Concert Across America to End Gun Violence,

Veronica Murillo

Peer Solutions is celebrating 20 years of uniting families, schools and communities to develop, implement and evaluate evidence based solutions to prevent the root causes of Adverse Childhood Experiences before they begin. We are requesting support for STAND & SERVE, a nationally recognized program serving 9 sites weekly in Central and South Phoenix, and Tempe Arizona. Together, we cultivate permanent solutions to prevent child abuse.

The Adverse Childhood Experiences Study (ACES) is one of the largest scientific studies to uncover the link between child maltreatment and health and wellbeing in later-life. The research looks at participants’ childhood experiences of abuse, neglect, and family dysfunction.  The research confirms that some of the most costly health and social problems in our nation are a direct consequence of ACEs. According to the CDC, child abuse costs the nation $124 billion per year and 80% of suicide attempts by youth can be attributed to Adverse Childhood Experiences. 

According to the authors of the ACE Study, “without a doubt, childhood trauma is the nation’s number one public health problem. “ The National Survey of Children's Exposure to Violence found that over 60% of children experienced some form of trauma, crime, or abuse over the course of a year, with many experiencing multiple traumas. Exposure to trauma can directly impact a student’s ability to learn, and can disrupt the ability to relate to others and manage emotions. In the classroom setting, this can lead to negative behaviors and/or bullying, which often times results in reduced instructional time and expulsions. Long-term exposure to trauma may include reduced graduation rates, along with increased incidences of teen pregnancy, joblessness, poverty and even early death.  We know these harms start in the home and must be preventing by addressing the root causes.

Phoenix is the largest metropolitan city in Arizona, and the sixth largest city in the United States. In Arizona, our children have some of the highest rates of ACEs in the country. A majority (57%) of Arizona children have experienced one adverse event, compared with 48% nationally. For Arizona children ages 12 to 17, more than 44% have experienced two or more adverse events, compared with the national average of 30.5%.  To exacerbate this problem, for the past 4 years, Arizona has had the highest rate in the country of students in grades 9-12 thinking about and planning their own suicides.  Even further, Arizona has ranked in the bottom five states for the overall wellbeing of children for the past 5 years.  Child abuse normalizes violence and has devastating, detrimental effects on individuals, families, and society.  

STAND & SERVE exists to reverse this staggering trend and create a healthier and happier Arizona and world, today, tomorrow and forever.  We believe in investing in our youth, and the generations to come, by addressing the underlying causes that allow child abuse to exist and persist. S&S is breaking the cycle of child harm by providing a safe space and nurturing environment, allowing youth to feel comfortable being themselves. Within this safe space, youth are educated on the issues they are experiencing, empowered to speak up, build empathy, and become leaders in cultivating a culture of safety, equality, and respect norms to prevent the underlying causes of ACEs while encouraging others to do the same.

S&S members are provided with year-round age-appropriate and culturally relevant prevention lessons and activities. The information learned is then spread to their schools, families and communities. In their schools, S&S members develop campus-wide prevention messages through newsletters, staff memos, bulletin boards, announcements, and lunch-time outreach events. At home, S&S members share with their families what they are learning and invite their families to all activities. In the community, S&S members are involved in on-going community service, legislative projects, and planning and implementing their own events.