National Youth Violence Prevention Week

Everyday we come into contact with a massive chunk of the student population. In English class we act out Romeo and Juliet with our peers - during Creative Writing we create short stories and poems with upper and/or underclassmen - after school we run miles and sometimes circles around friends, one form with cleats on the track the other with words in debate club. Fill in the class/club/sport, change the subject - you get the idea. The point is, with all the people we come into contact with throughout our days, to how many of them (that aren’t our “friends”) do we really stop, smile, and say, “Hi”, “Hey”, or “How ya doin’?”

Social isolation is the overwhelming feeling of being left out, lonely, or treated like you’re invisible. It’s a growing epidemic in the United States and, even worse, in our schools. Isolated young people can become victims of bullying, violence, or depression. They may pull away from their peers, struggle with learning and social development, and oftentimes even resort to hurting themselves or others.

We’ve been lucky to go to such an amazing school as Aurora - a school that has passionate teachers, such Mrs/Señora Foster, advocating for the implementation of organizations like the Save Promise Club, which familiarizes us with warning signs to prevent gun violence and implores legislative action. But implementing a club is only the beginning of what we have to do.

It’s true that 80% of school shootings could have been stopped if people recognized the warning signs - but more significantly, if people could have treated each other with kindness. We’re told all the time to “be an advocate against bullying”, but I don’t think we often fully ruminate on what that entails.

It’s simple. Be an upstander. Be nice to people. Smile at someone. Look up from your phone and say, “Hi”. It’s easy to do, doesn’t cost you anything, and might just save a life.

This week is National Youth Violence Prevention Week. It’s a great place to start, to take a step towards making everyday dedicated to youth violence prevention. I bet there’s at least one kid you see every day, one acquaintance you meander past in the hallway between classes. Tomorrow, I dare you to look at that person and say, “Hey”.