Our hearts go out to the families of the victims, the students who witnessed the violence, and the community of Newton, CT. We will never fully understand why these things occur. We ask that everyone take care of themselves, and their families. We will be reaching out to our partners in CT to see how we may be of assistance. We will share more as we learn more.

NFFCMH offers the following suggestions for teachers and parents as they communicate with young people:

• Communicate empathy for all who were involved
• Talk honestly about the incident and base conversations upon the developmental level of the young person
• Don’t pretend that you have the answers. Encourage young people to think about how we, as a community can design solutions.
• Keep the dialogue going, even after the media coverage subsides.

Pay attention! If you are concerned about a young person’s reaction, seek help.