The mental health effects of gun violence near schools
I’M JOHN CARDINALE. YOU KNOW, IT’S CONCERNING DATA, RIGHT? SO JOINING US NOW IS DOCTOR SCOTT HADLAND, CHIEF OF ADOLESCENT MEDICINE AT MASS. GENERAL BRIGHAM, WE WANT TO TALK ABOUT THIS AND HOW PARENTS CAN LEARN FROM THIS DATA. THE DATA TOOL IS REALLY INCREDIBLE. I LOOKED UP THE SCHOOL THAT MY KIDS ATTEND. I LOOKED UP THE SCHOOL THAT I WENT TO BOTH ELEMENTARY AND HIGH SCHOOL AS A PEDIATRICIAN AND A PARENT, HOW IMPORTANT IS THIS INFORMATION? I MEAN, STARTING FIRST AS A PARENT, I WAS REALLY ALARMED. I WENT STRAIGHT TO THE TOOL MYSELF AND FOUND OUT THAT THE SCHOOL THAT MY TWO YOUNG KIDS GO TO HAS HAD 58 SHOOTINGS WITHIN 500 YARDS OVER THE LAST DECADE. SO INCREDIBLY CONCERNING INFORMATION. SO I CAN UNDERSTAND WHY PARENTS WOULD BE REALLY ALARMED AS A PEDIATRICIAN. I ALSO KNOW THE SCIENCE HERE, RIGHT? AND THE SCIENCE TELLS US THAT, YOU KNOW, IF SOMEBODY IS EXPERIENCED GUN VIOLENCE OR HAS BEEN NEAR GUN VIOLENCE, THEY’RE AT HIGHER RISK FOR EXPERIENCING POST-TRAUMATIC STRESS DISORDER OR OTHER FORMS OF TRAUMA, DEPRESSION, ANXIETY. AND THEN THERE’S THE CHRONIC STRESS THAT GOES WITH IT. THE, YOU KNOW, THE LONG PERIODS OF TIME WITH DISRUPTED SLEEP AND JUST THE STRESS THAT LONG INTO ADULTHOOD CAN CONTRIBUTE TO LIFELONG PROBLEMS THAT WE KNOW OF, LIKE HIGH BLOOD PRESSURE, DIABETES, HEART DISEASE, STROKE. SO IT’S INCREDIBLY CONCERNING. ABSOLUTELY. I KNOW SOME PARENTS MAY WORRY WHEN THEY GO, WHEN THEY LOOK AT THE DATA IN THEIR NEIGHBORHOODS, BUT FOR MANY REASONS, THEY CAN’T JUST PICK UP AND MOVE. WHAT’S YOUR MESSAGE FOR THEM? YEAH, I MEAN, I WAS ONE OF THOSE PARENTS TOO, WHEN I LOOKED INTO THIS DATABASE AND SAW THE ALARMING STATISTICS FOR MY OWN KIDS SCHOOLS. I THINK IT’S REALLY IMPORTANT FOR FAMILIES TO UNDERSTAND THAT NEIGHBORHOOD ISN’T DESTINY. AND IN FACT, YOU KNOW, AS A PEDIATRICIAN, I ACTUALLY CARE FOR A NUMBER OF PEOPLE WHO HAVE BEEN SURVIVORS OF GUN VIOLENCE AND HAVE GONE ON TO LIVE HAPPY, HEALTHY AND THRIVING YOUNG ADULTHOODS. AND SO I KNOW THAT MANY PEOPLE ARE RESILIENT AND CAN OVERCOME THIS. WHAT DOES RESILIENCE LOOK LIKE? WELL, IT USUALLY INVOLVES A TRUSTED ADULT IN A YOUNG PERSON’S LIFE, AND BEING PART OF SOMETHING THAT’S BIGGER THAN THEMSELVES. RIGHT? SO I’M THINKING ABOUT SCHOOL SPORTS AND CLUBS AND DRAMA AND ARTS AND STUFF IN THE COMMUNITY, FAITH BASED ORGANIZATIONS, YOU KNOW, BEING PART OF SOMETHING THAT IS GOING TO HELP YOU TO BUILD INDEPENDENCE, AUTONOMY, AGENCY, RESPONSIBILITY TO OTHERS. AND AGAIN, THESE REALLY CLOSE RELATIONSHIPS, NOT JUST WITH YOUR PEERS, BUT WITH TRUSTED ADULTS THAT YOU CAN TURN TO. LET’S TALK ABOUT RESOURCES. HOW CAN A PEDIATRICIAN HELP? YEAH, WE ARE CHECKING IN ON WHETHER YOUNG PEOPLE HAVE BEEN EXPOSED TO GUN VIOLENCE, TYPICALLY ROUTINELY, AT OUR ANNUAL APPOINTMENTS WHEN WE’RE SEEING YOUNG PEOPLE. AND SO FAMILIES CAN ALWAYS TURN TO US. WE’RE ALWAYS ON THE LOOKOUT FOR THIS. BUT IF FAMILIES HAVE CONCERNS, THEY CAN ALWAYS TALK TO US. AND SOME THINGS THAT WE’LL DO. FIRST OF ALL, IF A YOUNG PERSON IS EXPERIENCING STRESS OR DEPRESSION OR ANXIETY OR TRAUMA, WE HAVE SERVICES AVAILABLE. WE CAN HELP TREAT THOSE CONDITIONS. BUT EVEN FOR YOUNG PEOPLE WHO AREN’T EXPERIENCING THOSE THINGS YET, WE OFTEN HAVE A LOT OF RESOURCES IN OUR OFFICES, SOMETIMES FROM SOCIAL WORKERS OR RESOURCE SPECIALISTS WHO CAN HELP FAMILIES GET CONNECTED TO SERVICES OUT IN THE COMMUNITY. GUN VIOLENCE PREVENTION PROGRAMS, AND SOMETIMES JUST EASY STUFF LIKE, YOU KNOW, FREE OR DISCOUNTED PASSES FOR A TEEN TO GO TO THE LOCAL YMCA AND, YOU KNOW, GO TO THE GYM AFTER SCHOOL OR WORK OUT DURING THE SUMMERTIME. SO THAT AGAIN, THEY HAVE SOMETHING THAT THEY’RE DOING THAT KEEPS THEM ENGAGED AND ACTIVE. IT’S GREAT INFORMATION AND WE ALWA
Dr. Scott Hadland from Mass. General Brigham discusses new data that shows the amount of shootings near schools is trending downwards. However, that doesn’t mean students and staff are escaping the impacts of gun violence.
NEEDHAM, Mass. —
Dr. Scott Hadland from Mass. General Brigham discusses new data that shows the amount of shootings near schools is trending downwards. However, that doesn’t mean students and staff are escaping the impacts of gun violence.