LA County Unveils Campaign to Prevent School Violence

LOS ANGELES — Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors Chair Janice Hahn and LA County Department of Mental Health Director Lisa Wong, Psy.D., May 5 unveiled a campaign to prevent school shootings and school violence. The new education campaign features social media ads and in-school posters to encourage high school students to contact the County Department of Mental Health’s School Threat Assessment Response Team or START if they witness concerning or threatening behavior by a fellow student.

The START program consists of mental health professionals who work with schools and law enforcement and respond to calls about concerning behavior that could potentially lead to school violence. When contacted about a student who might pose a threat to themselves or others, the team comes in to assess the level of risk and provide targeted intervention to the student. 

Up until now, however, trainings and advertisement of the START program has been aimed at teachers, school administrators, and other school staff. Studies have shown that many youth who commit acts of violence at school discuss or mention their plans beforehand, often on social media and to other students. Targeted intervention can successfully prevent violence, and it is important that programs like START are informed about early warning signs.

The new campaign aims to reach high school students with information about START. It includes a video PSA, ads that will run on websites like Instagram, TikTok, Snapchat, YouTube, Twitch and Facebook and posters that have been distributed to more than 200 schools countywide. The campaign’s tagline, “If it doesn’t feel right, it probably isn’t,” was developed through focus groups with local students.

The campaign’s PSA features a real student named Mia Tretta who survived a shooting at Saugus High School in Santa Clarita in 2019. Mia’s best friend, Dominic Blackwell, was shot and killed. Since the shooting, Mia has become a passionate anti-gun violence activist.

Details: https://tinyurl.com/START-Youth