🧠 Teaching Ethics Early: A Path to Preventing Youth Violence

B.J. Ellis
8 minutes ago
3 min read

🧒 A 6-Year-Old, a Gun, and a System That Failed

In January 2023, a 6-year-old boy brought a handgun to Richneck Elementary School in Virginia and shot his teacher, Abby Zwerner. The incident shocked the nation—not just because of the child’s age, but because of the systemic failures that allowed it to happen. Multiple staff members had warned administrators that the child had a weapon. No action was taken. The result was a tragedy that c

ould have been prevented.

This heartbreaking event underscores a deeper issue: we are failing to teach children the ethical foundations they need to navigate conflict, emotion, and decision-making. While debates rage over gun control and school security, one solution remains underutilized—early ethics education.

📚 Why Ethics Education Matters

Ethics4Kids is committed to teaching ethical values as a proactive way to reduce youth violence.

Ethics4Kids, a nonprofit founded by Donald Evons, was born out of frustration with superficial solutions to youth violence. At a 2022 anti-violence meeting, Evons noted that while legislation and incarceration dominated the conversation, no one was talking about teaching children the difference between right and wrong. Ethics4Kids now offers free curricula for schools, homeschoolers, and faith-based communities, focusing on values like kindness, honesty, respect, and responsibility.

The program’s approach is simple but powerful: teach children how their actions ripple outward—cause and effect—and equip them with tools to make better choices. Lessons are interactive, age-appropriate, and designed to engage not just students, but parents and educators as well.

This model aligns with findings from the UN Study on Violence Against Children, which emphasizes that ethical education and child participation are essential to reducing violence. The study found that when children are taught to express themselves ethically and are involved in shaping their environments, they are better equipped to resist violence and foster peace.

🔍 The Research Backs It Up

A 2024 report from Drishti IAS highlights how exposure to violence—whether in media, homes, or schools—can desensitize children and erode empathy. It also notes that ethical education, co-curricular activities, and positive role models are key to reversing this trend. When children learn values like empathy, cooperation, and respect early, they’re less likely to resort to aggression and more likely to build healthy relationships.

Ethics4Kids curricula directly address these needs. For example, its Golden Rule lessons teach children to treat others as they wish to be treated, using stories, role-play, and home activities to reinforce the message. Its conflict resolution modules guide students through peaceful problem-solving, rooted in faith or secular values, depending on the suite.

🤝 Shared Goals with Moms Demand Action

While Ethics4Kids focuses on building moral foundations, Moms Demand Action works tirelessly to improve the structural safeguards that protect children. Founded in response to the Sandy Hook tragedy, Moms Demand Action is a grassroots movement advocating for common-sense gun laws and community-based violence prevention. Their initiatives include safe storage campaigns, youth mentorship, and partnerships with schools to promote responsible gun ownership.

Ethics4Kids deeply admires and applauds the work Moms Demand Action has done to elevate the national conversation around youth safety. While the organizations are not formally connected, their goals align: both seek to reduce violence and empower communities to protect children. Ethics4Kids hopes to have even a fraction of the impact Moms Demand Action has had in shaping public awareness and policy.

🚀 The Path Forward

If we want to prevent the next tragedy, we must stop treating ethics as an afterthought. We must teach children—starting in kindergarten—not just what rules to follow, but why those rules matter. We must empower parents and educators to model ethical behavior and give children the language to express their values.

As Ethics4Kids puts it: “Don’t blame them for what they do not know.” Let’s make sure they know.