In case you are unaware, an alleged TikTok challenge promoting school violence is trending today. The threat is so real that at some schools across the country, increased police presence is necessary and parents are choosing to keep their children home.

As parents and guardians, we accept certain risks when we send our children off to school. For example, we accept that they may not be treated fairly by their peers, or that they might not make the team.

What we cannot accept is gun violence within our schools.

This alleged trend did not develop in a vacuum. It is a symptom of how broken we are as Americans. It is a glaring sign that our children are desperate to be loved and supported.

If you aren’t ready to accept the risk of gun violence within our schools, please join us @whitstrongorg. We seek common ground to end gun violence through education, legislation, and research.

In the meantime, please remember to:

Safely store your firearms
Believe someone when they tell you plans of self-harm or violence, and get help from a mental health professional or law enforcement
Sign our petition for Crisis Aversion and Rights Retention
Love the children in your life and advocate for their mental health needs

We can do better together.

Whitney