In Brief: Oct. 18, 1999

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DISCOUNT SHEEPSKINS College costs this year increased at the lowest rate in 12 years, according to a report last week by the College Board. The average cost of a four-year public school went up only 3.4%, to $3,356 a year, while that of a private school rose 4.6%, to $15,380. But saving for college is getting easier, as more major brokerages offer tax-advantaged college savings plans.

RISING MORE SLOWLY Rate of increase

'96-'97 5.5% '97-'98 4.6% '98-'99 4.2% '99-'00 3.4%

BE HOME BY 10 While a national debate rages over the effect of media depictions of violence on America's children, a new study in the journal Pediatrics finds that though TV has a negative influence, what more profoundly promotes violent behavior is being a victim of, or witness to, real violence at school, in the neighborhood or at home. Parents can help reduce youth violence by taking seriously their kids' complaints about persistent abuse from siblings or bullies, by knowing who their kids' friends are, and by insisting they be home on time.

LIKE MOTHER, LIKE DAUGHTER Contrary to popular perceptions, children of single mothers are no less ready for school than children from two-parent families with the same education, according to a new study in the Journal of Family Psychology. The study reports that kids scored similarly on school-readiness tests, regardless of whether or not a father was around--so long as their moms had similar educational backgrounds. But single moms tend, on average, to complete fewer years of school.

--By Daniel S. Levy