ROMEO & JULIET

Avoiding a Modern-Day Tragedy

Or,
How to Keep Your Teenagers in Line
And
Stop Unwanted Elopements
 Twenty Government Documents Designed to
Help Parents Protect Their Children from the
Dangers of Young Love

Chosen and Written by

Merrie A. Beard
LIS 5143
December 10, 2007
Lovers young and old alike recall the sadness and despair they felt when the learned
the story of Romeo and Juliet, two star-crossed lovers whose relationship was doomed
by family strife and cruel fate. The 1996 film placed the teens in a modern-day setting
while using traditional Shakespearean language. Following in the footsteps of that
update, this bibliography is intended to provide up-to-date information to help parents
keep their teenage children away from dangers encountered by these famous teens,
such as the threat of teen pregnancy or sexually transmitted diseases, suicide, and drug
abuse.

The following bibliography lists twenty government documents from federal and state
levels designed to meet and, if possible, prevent these threats. The documents are
arranged by topic.

(1) Gang Warfare

As we know, the rivalry and hatred between the Montague and Capulet clans kept
Romeo and Juliet from freely expressing their love and devotion and declaring their
marriage openly. The following documents and web pages discuss gangs and gang
warfare of various types and factions.

U.S. Department of Justice. 2005 National Gang Threat Assessment.

http://www.ojp.usdoj.gov/BJA/what/2005_threat_assesment.pdf

____________. Gangs Toolkit. http://www.cops.usdoj.gov/Default.asp?Item=1309

(2) Peer Pressure

Peer pressure also served our heroes badly. Driven by pressure from friends and
family members to remain loyal to their gang factions (families), Romeo and Juliet
felt it necessary to hide their elopement from all but a few. The following websites
provide teens advice on resisting peer pressure.

National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism. The Cool Spot.

http://www.thecoolspot.gov/

U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Preparing Youth for Peer Pressure.
http://mentalhealth.samhsa.gov/publications/allpubs/CA-0047/default.asp

(3) Teen Pregnancy/Prevention

Lost in the wonder of their romance, Romeo and Juliet ignored some of the very real
dangers they faced; teenage pregnancy and pregnancy prevention is at the top of
that list.
National Center for Health Statistics. Fast Facts: A to Z.
http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/fastats/teenbrth.htm

_______. Recent Trends in Teenage Pregnancy in the United States, 1990-2002.

http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/products/pubs/pubd/hestats/teenpreg1990-2002/tee
npreg1990-2002.htm

Oklahoma State Department of Health. Oklahoma Abstinence Education Project.

http://www.health.state.ok.us/program/oaep/index.html

_______. Teen Pregnancy Facts about Oklahoma 2007.

http://www.health.state.ok.us/program/ahd/Fact%20Pack%202007.pdf

(4) Sexually Transmitted Diseases

Hand-in-hand with the worry of pregnancy comes the worry of STDs. These
documents/websites will help sexually active teens prevent the spread of STDs and
protect their health and their future.

U.S. Center for Disease Control. STDs and Pregnancy: CDC Fact Sheet.
http://www.cdc.gov/std/STDFact-STDs&Pregnancy.htm

U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. http://www.4parents.gov/index.html

U.S. National Library of Medicine and the National Institutes of Health. Sexually
Transmitted Diseases.
http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/sexuallytransmitteddiseases.html

(5) Drug Use

Indiscriminate use of a dangerous substance led to the untimely deaths—directly
and indirectly--of these young lovers. The sites listed below provide detailed
information concerning drug use and prevention among teenagers.

National Institute on Drug Abuse. Heads Up: Real News About Drugs and Your
Body. http://www.nida.nih.gov/PDF/Scholastic/HeadsUp-Student-Yr1.pdf

U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Center for Substance Abuse
Prevention. When Your Child Needs Substance Abuse Treatment.
http://www.family.samhsa.gov/get/treatment.aspx

White House Office of National Drug Control Policy. Drug Facts.

http://www.whitehousedrugpolicy.gov/drugfact/
(6) Suicide
Sadly, teenage suicide is a reality for some families. The following government
sources give warning signs of suicidal behavior and steps parents can take to help
their children receive the care they need.

Oklahoma State Department of Health. Oklahoma State Youth Suicide Prevention

Plan. http://www.health.state.ok.us/program/ahd/spsp.pdf

______. Youth Suicide Prevention: Facts and Statistics for Oklahoma.

http://www.health.state.ok.us/program/ahd/YSPFactPack2002.pdf

(7) Parenting and Child Care

While obviously well-loved and cared-for, both Romeo and Juliet would have
benefited from more attentive parenting and child care. Juliet’s own nanny aided and
abetted her elopement and undoubtedly contributed to the tragedy that followed. The
following sites are designed to help parents become actively involved in their
children’s lives by providing the best parenting and child care skills possible.

U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Childcare.gov: Your Official Source
for All U.S. Government Child Care Information. http://www.childcare.gov/

______. Administration for Children and Families. National Child Care Information
Center. http://www.nccic.org/index.html

U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. About Teen Suicide.

http://www.kidshealth.org/PageManager.jsp?
dn=girlshealth&lic=175&cat_id=146&article_set=21788&ps=104

(8) Name Changes

In the unfortunate event that your teenager proceeds with plans to elope, the
following website will guide your daughter in changing her last name, thereby
helping her avoid Juliet’s sad query, “What’s in a name?”

U.S. Social Security Administration. Marriage, Divorce, and Name Changes.

http://www.ssa.gov/gethelp1.htm