Looking for answers in the wake of tragedy

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This article was published 08/06/2022 (1578 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

What was he thinking?

That’s the question left on so many devastated minds in the wake of a tragedy such as the school shooting in Uvalde, Tex.. We cannot comprehend why someone would take one innocent life, never mind many. For the survivors, the grief, trauma and sadness are compounded by the senselessness of it all.

Researchers have been trying to make some sense of mass killings for years, trying to decipher the root so they can contribute to a solution. They’ve identified patterns in school killers’ lives that may have sparked their violent actions. Those include a history of depression, absence of support at home and school, feelings of rejection and continual despair that turns into a desire for revenge. When such an individual has access to a gun, it becomes a dreadful storm.

Avoiding these storms take a community. That’s not to blame a community for an individual’s actions but it stands to reason (in line with researchers’ findings) that making ethical decisions in various facets of society can help us all live more peacefully together.

The conversations can start in school. There’s an expectation that children learn strong values from their parents, but this is simply not reality. Some youth miss out on valuable learning opportunities because of a lack of mentorship and guidance in their lives. School is a place where children of all backgrounds and abilities can come together and learn from each other. Unfortunately, it can also become a breeding ground for exclusion and ridicule.

A course like the Better Business Bureau Foundation’s LIFT program brings peers together to engage in discussions that help them explore the differences in each others’ lives in safe, inclusive spaces. It helps them understand each other and make decisions to uplift each other and themselves. It then equips them with those skills to continue those relationships moving forward.

Those who have gone through the program are also more able to draw upon those ethical decision-making skills when they are in positions of leadership. They may decide on or advocate for better policy or programs that will help their communities or provinces.

Ethics are worth teaching. And for some, the pro-active program can be a defining moment. For others, it can help shape their actions in a more caring way, which, like a stone in a pond, ripples out to our communities.

And while there is no easy or singular solution, developing youths’ ethical decision-making skills in constructive environments can help us build toward a more harmonious future.