For those of you who want to know what you can do to prevent these things from happening. Start at the local level in your own community. My husband and I have volunteered for 7 years now in a prevention program run by 3 paid prevention specialists, and all the other workers are volunteers. We try to prevent drug, alcohol, and tobacco use, child abuse, crime, violence, etc. We have a program where children come with their parents 3 days a week for classes, dinner, tutoring, homework help, and recreation. We give parenting classes, classes on nutrition, on bully prevention, communication skills, etc. We teach parents and kids how to settle differences without violence and we foster family and community bonding. We also, in the same place, have time sharing where people use their skills to help someone else and the person helped uses his/her talents to help a different person. That way people get needed services without having to pay money for them. We have a food coop there and a community garden. We, as a group, can and freeze vegetables and fruit that is locally and organically grown and divide it among us for use when fresh foods are out of season. My husband and I are the cooks for the program and we make a nutritious meal for about 40 people 3 days a week. Kids are tutored in school subjects where they need help and are given homework help so they will get good grades in school. We are doing this in one of the most dangerous neighborhoods in the most dangerous and violent city in the United States. The group is building a safe and clean house for college students to live in while going to college in this area. Empty lots are being bought to turn into gardens, and also hoop houses for all year around gardening are being built. Kids are offered movies and popcorn, bingo, speakers for various topics, games, and other things to do that keep them off the streets and safe. People volunteer to walk with the kids to school so they get there safely. Get together with other willing people and find a place (maybe a church or school) where you can meet and brainstorm what you can do. Check out resources in your town that can help. Write grant requests and ask for donations from businesses and churches to help with expenses. Form a 501C3 non-profit status for your group. Don't just wring your hands and wonder why things don't get better--get active and make them better! My husband and I don't even live in the city where we volunteer. We live in a reasonably safe, clean, and pretty suburb. But we care about the city kids and their welfare. Rally the troops and make things safer for our kids and grandkids. Also, teach kids how to be safe and avoid dangerous situations. Buddy kids up so they don't go anywhere alone. Form block clubs and watch out for each other. Be aware of who belongs on your street and who doesn't. People helping people makes a big difference. And do background checks on volunteers and no volunteer is ever alone with a child. Always have 2 unrelated volunteers with every child.
