Students across the country learn warning signs of someone at risk of hurting themselves or others
Newtown, CT — Starting today, schools and youth organizations nationwide are participating in Say Something Week. The national call-to-action campaign raises awareness about the warning signs of those who may be at risk of violence or self-harm with a variety of activities designed for in-person and virtual classrooms.
More youth are struggling with mental health issues than ever before. With the prolonged pandemic and social isolation, life-saving programs like these are more important than ever. Recent studies show more than 70% of teenagers are struggling with mental health concerns, while one in four has considered suicide.
A core component of Sandy Hook Promise’s proven Know the Signs violence prevention programs, Say Something teaches middle and high school students to look for the warning signs of someone who may be thinking of hurting themselves or others and how to tell a trusted adult to get help. This simple, evidence-based method has consistently shown that violence is not inevitable — it’s preventable.
“Say Something Week is all about empowering students to help prevent school violence,” said Nicole Hockley, co-founder and managing director of Sandy Hook Promise, and mother of Dylan who was killed in the Sandy Hook Elementary shooting. “Kids are often the first to see their peers struggling. With so many students learning remotely today and the added pressures of living through a pandemic, knowing the warning signs and how to get help are more important than ever in keeping kids safe.”
To date, more than 12 million people nationwide have participated in Sandy Hook Promise’s proven Know the Signs programs that focus on prevention to help end the epidemic of gun violence by training youth and adults how to identify at-risk behavior and intervene to get help before a tragedy can occur. Through these no-cost programs, Sandy Hook Promise has averted multiple school shooting plots, teen suicides, and countless other acts of violence.
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About Sandy Hook Promise
Sandy Hook Promise (SHP) is a national nonprofit organization with a mission to end school shootings and create a culture change that prevents violence and other harmful acts that hurt children. Through its life-saving, evidence-informed Know the Signs prevention programs, SHP educates and empowers youth and adults to recognize, intervene, and get help for individuals who may be socially isolated and/or at risk of hurting themselves or others. Through nonpartisan policy and partnerships, SHP advances gun safety, youth mental health, and violence prevention education at the state and federal levels that protect all children from gun violence in their schools, homes, and communities. 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.
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Aimee Thunberg | [email protected] | 646.761.5579