WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, Congresswoman Jahana Hayes (CT-05) reintroduced the School Violence Prevention Act, legislation to provide organizations with grants to create or expand school-based programs to support children at the highest risk for involvement in gun violence. In Connecticut, juveniles make up 11.5% of Weapons Violation arrests. Every June, the United States recognizes National Gun Violence Awareness Month to highlight the need for action against the epidemic of gun violence tearing at communities across the nation.
Estimates show three million children witness a shooting each year, and the consequences of gun violence can be far-reaching beyond being hit by a bullet. Exposure to gun violence is linked to post-traumatic stress disorder and anxiety, in addition to other mental health concerns among youth. Gun violence disproportionately affects children and teens of color, a disparity fueled by the lack of investment in neighborhoods and underfunded communities. These traumatic incidents can also include negative impacts on psychological and mental well-being and affect their school performance, among other factors.
“It is imperative we eliminate the cycles of gun violence in our schools and communities. My legislation, the School Violence Prevention Act, aims to interrupt the cycle of gun violence by offering education-based programs to at-risk youth,” said Congresswoman Hayes. “We can help stop these tragedies by proactively connecting young people with mental health professionals, counselors, and mentors, and by promoting healthy community engagement. This is a comprehensive intervention to address the root causes of violence, empowering our youth and making our communities safer.”
“When we invest in students and the communities that support them, we invest in long-term safety — both inside and outside the classroom. The School Violence Prevention Act recognizes that preventing violence means reaching young people at the highest risk of experiencing or engaging in gun violence before harm occurs. We commend Congresswoman Hayes for championing this critical legislation and for her unwavering commitment to protecting children from preventable harm through meaningful, forward-thinking solutions,” Vanessa Gonzalez, Vice President of Government & Political Affairs at GIFFORDS.
“As a Newtown resident and Chairwoman of Newtown Action Alliance, I know the devastating toll school shootings take on families, survivors, and entire communities. Nearly 13 years after the Sandy Hook tragedy, our nation’s children are still being traumatized by gun violence in their schools. Guns are now the number one killer of children and teens in the United States—that is a national disgrace. The School Violence Prevention Act championed by Rep. Jahana Hayes is a critical step toward changing that. By investing in trauma-informed care, mental health services, and violence prevention programs, this bill gives schools the tools they need to protect students and prevent future tragedies. We owe it to every child to make their safety a national priority—not just after a mass shooting, but every single day,” Po Murray, Chairwoman, Newtown Action Alliance.
Access to grants funded by the School Violence Prevention Act requires organizations to facilitate partnerships between youth and their communities, expand professional development for trauma support services for teachers, and use evidence-based programming aimed at preventing or reducing violence among children.
In addition to being culturally competent, trauma-informed, and linguistically and developmentally inclusive, these programs would:
- Promote community engagement to support healthy development, emphasizing self-esteem and cultural or ethnic pride.
- Promote healing from trauma and other adverse childhood experiences that increase a young person’s risk for involvement in gun violence.
- Strengthen the interpersonal and emotional skills of youth, such as communication, problem-solving, empathy, and conflict management.
- Connect youth to mental health professionals, counselors, mentors, community leaders, crisis intervention professionals, community violence interrupters, or educators trained in trauma-informed care and activities.
- Foster community engagement and safe community environments; or lessen harms of escalating violence and prevent future risk of violence, including gun violence.
This legislation builds on the years of success we have seen with community violence intervention and brings it directly to the one place children must congregate: their schools.
Earlier this year, the Trump administration announced that it would stop funding nearly $1 billion in grants that were meant to boost the ranks and training of mental health professionals who work in schools. The funds were authorized by Congress in the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act, which President Biden signed into law in 2022.
Read the full text of the bill here.
The legislation is cosponsored by US Reps. Wesley Bell (MO-01), Ed Case (HI-01), Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick (FL-20), Jasmine Crockett (TX-30), Madeleine Dean (PA-04), Cleo Fields (LA-06), Dan Goldman (NY-10), Hank Johnson (GA-04), Tim Kennedy (NY-26), Summer Lee (PA-12), Stephen Lynch (MA-08), Seth Magaziner (RI-02), Gwen Moore (WI-04), Seth Moulton (MA-06), Holmes Norton (DC), Delia Ramirez (IL-03), Jan Schakowsky (IL-09), Shri Thanedar (MI-13), and Rashida Tlaib (MI-12).
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