement. The
bill would also require participating school districts to maintain records in
order to identify pupils who have earned the State Seal of Civic Engagement
and to affix the appropriate insignia to the diploma or transcript of those
pupils.
93
The people of the State of California do enact as follows:
SECTION 1. Article 7 (commencing with Section 51470) is added to
Chapter 3 of Part 28 of Division 4 of Title 2 of the Education Code, to read:
Article 7. State Seal of Civic Engagement
51470. It is the intent of the Legislature to establish a State Seal of Civic
Engagement to encourage, and create pathways for, pupils in elementary
and secondary schools to become civically engaged in democratic
governmental institutions at the local, state, and national levels.
51471. (a) On or before January 1, 2020, the Superintendent shall
recommend to the state board criteria for awarding a State Seal of Civic
Engagement to pupils who have demonstrated excellence in civics education
and participation and have demonstrated an understanding of the United
States Constitution, the California Constitution, and the democratic system
of government. In developing criteria for the State Seal of Civic Engagement,
the Superintendent shall incorporate the Six Proven Practices for Effective
Civic Learning, developed by the Education Commission of the States, and
any and all other best practices for civic learning and engagement. In
developing criteria for the State Seal of Civic Engagement, the
Superintendent shall also consult with a diverse group of credentialed,
current, classroom teachers who teach the subject of history-social science,
including government, in secondary schools. The Superintendent shall also
consider including criteria based on each of the following:
(1) Successful completion of history, government, and civics courses,
including courses that incorporate character education.
(2) Voluntary participation in community service or extracurricular
activities.
(3) Any other related requirements as it deems appropriate.
(b) In developing criteria pursuant to subdivision (a), the Superintendent
shall ensure, to the greatest extent feasible, that the criteria:
(1) Provide all pupils with an opportunity to earn the State Seal of Civic
Engagement.
(2) Recognize pupil excellence or outstanding achievement.
(3) Are not based primarily on pupil achievement that is already
recognized through grades or other standard measures of pupil achievement.
(4) To the extent possible, result in a seal that confers some benefit to
pupils beyond secondary school.
(c) On or before January 31, 2021, the state board shall adopt, reject, or
modify the criteria recommended by the Superintendent pursuant to
subdivision (a).
(d) School district participation in this program is voluntary.
51472. The Superintendent shall do both of the following:
(a) Prepare and deliver to participating school districts an appropriate
insignia to be affixed to the diploma or transcript of the pupil indicating
93
— 2 —Ch. 604
that the pupil has been awarded a State Seal of Civic Engagement by the
Superintendent.
(b) Provide other information he or she deems necessary for school
districts to successfully participate in the program.
51473. A school district that participates in the program under this article
shall do both of the following:
(a) Maintain appropriate records in order to identify pupils who have
earned a State Seal of Civic Engagement.
(b) Affix the appropriate insignia to the diploma or transcript of each
pupil who earns a State Seal of Civic Engagement.
51474. No fee shall be charged to a pupil to receive a State Seal of Civic
Engagement.
O
93
Ch. 604— 3 —
10/5/22, 6:16 PM Los Angeles Times - eNewspaper
https://enewspaper.latimes.com/desktop/latimes/default.aspx?edid=7da07e31-beeb-42c1-8764-120c5201604a 1/5
South Korea wrestles with inability to
unplug
Video games are practically a national pastime, but mental
health experts see cause for alarm
BY VICTORIA KIM
SEOUL — His video game habit started in middle school.
His bedroom door was always locked, and when his grandmother stood on the veranda
and peered through his window, he was invariably engrossed in an on-screen gunfight.
GAMERS AT an esports cafe in Seoul. Concerns over video games’ effects have led
South Korea to consider listing “gaming disorder” as a disease. (Ed Jones AFP/Getty
Images)
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He eventually began disappearing to play at internet cafes. Night after night, she would
search for him, and he would try to evade her.
Now he is 21 and unemployed. In June at his grandfather’s funeral, he played games on
his phone.
“There wasn’t a day he’d go without playing,” said his grandmother, who raised him and
felt so ashamed by his situation that she would speak only on condition that her family
not be named. “Games ruined the child.”
That’s a controversial opinion in South Korea these days.
Video games are practically the national pastime, played by the majority of adults and
more than 90% of adolescents. Rising concerns over the effects of games on mental health
have been met with skepticism and disdain by the $13-billion gaming industry.
The debate intensified in May after the World Health Organization officially added
“internet gaming disorder” to the 2022 edition of its International Classification of
Diseases, which sets global standards for diagnosis.
