because they are "bored, frustrated and tired of raising themselves''.

And they admitted that many teenagers felt that it was "no big deal to die''.

This was revealed during a workshop on Teen Violence hosted by The Physical Abuse Centre last week.

Students from several local secondary schools joined social workers and child care professionals for the conference to gather information to share with their peers.

Visiting abuse experts Fatu Songowa and Debra Reed, directors of the House of Ruth Domestic Violence Program in Washington D.C. revealed that many American youngsters planed their own funerals and wanted to "die in a cool way''.

"Some kids plan their funerals and have it written out so their parents can follow their wishes,'' Ms Reed said. "They want to go out in a cool fashion.

They want to die in a cool way. Instead of thinking about the future they're thinking about dying.'' With ten children being killed each day by gunfire in the US, Ms Songowa warned that one in five teens at some point in their teenage lives, will experience some form violence.

Ms Reed said many American youngsters were carrying weapons, like guns, in a bid to gain respect.

A Bermuda High School for Girls student admitted to the workshop participants that she had heard other teens say "it was no big deal to die''.

A St. George's Secondary School student said that children started becoming violent around 12 or 13, and "by the time they reach 14 they're out of hand''.

Another student said teens were becoming violent because they were bored, frustrated and tired of raising themselves. "They don't trust anyone,'' she added. "And they're doing it to get attention.'' The students said preventive measures needed to be aimed at primary school children.

"The kids coming up know a lot more than I did when I was growing up,'' said a BHS student. "They're smart; they know what's going on.

Why teenagers feel alienated "If they ask you a question, be honest with them and tell them the answers no matter how old they are. If they are old enough to ask the question, then they are old enough to handle the answer. If you don't they're just going to go somewhere else and find out what it is they want to know.'' "All you can really do is try to control my generation,'' said an East End student. "You have to focus on the next generation, they're the key.

"But don't give up on this generation, there are some you can still reach and help. If you give up on us entirely, then all the good you're trying to do with the little ones will be wasted because they look up to us and try to follow us.'' He added: "I don't know what the solution is. All I know is that it's not going to be easy and it will probably get worse before it gets better. But we have to try or else things are just going to get totally out of control.'' And the experts echoed the students' view, pointing out that a child learned the most during its first three years of their life.

Since youngsters started developing their personality during their childhood, they said it was important to teach children how to control themselves and be responsible for their actions at an early age.

"Kids didn't just wake up one day and decide to go and hang out on the street corner,'' Ms Songowa stressed.

Aside from focusing of young children, the students told the workshop participants to including teenagers in the planning process.

"Teens relate best to teens,'' explained a Berkeley student. "I don't mean to be rude, but you guys just don't understand us... You have to get teens to spread the message.'' And the teens claimed that adults did not listen to what they had to say.

"Many teenagers just need someone to listen to them,'' Ms Reed pointed out.

"Often teens will call our hotline and just talk and talk until they come up with their own answers. We say nothing to them, they figure out what the solution is to their problem.''