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GUN VIOLENCE

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Episcopal Peace Fellowship (EPF) is a national organization connecting all who seek a deliberate response to injustice and violence and want to pray, study and take action for justice and peace in our communities, our church, and the world. We are called to do justice, dismantle violence, and strive to be peacemakers.  

 

More information specifically about EPF’s Gun Violence Prevention Efforts

 

“Like” EPF on Facebook to stay current with ways you can take action to prevent gun violence.  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Parents ask all sorts of health and safety questions before their children play at the home of a friend, neighbor or relative. They ask about pets in the house, discuss allergies and Internet access, and ask questions about supervision. Yet there is one important question that more than half of parents say never even occurred to them to ask: “Is there an unlocked gun where my child plays?”

 

In America 1 out of 3 homes with kids have guns and nearly 1.7 million children live in a home with an unlocked, loaded gun. Talking to children about the dangers of firearms is not enough. Children are naturally curious. If a gun is accessible in someone’s home, there is a good chance a child will find it and play with it. Countless tragedies have occurred when kids found guns that parents thought were well hidden or safely stored.

 

Asking this simple question is an important step every parent can take to help keep their child safe, and possibly save their child’s life. 

 

For more information about the campaign please visit askingsaveskids.org.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

In 4 out of 5 school shootings, at least one other person has knowledge of the attackers’ plan.

SPEAK UP empowers students with an unprecedented resource for preventing violence in their schools and communities. Students can safely and anonymously report suspected threats 24 hours a day, 7 days a week by calling 1-866-SPEAK-UP. The hotline is staffed by trained counselors who handle the threat reports according to a protocol developed in collaboration with leading experts in law enforcement and education.

 

Although the hotline provides the mechanism through which students can report potentially life-saving information, it is critical that students are also provided with the motivation to do so. Our comprehensive public awareness campaign works to combat destructive social norms, such as the fear of retaliation or being labeled a “snitch.” The campaign sends the powerful message that students can and should "SPEAK UP" against violence.

 

The SPEAK UP hotline has received over 40,000 calls since its inception, leading to the prevention of numerous acts of violence.

 

To learn more about SPEAK UP, visit www.speakup.com. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Almost two-thirds of all gun deaths in the U.S. are suicides. Guns are the most lethal method of suicide.

 

In America 8 out of 10 firearm suicides among adolescents are committed with a gun belonging to a family member. Because so many adolescents use a family member’s gun to attempt suicide, Suicide-Proof Your Home informs parents about the simple steps they can take to reduce the risk that a youth suicide will occur in their home. Parents are encouraged to decrease the likelihood of suicide by securely locking or removing lethal means, such as firearms and medications.

 

Visit www.suicideproof.org to learn the simple steps you can take to suicide-proof your home.

 

Suicide-Proof Your Home was developed in partnership with The Rhode Island Department of Health.