My 12 year old niece has asked me for help with websites against the fur trade. (She had a choice of pro or con)Any sites I have come up with have been gruesome and upsetting and I was hoping to find something a little less agressive. I didn’t think it advisable to direct her here because she’s just smart enought to find the pit and jump right in. Any ideas?
An anti-fur website that doesn’t make use of graphic pics to illustrate it’s points. This seems pointless. The whole point of being anti-fur is that it is a gruesome way to die for most animals used.
My kids are 10 and 13 and have been reading Nat Geographic with me and by themselves since they could read which often has pics of animal harvesting in different contexts (some quite graphic).
She’s 12 years old. Isn’t she old enough to know what a skinned animal looks like or the process by which people process animals for clothing? If she’s going to make an intelligent judgement she has to understand why people are for or against it and the graphic skinning and processing pics are directly to that point.
Your instincts are right re not sending her to SDMB the language and topics covered here and often not appropriate for younger people. I would also be with her when she does her web searches “skins-fur-beaver-pelt-etc” combinations may not yield appropriate topics.
Is she using the website as a resource for information or as demonstration (to be used) during a report?
I assume your concern is not hiding the truth (it does hurt sometimes) from her because its so unpleasant–rather you’re trying to keep her from having nightmares. I can see why you’d want to ease her into the topic and gradually introduce her to the more graphic, ugliness of the fur trade, at your discretion.
As Astro recommended, I’d sit with her to view any websites (and/or preview them first). Here are a few suggestions to get you started.
For a while I was maintaining a “Fur-Free” website on my own personal website for ADL-NJ; I discontinued the updating when they indicated they were moving it over to an official Fur Free website. It contains facts but not a lot of graphic images–mainly because the aim was to show the soft, fluffy creatures BEFORE they become coats.
If she just needs information, the fact sheets on the PETA website are informative and contain no images or graphics. While BanFur.com does have graphic images available on their website, there is also a lot of information there separate from the images (not as in-you-face as those that come up with a skinned animal as part of its header).
If you’d care to elaborate her needs more, perhaps I can help direct you; I have a plethora of websources.
This thread will likely get a better reception over in IMHO, so I’ll move it over there for you. (I almost used my usual phrase “shoot it over there,” but given the subject I changed my mind. 
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Astro:
Valid points. Yes she’s old enough but if she’s anything like me, she’ll take it way too close to her heart. My own decision to avoid meat/fur was based on emotion, not intelligent thought. As for searching on skins, beavers,etc…yikes! Never even thought of that.
Tzunami:
Thanks for the sites. I’ll pass them along. She is in the beginning stages of this thing and only approached me because she knows of my feelings. If I can get a specific direction I’ll let you know.
Manhattan:
Whatta sensitive guy