New national center for school safety and gun violence prevention
School shootings have become an epidemic – but if people who care about students focus on prevention, you can help stop the violence. Thanks to your support, progress is being made. With funding from the STOP School Violence Act, Sandy Hook Promise is partnering with the University of Michigan on a public health approach to this crisis. Together, we're launching a new national research and training center for school safety.
Say Something when you see signs – even in your family
In the aftermath of a shooting incident, we often hear stories from friends or family members about “red flags” the shooter exhibited. That’s because there are often warning signs prior to these acts of violence, and knowing them can save lives. Sandy Hook Promise has evidence-based programs to teach people how to Know the Signs and act to help prevent gun violence. Learn more about these laws, and find out how you can help enforce or enact them in your state.
A Connecticut woman put knowing the signs into action: Alarmed by signs of potential violence in her nephew, she called the police to get an “extreme risk” warrant to investigate. What they found revealed the makings of a mass shooting.
What school shooters have in common
When you Know the Signs, you can help prevent school shootings. A new study reported in Education Week highlights four things that school shooters have in common, reinforcing some of the signs highlighted in our Say Something training. "Our goal has been to find new, data-suggested pathways for preventing school shootings. Our study shows that there's no one profile of a school shooter and no one predictor of a school shooting. However, school shooters are almost always a student at the school, and they typically have four things in common."
Expanding access to suicide prevention for all students
Suicide makes up approximately two-thirds of all gun deaths. That's why suicide prevention is part of our overall mission to stop gun violence before it happens.
In September, Sens. Cory Gardner (R-CO) and Doug Jones (D-AL) introduced the STANDUP Act. This federal legislation will help expand access to suicide prevention training for students. If this bipartisan bill becomes law, more students in grades 6-12 will be educated in suicide prevention every year. Sandy Hook Promise is proud to support this legislation and its companion bill in the House of Representatives.
You can help keep this bill moving forward by urging your elected officials to support it. Encourage them to cosponsor the STANDUP Act to help prevent suicide and save lives.
Sneak peek of your next newsletter
Thanks to the thousands of schools who participated, this year’s Start With Hello Week was a massive success! Stay tuned for the full story in the next edition of your monthly newsletter.
