With the increasing violence among young people in the city in recent years, it has become increasingly important to deal with the trauma faced by children.
“I remember the reaction of the internal organs. I just started screaming, and then everything was blurry,” said Brett Roman Williams, who lost his father to gun violence at the age of 11. Talked about. Williams, now 36, is chairman of the Philadelphia Board of Directors’ Anti-Violence Partnership.
Anti-Violence Partnership is a city-funded non-profit organization that aims to end the cycle of violence in the community through support services. Their youth violence outreach initiative, affiliated with more than 40 public and charter schools in the city, takes licensed counselors to teach students about violence prevention and conflict resolution and provide treatment services. ..
In 2020, shooting surged in line with national trends. Last year there were 196 children under the age of 18, an increase of 65% over the previous year, according to data from the Philadelphia Community College Gun Violence Reporting Center. Already in 2021, there were more than 100 minor shootings, less than nine months into the year.
“We must begin to seriously consider the issue of gun violence from public health lenses,” said Councilor Kenyatta Johnson. “The same sense of urgency we used to deal with this COVID-19 pandemic, we must take the same approach.”
Johnson is the chairman of the Gun Violence Prevention Special Committee of the City Council. The committee holds regular hearings to encourage members and organizations in the community to visit the same page in question to raise awareness.
On June 1, the Council’s Children and Youth Committee (including Johnson) sent a proposal to Mayor Jim Kenney’s office to increase investment in gun violence prevention. The proposal required an additional $ 100 million, half of which went directly into the youth program.
“It doesn’t even matter if we should fund it,” Johnson said. “We know the city [of Philadelphia] As we will receive $ 1.5 billion from the American Rescue Plan, we would like to confirm that these funds will play an important role in supporting the gun violence prevention initiative to support our youth. “
The proposed programs included expanding parks and recreation centers, increasing vocational training opportunities for young people, and funding neighborhood-based trauma support services for young people. Ultimately, the approved budget increased anti-violent spending by about $ 68 million. A new anti-violence and opportunity review committee created from the negotiations will fund organizations applying to support anti-violence efforts.
A closer look at the numbers reveals the problem. During the summer of 2019, 18,000 young people applied for employment, according to the Urban Affairs Coalition, a non-profit organization in the city that helps create opportunities in the region. However, only 9,000 jobs were immediately available. The gap does not give thousands of people an opportunity during the average year and is exacerbated only during the pandemic period. By 2020, the number of applicants increased to 20,000 and only 6,000 young people were hired.
Following national trends, lack of workplace operations and closures of schools, businesses and recreation have eliminated many stores that young people can rely on. And it definitely affected young people, as this change in daily life had a major impact on the working adult population, increased stress levels and sacrificed mental health.
“It’s important for people to recognize that our emotions, understanding, and the way we process information change in the same way that our bodies change,” said the Behavioral Health and Intellectual Disability Services Department. DBHIDS) Dr. H. Jean Wright II said. “Depending on the age of the child, they process the experience of the world and the information they hear, see and be exposed in different ways.”
As more stressors like violence increase, children’s reactions to them can change dramatically, from fear to curiosity, numbness, and even to action, according to Wright. How they reacted in the past when they faced trauma may no longer apply in the future.
“It overwhelms adults and overwhelms children. That’s why listening to the news doesn’t show emotions, worries, and how trauma affects people, except for general behavior. It’s so popular because you can’t see it, “he said.
But by the time you observe the change in behavior, it may be too late. Early intervention is important.
That is a lesson that Williams learned long after his life.
After graduating from high school and attending Howard University in Washington, DC, he went into school social circles. He became active in the Greek life and mentor program.
But over time, Williams couldn’t keep up with the tuition and had to quit the class. And there he ran into a problem. When Williams began to take action, he realized he was in the student’s dean’s office, thinking he would be expelled from college. At that time, he finally opened his heart to the death of his father.
“She pulled it out of me, and since then I’ve found my truck,” Williams said. “At some point, after such a big loss, life catches up with you.”
Williams finished in Howard, but lost his brother in gun violence in 2016 and was again tragedy.
This time he did something else. He learned about and reached out to anti-violent partnerships through the victim services provided to him at the time.
“I’m on treatment now and I think I’m an advocate of treatment. It’s now starting to connect families and starting conversations that should have been more than 20 years ago,” Williams said. .. “If you’re hurt, don’t be afraid to ask for help.”
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August 20, 2021 at 05:04PM
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Gun violence leaves a lasting wound on our children | Local News - Pennsylvanianewstoday.com
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