NEW YORK, August 11, 2005 -- A national survey commissioned by Crayola revealed that if kids could erase a problem from the world, it would be violence.  Of the 1,000 kids who participated in the Erase It! Survey, 33% selected violence, followed by school bullies (18%), homelessness (16%), illness (14%), hunger (13%) and pollution (4%).   Crayola fielded the survey to give kids a voice in deciding where the company should direct its Erase It! Fund donation and the opportunity to draw what was on their minds.  Because kids rated violence as their top concern, Crayola donated $100,000 to Students Against Violence Everywhere (SAVE) to support its anti-violence education programs in more than 1,500 schools across the country.

In addition to the survey, kids sent in drawings of the types of violence they’d like to see erased -- everything from gang violence and terrorism to theft and kidnappings -- as well as artwork illustrating other problems like child abuse, drugs, smoking, junk food and saving endangered animals.  Nearly 150 of the works were selected to appear on a mosaic mural unveiled here at the Central Park Zoo by Amber Tamblyn, star of the hit summer movie “Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants” and the CBS series “Joan of Arcadia,” and students from SAVE’s New York Chapter.

“Kids are incredible. Not only do they believe they have the power to make a difference, they want to help,” said Tamblyn.  “Listening to what they have to say and giving them the chance to be creative in their expression encourages them to do more good for the world.”

Kid Power

An overwhelming majority of kids surveyed (80%) believe that together they can make a difference and help erase problems from the world.  When asked if they believe that violence can be totally erased, 50% said “yes.” 

Why Erase Violence?

The impact of messages kids are exposed to through a variety of media and their own personal experiences was evident in their reasons for believing that it was more important to erase violence over other problems.

Reasons they cited included:  “I don’t like seeing people getting hurt;” “Other issues would begin to erase themselves if we erase violence;” “Even schools are not safe;” “Parents would not have to worry about their kids being snatched up.”

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Note to Editors: Erase It! mural images available on Crayola.com/mediacenter on August 11^th.

About the Crayola Erase It! Fund

The Erase It! Fund was created to give kids a voice in helping to erase a problem from the world.  Kids decide on the problem and Crayola donates a portion of the purchase of Erasable markers

to a charity that helps erase the issue they’re most concerned about. 

About SAVE

The National Association of Students Against Violence Everywhere (SAVE) is a student-run, student-initiated violence prevention organization in elementary, middle and high schools and colleges and communities nationwide.  SAVE provides education about the effects and consequences of violence and engages students in safe activities that benefit them and their community.  SAVE currently has over 1,500 chapters in 44 states, with nearly 200,000 members, and adds an estimated one new chapter and 50 new student members each business day.