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LACo Supervisor announces countywide campaign to prevent school violence

by The AV Times Staff • May 5, 2023

Examples of START social media ads.

A new campaign announced Friday, May 5, is designed to urge Los Angeles County high school students to raise a red flag if they witness disturbing or threatening behavior by a fellow student.

The initiative features social media ads and in-school posters encouraging students to contact the county’s School Threat Assessment Response Team — START — program if they suspect threats on campus.

“If one of our students witnesses something that doesn’t feel right, they need to know there is someone they can call who can step in and help,” Board of Supervisors Chair Janice Hahn said in a statement. “We are blanketing social media with these ads so we can reach as many LA County students as possible with this information.”

Created in 2009, the START program consists of mental health professionals who work with schools and law enforcement and respond to calls about concerning behavior that could potentially lead to violence. When contacted about a student who might pose a threat to themselves or others, the team comes in to assess the level of risk and provide targeted intervention to the student.

Up until now, however, START training and advertisements have been aimed at teachers, school administrators, and other school staff. Studies have shown that many youth who commit acts of violence at school discuss or mention their plans beforehand, often on social media and to other students, according to the statement. Targeted intervention can successfully prevent violence, and it is important that programs like START are informed about early warning signs, Hahn said.

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Filed Under: Education, Home, Los Angeles County

8 comments for "LACo Supervisor announces countywide campaign to prevent school violence"

  1. Stoic Apologist says

    May 10, 2023 at 6:43 am

    lots of opportunity for this to backfire.

    put the judgement about who is ‘sane’ in the hands of adolescents?

    it used to be (maybe still is) a teen prank to pull a fire alarm as a prank.

    imagine how this ‘sanity check’ alarm could be used to out someone, to ‘SWAT’ someone…

    not woke, just bad policy

  2. ACE says

    May 6, 2023 at 2:01 pm

    MORE SILLINESS…

    ***

  3. Play Hardball and Stomp on Johnson's says

    May 5, 2023 at 4:51 pm

    Repercussions and not Reparations may get the word out

    “MAYBE I SHOULDN’T DO THIS “

  4. Won't Work says

    May 5, 2023 at 4:48 pm

    Campaigns don’t work … systems too Woke

    • Build a Super Penatentiary in Cal City says

      May 5, 2023 at 4:55 pm

      Need facilities to contain massive amounts of idiots without bail until trial.

    • John says

      May 6, 2023 at 7:37 am

      Since I go no where near school campuses I would prefer to keep the violence on campus..

      I fully support cancelling the LASD contract and removing LEO’s from AV High School campuses.

  5. Bud Light says

    May 5, 2023 at 4:04 pm

    Campaigns, Social Workers, Wokeness, and even all the Black commercials is not the answer.

    It’s the loss of God and the Heathens that don’t know how to act in a civilized community.

    And Tim Scott is one of them.

    • Tim Scott says

      May 9, 2023 at 8:49 am

      Where is this ‘civilized community’ of which you speak?

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