Witnessing violence and trauma at an early age is negatively impacting the lives of many Louisville children. The Youth Violence Summit, sponsored by UofL and other community partners, aimed to change that by teaching others how to tackle youth trauma exposure within our community.
More than 150 UofL Faculty, mental health professionals, teenagers and other concerned citizens gathered at the summit to come up with ideas on how to combat youth violence in Louisville. Looking beyond a child’s behavior is the first place to start according to Monica Wendel, associate dean at the UofL School of Public Health and Information Sciences.
“We shouldn’t be asking, ‘What’s wrong with you?’ We should be asking ‘What happened to you,’” Wendel said.
Other sessions focused on topics like drug abuse, parenting skills and gun safety. There was even a little healing through painting. Each forum focused on helping kids by providing them a better chance to lead a long and successful life.
“I hope that they can self-identify the effects that violence has had on them living in our community,” said Dr. Karen Krigger from Family and Geriatric Medicine.
Check out more information about the summit:
