NEWTOWN, Conn. – For the first time in more than four years, the number of school shooting incidents in the United States declined in 2025, reaching their lowest levels since 2021. This trend can partly be attributed to students taking an active role in gun violence prevention in their communities.
Next week is National Youth Violence Prevention Week (NYVPW), which celebrates young upstanders who lead efforts that prevent violence in schools and communities. During the week (April 20 to April 24), thousands of students from SAVE (Students Against Violence Everywhere) Promise Clubs will be working alongside Trusted Adults and local partner organizations to make their schools and neighborhoods safer.
NYVPW kicks off with a virtual National Youth Summit on April 17-18 that will bring together more than 1,200 youth and their SAVE Promise Club advisors from 23 states. The theme of this year’s summit will be “Game On!” and activities will be coordinated by SAVE Promise Club students.
SAVE Promise Clubs are the national youth leadership initiative of Sandy Hook Promise. There are more than 126,000 members involved in 5,000 clubs nationwide.
“The recent decline in school shootings represents real progress that’s been made by numerous entities that are actively working to prevent violence – but some of the most important credit goes to students themselves. By empowering young people with the knowledge and skills to recognize warning signs and how to get help, we can create spaces where everyone looks out for one another. They’re leading an upstander culture, transforming schools and communities nationwide into safer and more connected places. NYVPW celebrates this work and raises awareness that everyone has a role to play in ending school shootings in America,” said Nicole Hockley, co-founder and CEO of Sandy Hook Promise and mother of Dylan who was killed in the Sandy Hook Elementary School tragedy.
Youth Perspectives
Twelve student leaders from various states serve on Sandy Hook Promise’s National Youth Empowerment Board where they help guide programming, discuss prevention with legislators, and much more. Members of the board recently offered their insights into what a student-led safety culture can provide that an adult-led security plan cannot.
“Unlike adult leaders, youth leaders can relate to other students who are going through difficult situations – especially online. With the rise of social media, many adults don’t know how to handle situations that arise from online conversations. Student leaders are more likely to spot posts or recognize when something is wrong with someone online and report it to a trusted adult,” said Mylan, an 11th-grade student from Louisiana.
“The missing piece is connection. Students have more interpersonal connections with other students and often find out about things first. That’s why more students need to become upstanders, because they may be the first to spot signs of a negative situation,” said Anna, an 11th-grade student from North Carolina.
Resources for Action
A range of online resources are available for schools, communities, and organizations that would like to take action during NYVPW. Visit sandyhookpromise.org/nyvpw to connect with leadership guides, resources to help empower young leaders, and more. Also, a Social Media Action Kit complete with graphics and other ready-to-use materials is available at sandyhookpromise.org.
For Media
Multimedia assets including video, B-Roll, soundbites, and other materials are available online in the Sandy Hook Promise Newsroom. Email [email protected] for the access code to these materials.
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Sandy Hook Promise (SHP) envisions a future where all children are free from school shootings and other acts of violence. As a national nonprofit organization, SHP’s mission is to educate and empower youth and adults to prevent violence in schools, homes, and communities. Creators of the life-saving, evidence-informed “Know the Signs” prevention programs, SHP teaches the warning signs of someone who may be in crisis, socially isolated, or at-risk of hurting themselves or others and how to get help. SHP also advances school safety, youth mental health, and responsible gun ownership at the state and federal levels through nonpartisan policy and partnerships. SHP is led by several family members whose loved ones were killed in the tragic mass shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary School on December 14, 2012.
Media Contact:
Nick Dmitrovich | [email protected] | 203-304-9780 Ext. 279