Teens tell Pa. attorney general of gun violence fears

HARRISBURG, Pa. (WTAJ) — Pennsylvania high school students shared their thoughts on how government and education leaders can make schools a safe environment.

State Attorney General Michelle Henry held a series of roundtable talks with students in Hazleton, McKeesport, Philadelphia and Steelton-Highspire school districts, according to our media partners at the Tribune-Democrat.

The results were compiled in a report, teenTALK , with data that Hrny hopes school officials across the state will consider for the upcoming school year.

“Our children are dealing with the destruction that guns cause nearly every day. We must do what we can to support them in response to their trauma and fear,” Henry said during a press conference Tuesday at the State Capitol.

TeenTALK’s release coincided with an unprecedented declaration by U.S. Surgeon General Vivek H. Murthy Tuesday that gun violence is a public health crisis. According to Murthy’s advisory, firearms surpassed motor vehicle accidents since 2020 as the leading cause of death for people aged one to 19. Citing federal death data, 4,603 children, adolescents and teens were killed by guns in 2022, be it by suicide, homicide or accidentally.

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Student suggestions from the roundtable series to address gun violence in schools include improving communication and trust between school officials and students, investing more resources in mental health services at schools, funding programs to improve conflict resolution and social-emotional learning, and adopting legislation to tighten gun safety standards.

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