Talking to Children About Violence

We are deeply saddened by the tragic news of the recent school shooting at Santa Fe High School in Galveston County, Texas. As an association dedicated to helping children and families around the globe, our thoughts are with those impacted by yet another act of senseless violence.

We’ve compiled the following resources in hopes of helping children and families deal with violence:

• Firearms and Children
• Children and Guns
• News and Children
• Disaster: Helping Children Cope
• Disaster Resource Center
• Caring for Kids After a School Shooting
• Restoring a Sense of Safety in the Aftermath of a Mass Shooting: Tips for Parents and Professionals
• National Child Traumatic Stress Network
• National Child Traumatic Stress Network – Talking about the Shooting
• National Child Traumatic Stress Network – Resources in Response to the High School Shooting

AACAP supports addressing gun violence as a public health issue and remains firm to its Policy Statement on Children and Guns, adopted in October 2000 and last updated in June 2016, which states that the most effective measure to help prevent firearm-related deaths and injuries to children and adolescents is to reduce the presence of guns in homes and communities. We also strongly support all efforts to educate children and the public about the danger of guns, and the increased risk of accidental injury and death associated with gun ownership.

AACAP further supports increased funding for research on gun safety and the prevention of gun related violence and opposes legislative efforts to restrict or inhibit such initiatives. Additionally, AACAP encourages the strict enforcement of existing laws pertaining to the purchase, ownership, and storage of firearms, as well as safety measures designed to protect children and reduce the incidence of gun related violence.

Senseless acts of violence frequently in the headlines emphasize the need for our policy statement as well as action addressing this public health issue. We hope by declaring a strong stance on this current topic to improve the health of youth everywhere.

2018 AACAP Election

The 2018 AACAP election of two Councilors-at-Large and two Nominating Committee Members is now open! The election will run through 11:59:59 pm EST on May 31, 2018.

Read about the candidates.

To vote, click on the icon (right) and use the personalized login credentials sent to you from Intelliscan.