 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
Gun Violence Reality
Acknowledging the unfortunate reality that gun violence is a part of the community, medical students at Case Western Reserve University's College of Medicine decided to help junior and senior high school students identify the dangers of guns.
With help from the Urban Area Health Education Center, "Above the Violence" programs were developed by the medical students in collaboration with youth from a Boys & Girls Club. Presented to Cleveland area schools by the medical students, these programs contrast the glamour of gun violence in Hollywood movies and on television to real life images of the physical damage caused by guns.
Using graphic photographs of junior and high school students injured by guns, medical students talk about how carrying a gun does not make a person safe.
"Above The Violence" includes a handbook for teachers and counselors describing how to organize violence prevention activities. The handbook also stresses ways to resolve conflicts without using guns.
Recognizing they will have to address issues relative to gun violence in their careers, AHEC students also developed clinical guidelines for health professionals interacting with patients, which include gun ownership, prevention strategies for firearm violence and teenage gangs.
These programs address a vital community need that has become a major social and medical concern in the community.
