Opinion: A Better Way to Reduce Youth Violence Starts in the Classroom

By Donald (Don) Evons, Founder & CEO, Ethics-4-Kids

A recent article titled “Backing a Trend” brought welcome news: youth violence is reportedly declining—“except” among children and adolescents. That exception should stop us in our tracks. Because while progress is always worth celebrating, we must ask ourselves—are we solving the problem, or merely managing its consequences?

Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro has proposed $20 million increase in violence prevention programs, raising the total to $75 million, which is a strong step forward. So are legislative efforts like Senate Bills 92 and 471, which focus on stricter penalties and immigration-related crime reporting.

But here’s the uncomfortable truth: none of these efforts address what’s happening in the hearts and minds of our youngest citizens.

Prevention doesn’t begin in courtrooms. It doesn’t start with policy. Moral development of children starts at home,  in the classroom, and youth organizations. How can we blame a child for making bad decisions if they do not know what is right?

What if we taught our kids ethics before they needed therapy?

More than two thousand years ago, Aristotle said, “Give me a child until he is seven, and I will show you the man.” That wisdom still rings true today. Core values—kindness, respect, responsibility—are formed early. And yet in 2024, many public schools continue to treat ethics education as off-limits, as if helping children develop character is somehow “too controversial.” Some districts purchase programs to “teach the teachers” but fail to equip them with direct age appropriate tools and the time to actually use them with the students.

Instead, we’re leaving children to learn values from TikTok, YouTube, and the streets. How’s that working out?

We are losing 25 children every single day to violence and suicide. That’s over 9,000 young lives every year—a statistic that should break every heart and shake every conscience. These tragedies are happening in classrooms, on buses, on playgrounds and in communities everywhere. A six-year-old shooting his teacher in Newport News Virginia isn’t just an isolated tragedy—it’s a wake-up call.

We cannot afford to treat kindness, empathy, and conflict resolution as optional. They are survival skills. And just like reading or math, they must be taught—intentionally, early, and consistently.

The good news? Real solutions already exist.

Ethics-4-Kids, in partnership with IYKYK Education, has developed age-appropriate ethics curricula and interactive programs designed specifically for Kindergarten through 3rd grade. These lessons are rooted in 59 universally accepted values, drawn from major world religions and philosophies—values like the Golden Rule, truthfulness, forgiveness, and perseverance.

These aren’t just lessons on paper. Thanks to cutting-edge AI-driven interactive platforms, kids now engage with animated guides—Felix, Rex, and Ivy—who make ethics fun, relatable, and memorable. Children don’t just learn—they experience what it means to be kind, respectful, and responsible.

And here’s what’s even better: much of this is available at no cost to public schools, private schools, homeschoolers, community groups, and faith-based organizations.

This approach aligns with the missions of so many grassroots organizations—preschools, PTAs, Boys & Girls Clubs, Moms Demand Action, and countless others committed to making our communities safer. Imagine the power of combining those boots-on-the-ground efforts with classroom-ready tools that teach not just how to do well, but how to be good.

If we truly want to break the cycle of youth violence, we can’t rely solely on tougher laws and bigger budgets. We must invest in the hearts and minds of our children.

Because if we don’t teach our children what’s right, someone else will teach them what’s wrong.

This is not about lacking resources—it’s about having the will to act.

Let’s stop just hoping things get better. Let’s make them better in the classroom—by giving our kids the tools to deal with anger before they turn into headlines .

Visit ethics4kids.org to explore the free, values-based curricula and experience a demonstration of interactive learning tools. Meet Felix, Rex, and Ivy—your child’s guides to a more compassionate future.

Below is a scanned version of the article from the Daily Local News. Click here to read it as it appeared in the Times Leader.