On Today’s Menu, let’s take a 30,000 feet view of the scope of gun violence in our communities and across the country and the impact it is having on our kids. As you may well imagine, a fact check on gun violence in the U.S is complex and multi-faceted. Media sources show that an average of 48,000 fatalities occur from gun violence each year in the U.S. From January 1, 2024 through mid-February 2024, nearly 5,000 people have been killed by guns.
Although these statistics are staggering, consider that each day, twelve children are shot and killed by guns in America. Equally alarming is that since Columbine in 1999, there have been 338,000 students who have been exposed to gun violence. The resulting vicarious trauma represents the unraveling of a national health care epidemic.
So as a parent with a young child or teenager, what are some things you may wish to look at more closely in supporting them through the unimaginable violence occurring in our communities.
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Hit your self-reflection “pause button”. An introspective look at your own personal history may be helpful. Was your upbringing a home fraught with domestic violence? Was your formal education marred by gun violence? Were you a victim of bullying by others? Did civil unrest or global conflicts shape your perspective on violence? Are you a survivor of sexual, physical, or verbal abuse? Any or all of these (or others) have shaped you in varying ways. They have been influencers in how you have coped with past traumas and likely how you have dealt with it relative to your own kids. Your own biases and history do impact your thinking, your behavior, or both.
A couple of ideas are presented on Today’s Menu….
The stage of self-reflection is one of the more important building blocks in helping yourself achieve insights before turning your undivided attention to your kids. It may be a tough climb to do so, but you and your kids will be better off as a result. All the while, keep in mind that talking with someone professionally is an option if you “feel stuck” on navigating through this solo.
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Reacting without a solid understanding of the factors at play for the increase in social and gun violence will likely offer little, if any, traction in what insight you gain. There are many resources you can tap into and expand your base of knowledge. Commit to carving out time to do the work of reading, researching on-line, and learning. In doing so, you master a critical pre-requisite concept in empowering yourself in preparation for keeping your child safe AND FEELING SAFE. Another option is podcasts dedicated to this topic which you can access on your commute home…..particularly when schedules are tight and the luxury of down time to do the work is at a premium.
Today's Menu Reviewed
Understand Your Own History + Become Informed & Knowledgeable = Effective Parent-Child Discussions