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Indiana’s School Violence Epidemic Reaches Crisis Point
INDIANAPOLIS – A $1 million grant from the U.S. Department of Justice’s Office of Justice Programs, Bureau of Justice Assistance has been awarded to the Indiana State Department of Health to combat school violence through prevention and mental health training.
The grant, which totals $1 million, will focus on training school personnel and educating students to prevent student violence, developing and operating an anonymous reporting system for school threats, and establishing school threat assessment and crisis intervention teams.
According to U.S. Attorney Josh Minkler, the Justice Department is pleased to partner with the Indiana State Department of Health to address the growing problem of school violence. ‘We are currently experiencing a violent crime wave of epic proportions, and our schools are not immune,’ Minkler said.
The grant is intended to support the improvement of school security by providing students and teachers with the tools they need to recognize and respond quickly to violent attacks. ‘The goal is to prevent acts of violence,’ Minkler added.
Indiana State Health Commissioner Kris Box, M.D., FACOG, said the funding is ‘needed’ to address the problem of school violence. ‘We must continue to tackle the problem of school violence from all angles, whether it’s hardening our schools, investing resources in preparedness and training or enhancing our mental health services, in order to keep our students, teachers and administrators safe.’
Experts have long recognized gun violence as a public health problem, with the Centers for Bioethics and Health Law at the University of Pittsburgh reporting in 2018 that gun violence ‘undermines physical, mental, and social well-being.’
The grant will help Indiana to remain a national leader in school safety and address gaps in prevention efforts, Box said. The state has seen a significant increase in violent crime, with the rate in Indianapolis more than 250% the national average.
The Indiana State Department of Health will work with state and local governments to implement the grant’s goals, which include providing training and education to school personnel and students, developing an anonymous reporting system, and establishing school threat assessment and crisis intervention teams.
Key Facts
- State: Indiana
- Category: Violent Crime
- Source: DOJ Press Release â†â€â€
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