A Mental Health Crisis
Over the past 15 years, we have seen significant increases in childhood depression, suicide ideation, and feelings of sadness and hopelessness. Numerous factors have played a role in this rise, including increasing pressure at school, dramatic increases in shootings and other violence at schools, a significant increase in the time children spend on social media, and the intense fear, grief, and stress together with disruptions in schools and society caused by Covid-19.
American Children Are in Crisis
The president of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry warns us that our children are in crisis:
“We are caring for young people with soaring rates of depression, anxiety, trauma, loneliness, and suicidality that will have lasting impacts on them, their families, their communities, and all of our futures. We cannot sit idly by. This is a national emergency, and the time for swift and deliberate action is now.”
American Children Are Being Shot
Across the country, school shootings have risen dramatically over the past ten years rising from 20 in 2012 to 300 in 2022. This is something that is only happening in the United States where almost 90% of worldwide school shootings occur. School shootings will continue to rise until people who support gun control care more about it than people who oppose it.
Our Children Need Our Support Right Now
We must change the laws that allow dangerous and out-of-control students to stay in our schools and do everything in our power to prevent school shootings, including passing effective gun control laws.
We need to move away from high-stakes tests that unfairly label our children as “failing” and instead focus on creating school environments that are safe, equitable, and engaging.
