Classroom Connection: Engaging adolescents on weapon safety and cyberbullying prevention

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reported 19% of students nationwide were bullied at school and 15% were cyberbullied. Adolescents involved in bullying as victims, bullies, or bystanders are more likely to engage in suicide-related behavior, including the improper use of weapons. Prevention in the pediatric population is crucial, as 87 children, teens, and young adults are injured or killed by guns every day in the U.S.. Early intervention and preventative education may reduce incidents of violence, including in the Classroom Connection partner school district, whose students are referred to the county’s courts (and subsequently youth detention centers) at a disproportionately high rate.