This weekend I was meeting a friend for brunch. As I waited, I read. When he arrived, I closed the book and dove right into catching up on life. He paused, looked at the book and looked back at me.

I am reading Columbine, so I could understand his reaction, it is a heavy book. Though I did not expect the conversation that followed.

He looked at me and said, “Have I ever told you how deeply that impacted me?”

“No, we have not talked about it before.” He proceeded to tell me how it was a pivotal moment in his life. It was the moment he dedicated his life to having an impact on the world. Truth was, he was heartbroken that he had not done enough to stop this tragedy. 

He was in his early twenties and yet believed in that moment that he should have created something that would have had a big enough impact that the ripple hit these two young boys. He lived on the other side of the country. He had no personal connection to the boys or school or town. Yet, it was personal.  

This got me thinking, is there something I could create that I had not yet to help stop school shootings? Was there more that I could be doing? That is when it hit me…

I have had countless conversations about what can be done. Listing the actions for parents over and over again, individually and workshops. Ways that we can each connect with young people to have an impact so that not one more child thinks to pick up a gun as a solution to any problem.

It’s time to share that list with you. Here are the top 5 ways to prevent more violence. Actions that you can take today. Ways to connect that will benefit any child and will be impactful if they are questioning if violence is the answer for them.