Smart Safety: SEL and School Violence

 According to the Gun Violence Archive , the US suffered through 33 mass shootings in the first ten days of July. This is despite the fresh memory of May's school shooting in Uvalde, TX and Congressional enactment of new gun legislation in June. Clearly public awareness and legislation are not the complete answer. What more can communities do?

Sandy Hook mom Scarlett Lewis is convinced that if her son's killer had access to a loving school culture, he would not have turned violent.

The way to build school cultures, and cultures at large, that counteract violence is through Social-Emotional Learning or SEL. Columbia University cites multiple SEL approaches that reduce violence and bullying in schools and develops young people who don’t grow up wanting to kill others.

Most importantly, SEL provides skill sets that allow for three crucial elements for non-violence. One is the ability to manage emotions that lead to violent behavior. The second are skills and a mindset to respond with empathy to others rather than reactiveness. The third is conflict resolution and collaboration skills.

I had a chance to learn more in this interview.

Why is it important to have a well-rounded approach to reducing school violence?

School violence is a complex issue, and because of that, there is no single solution. Law and regulations, public health, policing, school facility design, teacher training, and more all play a role in reducing school violence. But a key component is nurturing individual mindsets and school cultures that are non-violent. Kids who have a trusted adult, who are taught coping skills and social and emotional competence, kids who love and accept themselves, are not going to want to hurt themselves or others.

How does SEL improve communities, even after students have graduated?

Research shows that SEL students go on to be young adults who are mentally and physically healthier, with lower rates of young adult crime, violence, and addiction, and higher rates of success and happiness. They also become better members of the workforce because of their abilities to communicate, collaborate, think creatively, problem solve, resolve conflicts, and make ethical decisions. Because of this, they are better off financially. A community with more healthy, happy, and successful people will have less crime and violence, fewer societal ills, and need fewer social services to remediate problems formed earlier in life. All these benefits mean that investing in social and emotional learning programs offers an attractive return on investment. And most encouragingly, SEL students who later become parents pass on their SEL skills to their kids.

If families are concerned about safety in their schools, how can they work with the schools to create a comprehensive plan to improve?

Because school violence is a complex issue, creating a comprehensive plan to improve can be a huge undertaking. Parents might feel overwhelmed at the prospect. But one thing parents can do that would make a huge impact is to advocate for a robust social and emotional learning program in their local schools. EQuip Our Kids! offers a free and easy downloadable guide for parents to use in working with their schools to support social and emotional learning.

Scarlett Lewis founded the nonprofit Jesse Lewis Choose Love Movement after her son was murdered in the Sandy Hook Elementary School tragedy in December 2012.  After his death, she founded the Movement and became an advocate for social and emotional learning (SEL) and character development that teaches children how to manage their emotions, feel connected, and have healthy relationships. Choose Love programming is used in over 10,500 schools in the United States, and it’s been accessed in all 50 states and over 120 countries, serving more than 3 million children.