That was a welcome development to many of South Korea’s mental health professionals,
who say the classification will broaden understanding of the problem and improve
treatment.
They point to multiple incidents of gamers dying after playing for days with little food or
sleep. In 2009, a couple became so consumed by games that they allowed their infant
daughter to die of malnutrition — landing them in prison for negligent homicide.
The South Korean government, which has assembled a panel of experts and industry
insiders to study the issue, could add gaming disorder to its own diagnostic Korean
Standard Classification of Diseases as soon as 2025.
The country’s gaming industry argues that the classification will have dire economic
consequences.
Only the United States, China and Japan have bigger gaming sectors than South Korea,
which exported $6 billion in games in 2017 — more than 10 times what the country’s K-
pop music industry brought in.
“It’ll be a disaster,” said Kim Jung-tae, a professor of game studies at Dongyang
University and a veteran game developer who signed onto a task force pledging to fight
the disease classification. “The entire ecosystem of the game industry could collapse.”
He called the push to recognize problematic gaming as an addiction a “witch hunt”
perpetrated by psychiatrists and bureaucrats who stand to profit from funding for
research and treatment as well as parents eager to explain away their children’s academic
failures.
He said he worried that increased regulation would spur gaming companies to move their
operations overseas.
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“It’s part of a phobia of new media,” he said. “Games, like air, are already a part of our
lives.”
The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, which is tasked with promoting and
supporting the gaming industry, has estimated that the gaming disorder designation will
reduce revenue by $9 billion over the next three years and cost 8,700 jobs.
It has lobbied the World Health Organization to drop the classification and urged South
Korea to reject it, putting it at odds with the health ministry.
Mental health advocates say concerns that the industry will come crashing down are
overblown.
“Alcoholics don’t blame the company that makes the liquor,” said Roh Sung-won, an
addiction specialist and professor of psychiatry at Hanyang University Hospital in Seoul.
“You don’t stop manufacturing cars because there are automobile accidents.”
Roh said one of his patients was a video game addict who was hospitalized for a month for
psychiatric care, after the owner of an internet cafe got worried about him and called
police. The man had been playing for 72 hours straight.
“There clearly exists a population for whom this is a problem,” Roh said.
Still, there are divisions among mental health experts over whether excessive gaming
should be classified as a mental disorder.
Some say game addiction is in most cases a sign of other underlying mental health issues
including depression or attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, known as ADHD. They
also say it may be a manifestation of problems within the family, and the treatment
needed may be for something other than the problematic gaming itself.
The American Psychiatric Assn. has said that 0.3% to 1% of the U.S. population might
potentially be diagnosed with acute gaming disorder but that the issue needs more
research.
Studies conducted primarily in Asia “suggest that when these individuals are engrossed in
internet games, certain pathways in their brains are triggered in the same direct and
intense way that a drug addict’s brain is affected by a particular substance,” the
organization said in a 2013 brief. “The gaming prompts a neurological response that
influences feelings of pleasure and reward, and the result, in the extreme, is manifested as
addictive behavior.”
Dr. Allen Frances, who chaired the task force that oversaw the production of a past edition
of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, the bible of U.S. psychiatry,
tweeted that recognizing gaming disorder could help some people but also carries the risk
of mislabeling “millions of normal recreational gamers.”
Though there are support groups for sex addicts and food addicts, gambling is the only
behavioral addiction recognized in current U.S. or international diagnostic manuals.
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South Korea has long been at the vanguard of concern about addiction to video games.
In 2011, the country passed the so-called Cinderella Law requiring games to include
automatic shutdown for children 15 or younger after midnight. Most teens quickly found
workarounds using VPN connections or signing on as their parents.
Two years later, a lawmaker proposed legislation classifying games alongside alcohol,
drugs and gambling as major addictions to be battled by society. The proposal was
debated for years before fizzling.
In response to growing concerns, the video game industry established a Game Culture
Foundation to promote the idea that gaming is a cultural asset rather than a social ill. The
foundation set up five clinics around South Korea to treat what it calls “game
overindulgence.”
In the last five years, they have treated 17,000 people,researchers said.
For the 21-year-old raised by his grandmother, visits to hospitals and clinics over the
years never worked. Each time, he’d give up after one or two sessions.
Addiction ran in the family. His grandfather was an alcoholic who for decades drank
several bottles a day — usually soju, but he wasn’t picky — until his recent death due to
cancer.
The parallels seemed obvious to the woman who lived with both of them: the constant
need for a fix, the deceit involved in hiding their habits, the inability to quit.
