How do we respond if a child wants to know what the recently passed federal gun reform legislation means? What do parents, educators and other adults say when a child asks, “Does that mean I may not get shot and die?” We should meet any questions with clarity, patience and a great degree of empathy.
With our youths’ internet and social media access, they are aware of what is happening in our society. They are learning about mass shootings and other acts of violence that are happening at rates we have never seen: There have been over 250 mass shootings so far this year, according to the nonprofit research group Gun Violence Archive. The unconscionable act in late May of a lone gunman slaughtering 19 children and two adults in Uvalde, Texas, has caused fear and uncertainty in our children. Some feel like it could happen to them.
As we work to reassure our youths of their safety, how we talk about violence will affect how they understand it and who they perceive as causing it. I recall growing up and hearing the word “boogeyman” bandied about. While we children could not reach a consensus on how to define it, we knew it meant something that could do us harm. How we describe and define violence and those who are doing us harm is no different. It’s important to be clear about the message we send our youths and not equate every violent act as something that requires a long discussion.
