Is “Ignorance” Killing Our Kids?

Thursday, January 31st, 2013

An editorial in the New York Times suggests this is so in relation to gun control issues and the devastating losses of young lives that we continue to witness, the most recent being the Sandy Hook Elementary massacre. The crux of the argument is that we need to consider the seemingly endless stream of senseless murders (from Columbine to Virginia Tech to Aurora to Newtown) from the perspective of public health – meaning we need to treat this like an epidemic and rectify all the gaps in knowledge that currently exist about guns and violence.  I couldn’t agree more.

This month, I used the public health framework to discuss our knowledge base on the four central issues we have all been discussing in relation to Sandy Hook:

Mental Health

Gun Control

School Safety

Violent Video Games

The conclusion each time was that we really are pretty ignorant about how these factors come together to lead an individual to murder innocent youth. What we need now is to start asking pointed questions in research designed to help us arrive at meaningful next steps that would reduce the likelihood of these heinous acts taking innocent lives – based on reputable data and not just rhetoric or philosophy. That’s what public health research does – plain and simple, it identifies factors that can be modified to prevent the probability of death, and conducts scientific tests to generate an empirical foundation for making decisions that impact the problem. Studies showed that seatbelts save lives – we require use of seatbelts. Studies showed that teens who text when driving are at increased risk for getting killed – we ban texting. We don’t know right now the relative mix of influence posed by mental health issues, access to guns, and exposure to violent video games – and we need the studies to sort that out rather than pitting one factor against the other in a philosophical game of chess that does nothing to improve school safety. Public health is agnostic – just get answers and act on them. If we don’t take that principle seriously, then yes, ignorance is killing our kids.

Epidemiology and Public Health via Shutterstock.com

How Safe Is Your Child’s School? Another Public Health Issue In the Aftermath Of The Sandy Hook Shooting

Wednesday, January 9th, 2013

In the aftermath of the Sandy Hook Elementary tragedy, this is a question we all have. But, in reality, it is a very difficult one to answer. So, to that end, here are some questions to ponder as we all think about how we can improve school safety. Or put another way – here are some questions for parents to consider about their child’s school.

What is your school’s policy concerning entry? Are multiple doors open during the day? Can anyone walk into the school unattended? Is there a locked door and a buzz-in procedure? Depending on your answers to these questions, should your child’s school reconsider their existing policies?

Do you know how prepared your school is in case someone enters? What procedures are in place? Are these common knowledge? Has the school shared their system with parents?

Does your school currently utilize armed guards? How do you feel about this? If your school doesn’t do this (and most don’t) – would you feel better if they did? Is your school having an active dialogue about this topic?

We all have an adaptive tendency to get back to our daily lives after a tragedy. Sandy Hook Elementary has resumed classes in a different school building. But although we move ahead, it’s really important that we keep the conversation going about school safety – and that parents make sure they have a voice and partner with their child’s school to have thoughtful discussions about the lessons learned. The most sobering one is that even in the case of a school with extreme precautions and a very well trained (and heroic) faculty and staff, schools are always going to be a vulnerable place. That said, we all know now that we need to do everything we can to make them as safe as possible.

For other recent thoughts on the aftermath of the Sandy Hook shooting, see the following links:

Mental Health as a Public Health Issue

Gun Control as a Public Health Issue

School Security Cameras via Shutterstock.com

The Sandy Hook Shooting: The 4 Public Health Topics We Will Be Discussing In 2013

Monday, December 31st, 2012

In the aftermath of the Sandy Hook shooting, we all struggle to figure out how we can try to prevent further rampages, particularly (but not exclusively) in schools. There are 4 topics which are receiving the most attention – and will be the center of many debates in 2013. Starting on January 2nd, I will take these on, from the lens of public health – meaning I will examine each in terms of the potential of making life safer for kids in school. The topics are: 

Mental Health: One viewpoint is that increases in mental health awareness, improvements in diagnosis, and reducing barriers to treatment will be key in preventing further mass murders. While there is clearly a need to invest in mental health in our country, how central should mental health issues be in the debates following the Sandy Hook shooting? Is mental health the fundamental concern – or is it getting overplayed in lieu of taking on ….

Gun Regulation: Another viewpoint is that our primary objective should be immediate increases in gun regulation as the fundamental way of preventing future tragedies like the Sandy Hook shooting. The argument here is that the type of weapons that are available in this country facilitate the rapid execution of many youth. Those who disagree argue that mental health issues trump the access of firearms. So, from the public health perspective, is there an answer to be found?

School Safety: One thing is certain – we all feel the need to make our schools safer. Some schools in the country already had armed personnel in place prior to the Sandy Hook shooting. Should all schools do this? As a parent, would you feel better, or worse, seeing armed guards at your kid’s school? And what impact might this have on the kids themselves?

Violent Video Games: Still on the radar is the issue of violent video games. Do they really make individuals more violent? Should they be banned? What is the scientific evidence?

First up: the Mental Health debate on January 2, 2013.

Blackboard via Shutterstock.com