Her grandson disputes the idea that he was ever addicted to video games, even though he
routinely missed school because he would play for 12 hours at a stretch.
Many of the video games he played featured the opportunity to buy “loot boxes,” which
contain randomized prizes.
It wasn’t much of leap into another addiction that he readily acknowledges: gambling.
He began dabbling in illegal offshore sports betting websites. In recent years, he resorted
to petty fraud to get gambling cash — like selling his motorcycle to multiple people online.
He was arrested in July on fraud charges related to his gambling debts and is currently in
jail awaiting trial.
In an interview from behind a window, he said he doesn’t think much about video games
anymore.
“I just played whenever I felt empty and depressed,” he said as a 10-minute countdown
clock flashed.
His grandmother has been traveling an hour and a half every day, taking a bus, a train,
then another bus to visit him.
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She often finds herself thinking back to his elementary school days, when a soccer coach
suggested that her grandson had talent and that she should sign him up for lessons. The
family couldn’t afford it — but now she wonders whether it would have made all the
difference.
For Immediate Release:
May 2, 2016
Contact: Michelle Reyes
Michelle.Reyes@asm.ca.gov
(916) 319-2045
Assembly Adopts Humane Education Resolution
(SACRAMENTO) – HR 28 authored by Assemblymember Matt Dababneh (D-Encino) was
adopted with bipartisan support today in the State Assembly; additionally, 73 members
from both sides of the aisle proudly signed on as co -authors for HR 28. Sponsored by Social
Compassion in Legislation, HR 28 calls on the Superintendent of Public Instruction, the State
Board of Education, and the California Department of Education to ensure compliance with
the Education Code relative to Humane Education in California’s public school system.
“Humane Education programs seek to prevent violence by teaching empathy, compassion,
and respect for animals, and help our students develop into caring and responsible
citizens,” states Assemblymember Dababneh. “In addition to the ethical and civic
importance of Humane Education, encouraging a greater awareness about animals, nature,
and their contributions towards our environment, economy, culture, and lives is
invaluable.”
The primary goals of Humane Education are to promote an understanding of the sociological and
psychological dimensions of animal abuse, and cultivate empathy and compassion for animals.
At least ten states, including California, currently have Humane Education laws, but these laws
are wide-ranging and vary greatly in subject matter and specificity. Most of the laws are
statements o f legislative intent and none include a budgetary allocation. Of these states, New
York is generally considered to have the strongest Humane Education law.
“California has put itself on record twice when it comes to Humane Education,” states Judie
Mancuso, President of Social Compassion in Legislation. “40 years later, we are still not
implementing the will of the state. HR 28 reminds us that these princip les are in our moral fabric
and we shall include them in our schools’ curriculum. The world has gotten crueler, and we need
to turn the tide and instill compassion and kindness.”
“I think we all agree, we want to produce citizens of integrity and compassion,” states Jane-
Velez Mitchell, TV Journalist, author and Editor of JaneUnChained.com, a social media news
channel covering animal issues. “The front line in this effort must be teaching respect for animals
in our schools. The consequences of not doing so are devastating for our society.”
“Children are born with an inherent compassion toward animals, but it is society that creates the
disconnection from their natural state,” states Simone Reyes, Director of Television
Development at Def Pictures, and Social Compassion in Legislation Board Member. “It is
imperative that the educational system be required to shed light on our often inconsistent
relationship with animals and work to nurture a connection back to having respect for all sentient
beings. This in turn will benefit not only the animals themselves, but raise generations who live
consciously vs. unconsciously.”
“If we can educate our children on such important issues to protect the future of our planet, we
can make our planet a more compassionate place for all living beings,” states Katie Clear y,
Executive Producer of Give Me Shelter on Netflix, and Founder of the animal news network
World Animal News. “What our kids learn in school becomes embedded in their language, and
is reflected in their actions towards the people and animals around them. It’s time we teach our
students a more compassionate future!”
HR 28 will put the state of California on record that compliance with Education Code provisions
should include educating students on the principles of kindness and respect for animals and
observance of laws, regulations, and policies pertaining to the humane treatment of animals,
including wildlife.
Matt Dababneh represents the 45th Assembly District that includes the communities of Bell
Canyon, Calabasas, Canoga Park, Chatsworth, Encino, Hidden Hills, Northridge, Reseda,
Sherman Oaks, Tarzana, West Hills, Winnetka, and Woodland Hills. For more information
please visit the Assemblymember’s website, www.assembly.ca.gov/a45.
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