ORLANDO – “The caretaker of all living things” – that was the good-natured moniker 7-year-old Daniel Barden had earned from his family – according to his dad, Mark Barden. Daniel would pick up black ants and take them outside “to be with their families,” even when the ant bit his fingers.
Tara Haelle/MDedge News
Mark Barden
A walk down the sidewalk after a rain would take three times longer than it should because Daniel stopped to pick up every worm on the pavement and put it in the grass, lest it dry out in the sun, Mr. Barden said with a chuckle at the annual meeting of the American Academy of Pediatrics.
Daniel was his youngest and full of pure joy, Mr. Barden said, but that ended with his son’s murder during the Sandy Hook Elementary mass shooting Dec. 14, 2012. To honor his son and work to reduce the likelihood of similar mass shootings, Mr. Barden, now the managing director of Sandy Hook Promise in Newtown, Conn., shared with the pediatrician audience the work of the organization formed by Sandy Hook parents to attempt to prevent gun violence before it happens.
“We’re moms and dads and a couple of families who have lost loved ones in that tragedy, and we are growing as an organization,” Mr. Barden said. “Our basic, most fundamental objective is to prevent other families from living with the pain I will live with for the rest of my life.”
Their mission involves “creating a culture engaged and committed to identifying, intervening, and getting help for individuals who may be at risk of hurting themselves or others,” Mr. Barden said.
Sandy Hook Promise accomplishes this goal by educating and empowering communities through their four programs: Start with Hello, SOS Suicide Prevention Program, SaySomething, and Safety Assessment & Intervention. The organization delivers these programs through multiple platforms, including national and local trainers, digital curriculum downloads, interactive online training videos, and using multilingual presenters and English and Spanish materials.
The organization also especially works with schools and student’s clubs to change their culture and feel empowered to speak up and do their part to prevent gun violence too.
These programs resulted from extensive qualitative and quantitative research that Sandy Hook Promise conducted after the shooting with academic researchers, law enforcement, educators, school administrators, mental health professionals, and social movement experts.
“As we see these stories play themselves out over and over again, we start to reveal the story of somebody who didn’t just snap overnight,” Mr. Barden said. Signs that a person may be at risk for committing mass violence include suicidality, preoccupation with weapons, talking about committing violent acts, and general signs of depression and anxiety. “If we can train people how to not only recognize but to look for those signs, we can make a sustainable difference,” he said.
Most mass shootings are planned at least 6 months in advance, he said. About 80% of school shooters tell someone about their plans, and 69% tell multiple people. Similarly, up to 70% of people who die by suicide tell someone they plan to do it or give some other warning sign.
Further, more than a third of violent threats and bullying occurs electronically, so students are well equipped to watch for the signs and report them if they know how and feel comfortable doing so.
Mr. Barden outlined the goals of each of the four Sandy Hook Promise programs.