M. Teresa Ruiz

TRENTON – Legislation sponsored by Senator Raymond Lesniak and Senator M. Teresa Ruiz to help parents limit their children’s exposure to violence in the media was approved today by the full Senate as part of the Senate Democrats’ comprehensive gun safety plan. The proposal would require the Department of Education to develop an informative pamphlet for schools to distribute to the parents of all their students.

“Studies have shown that a child on average views hundreds of thousands of acts of violence on television alone before the age of 18. With the additional exposure to video games, social media and the Internet, children can be flooded with these images which can lead to their becoming desensitized to violence,” said Senator Lesniak. “In coordination with our schools, we can work to combat this problem by helping parents counter the pervasive depictions of violence in the media. This will better protect the psychological and emotional wellbeing of our children.”

TRENTON – Legislation sponsored by Senator Raymond Lesniak and Senator M. Teresa Ruiz to help parents limit their children’s exposure to violence in the media was approved by the Senate Budget and Appropriations Committee on Thursday as part of the comprehensive gun safety plan. The proposal would have the Department of Education develop an informative pamphlet for schools to distribute to the parents of all their students.

“Multiple scientific studies have informed us that each child in America is exposed to an average of 200,000 acts of violence on TV alone before they reach the age of 18 and common sense tells us it isn’t good for them to be inundated with so much violence from so many sources,” said Senator Lesniak. “Of course, the proliferation of video games and other electronic devices has multiplied their exposure. This can desensitize young people to violence and have a negative impact on their mental and psychological development.”

TRENTON – Senator Raymond Lesniak (D-Union) and Senator M. Teresa Ruiz (D-Essex) have introduced a legislative initiative to help parents limit their children’s exposure to violence in the media, helping them counter the pervasive depictions of violent behavior from TV, movies, video games, the Internet and even via cell phones. The proposal would have the Department of Education develop an informative pamphlet for schools to distribute to the parents of all their students.

“A study by the American Academy of Pediatrics found that each child in America is exposed to an average of 200,000 acts of violence on TV alone before they reach the age of 18,” said Senator Lesniak. ‘The proliferation of video games and other forms of media has multiplied this exposure. This can de-sensitize young people to violence and have a negative impact on their mental and psychological development.”

TRENTON – Legislation sponsored by Senate Education Chair M. Teresa Ruiz that would broaden access and encourage student interest in fields of science, technology, engineering and mathematics was approved today by the Senate Education Committee.

“In the coming years, New Jersey will experience an increased demand for workers that are skilled in science, technology, engineering and mathematics. We have to ensure that our residents are prepared for employment in these sectors and are able to compete for the positions with their counterparts in states across the county and around the globe,” said Senator Ruiz (D-Essex). “Expanding STEM programs in our school districts and encouraging more students to study these subject areas will ensure that our students are better equipped for employment in a high-tech, 21st Century economy.”