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National Violence Prevention Hotline exists [1]

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Date: 2023-01-10

A kukri on display at the Imperial War Museum North.

Violence lurks in the hearts of men. And, women. And, now we know, in the hearts of children.

Everyone says someone should do something. Someone needs to find a way to stop the violence. We know how. It’s the National Violence Prevention Hotline.

On New Year’s Eve, westerners learned a new word: kukri.

Here if I may describe a “kukri”, you see a little pattern there, which some people say that it has got some religious significance, but I doubt very much. In fact, that is just so that when you have blood on the kukri, it just sort of naturally drips there, it doesn't get onto your hand and starts clogging up and that is what it is for, that little nick there. [Kukri knife and scabbard on display at the Imperial War Museum North]

On New Year’s Eve, in New York City, a young man from Maine, armed with a kukri, attacked police officers near the iconic New Year’s Eve ball, covered with 2,688 Waterford Crystal triangles. There were armed and uniformed police present, to protect the public. But, they were not prepared for a kukri. Violence is about more than guns.

Trevor Bickford was charged with two counts of attempted murder, one count of attempted assault, and one count of assault, according to the complaint filed against him. If convicted, Bickford would face a mandatory life sentence in prison, according to the Manhattan District Attorney’s Office.[1]

He is only 19 years old. What a waste of a life.

People Knew

A month before the attack, Bickford’s mother or his aunt (depending on the source you read) became concerned that he was being radicalized—and possibly violent. The National Violence Prevention Hotline is not operating yet. So, they called the local police. The National Violence Prevention Hotline is not operating yet. So, the local police called the FBI. The National Violence Prevention Hotline is not operating yet. The FBI allegedly contacted the family. Due to HIPPA privacy, we don’t know if the FBI even offered mental health services.

No one stopped young Trevor. Could the National Violence Prevention Hotline have stopped young Trevor? We don’t know because it remains in the planning stage. But, quite probably, had he been in touch with a mental health professional.

Days Later

Just a few days later, in Newport News, VA, a six-year-old child was having issues at school. Where else would a six-year-old be?

The police were allegedly aware of this child’s issues.[2] Reportedly police Chief Steve Drew said that the shooting was not accidental and was part of an altercation. No students were injured: it was targeted, specifically at the teacher.

“This is a red flag for the country,” Newport News Mayor Phillip Jones said. “I do think that after this event, there is going to be a nationwide discussion on how these sorts of things can be prevented.”

The discussion is here: National Violence Prevention Hotline. How badly do we want it to be operational? It takes money. Talk to your congress people. Talk to philanthropists. Make it happen.

Imagine…

A six-year-old so consumed by anger that they took a gun from home, put it in their backpack and calmly went to school. At an opportune time, they took the gun out of their backpack, aimed it at their teacher and fired, shooting through her upraised hand and into her chest—and apparently remained in the classroom as his teacher told the rest of the students to leave the room, and move toward a safer place.

The shooter—it doesn’t matter that the child was 6 years old, he was a shooter—had to be physically constrained by an adult, while they waited for emergency personnel and police to arrive. The shooter was apparently still angry.

Yes, he was only six years old, at the moment when he pulled the trigger. But, he will forever be a shooter. But, society failed him.

The National Violence Prevention Hotline

A national hotline, mimicking the national Suicide Prevention Hotline, has not yet been implemented. Violence Prevention personnel could have counseled these families, and others.

A six-year-old’s life could have been refocused. Trevor Bickford’s life could have been re-directed.

But, the National Violence Prevention Hotline does not yet exist, aside from its website. It needs funding, in order to be staffed and at the ready.

Yet, every month, people feeling compelled to commit violent acts, contact the project’s creator, Paul Krauss, asking for help. Krauss says he had contact information added to the website, https://violencepreventionhotline.org/contact/, assuming people would contact the project asking how they could help—which they do (this writer did). But, the fact that potentially violent people are using the contact form to ask if the Hotline is open yet, because they are in a state of trauma and need help, is evidence that people will use it.

The creator of the NVPH, Paul Krauss MA, LPC, a Licensed Professional Counselor And Professional Consultant and host of The Intentional Clinician podcast. Perhaps more importantly, he has created an On-Demand Online Video Course for the Parents of Young Adults (this is not a sponsored link). Krauss is the clinical Director of Health for Life Counseling Grand Rapids, home of The Trauma-Informed Counseling Center of Grand Rapids.

Stop saying that something needs to be done…

Everyone keeps saying that something needs to be done, to stop the violence. The National Violence Prevention Hotline is dedicated to doing just that.

But, it takes money. At present, the NVPH is focusing on applying for grants to train their staff and to implement the project. While the NVPH could co-exist with the existing Suicide Prevention Hotline, obviously there are some nuances differentiating the two: suicidal individuals are primarily focusing potential violence on themselves, while the NVPH target audience is obsessed with being violent toward other people. Krauss suggests coordinating the two projects, and creating a nation-wide number, like the Suicide Prevention’s 9-8-8 number.

The NVPH is gearing up to address all types of violence, but primarily at people who are contemplating committing violence, although the project would also address the needs of those who realize they could potentially become victims of violence:

Lone Wolf Shooters

Gang Violence

School Violence

Bullying Behaviors

Work Place Violence

Relationship Violence

Domestic Violence

Sexual Abuse

Revenge Scenarios

Victims of Violence

Do something…

Stop saying that someone needs to do something. You do something. Be the change.

You can help. You can sign the National Violence Prevention Hotline petition at Change.org, indicating to grant-makers that there is public interest in this project. NVPH is about 300 signatures short of becoming featured in Change.org recommendations.

Learn more about a project that is on the horizon, to help PREVENT violence. Visit https://violencepreventionhotline.org and read about the project.

Let Paul Krauss tell you, in his own words, why we need the NVPH project. There is a full video online at https://youtu.be/qW-LyHx50v8. Over the course of nearly an hour, Paul Krauss addresses every aspect of why this project is needed—and how well thought out the project is.

Talk to Paul. Offer to help. Contact the NVPH project at https://violencepreventionhotline.org/contact/

Ask questions.

Offer encouragement.

Tell your friends.

Stop the violence.

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[1] What we learned about the Wells man charged in NYC machete attack: Family had called police Shawn P. Sullivan, Portsmouth Herald. 2023 January 4. https://www.seacoastonline.com/story/news/2023/01/04/wells-maine-teen-suspect-new-years-eve-times-square-machete-attack-new-york-city-police/69773116007/ [2] Mayor: Teacher shot by 6-year-old ‘red flag for the country’ Denise Lavoie, AP News, January 7, 2023.

https://apnews.com/article/education-teaching-newport-news-virginia-38beb789647975e2f8f0d7c7447eb777

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[1] Url: https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2023/1/10/2146479/-National-Violence-Prevention-Hotline-exists

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