Resources for Gun Safety
Elected Officials
Virginia Senators
Tim Kaine
Mark Warner
Virginia Representatives
District 10 – Jennifer Wexton
District 11 – Gerald Connolly
Virginia State Assembly
Because there are 100 districts in the state, use Who’s My Legislator to find your delegate. Provide your address to receive your delegate’s name and contact information.
Sample Letter to Elected Officials
Dear (Senator/Representative),
As your constituent, I’m urging you to prioritize gun safety legislation. The mass shootings in Buffalo, New York, in which ten people of color were murdered, and in Uvalde, Texas, in which 19 children and two adults were murdered, are instances of the tragic gun violence we witness in America all too often.
As an elected official, it is your job to take bold action to prevent these senseless tragedies from happening. We cannot wait for another mass shooting. Please do the right thing and pass gun safety legislation.
Resources
Updated October 2023
- Gun Violence Prevention Resources (Fairfax County Public Schools)
- Gun Safety Campaign Toolkit (American Academy of Pediatrics)
- Safe and Secure Gun Storage (Johns Hopkins University, Bloomberg School of Public Health) Safely storing firearms can reduce gun injuries and deaths, and is supported by researchers, healthcare professionals, and gun owners alike.
- Solutions to Gun Violence (Johns Hopkins University, Bloomberg School of Public Health) These policies focus on prevention strategies that, if implemented broadly, would significantly reduce gun-related death and injury.
- Safe Storage (The BulletPoints Project) If guns are kept in the home, storing them safely can prevent firearm injury
Updated May 2022
- Talking to children about terrorist attacks and school and community shootings in the news (National Center for School Crisis and Bereavement) This guide offers advice on how to talk to children about tragic events, such as shootings and terrorist attacks, that they are likely to hear about at school and/or on the news.
- The Teacher’s Role When Tragedy Strikes (Child Mind Institute) This article provides information on how teachers can help students deal with tragic events and what can teachers do to help children grieve in healthy ways.
- Talking to Children about Violence: Tips for Parents and Teachers (National Association of School Psychologists) This guide provides tips for parents and school personnel to help children feel safe by establishing a sense of normalcy and security and talking with them about their fears. Also includes an infographic and is translated into multiple languages.
- Restoring a Sense of Safety in the Aftermath of a Mass Shooting (Center for the Study of Traumatic Stress) A tip sheet for parents and professionals on how to restore a sense of safety and answers to frequently asked questions.
- Talking to Children About the Shooting (National Child Traumatic Stress Network) Provides information on how to talk to children about mass shootings. This tip sheet describes ways to talk to children about mass violence events that involve a shooting. It gives tips about how to start the conversation, common reactions children may have, and how to seek help if needed.
- Responding to School Violence: Tips for Administrators (National Association of School Psychologists) School violence can cause significant concern in school communities, even those not directly affected by the violence. School principals and superintendents can provide leadership by reassuring students, staff, and parents that schools are generally very safe places for children and youth, and reiterating what safety measures and student supports are already in place in their school.
- Virginia C.A.R.E.S. (Caring, Awareness, Recognition, Engagement, and Support)(Virginia Center for School and Campus Safety (VCSCS)) To assist schools in explaining threat assessment and reporting to students, parents, and staff, VCSCS launched Virginia C.A.R.E.S. Virginia C.A.R.E.S. is a multi-pronged approach to engagement and awareness in schools that includes videos and resources on threat assessment. The campaign works to build Caring, Awareness, Recognition, Engagement, and Support in Virginia schools.
- Notes from the Backpack Podcast: How to Talk to Your Kid About Gun Safety (National Parent Teacher Association) This podcast is a conversation with expert Dr. Edith Bracho-Sanchez. She shares how to have open and honest conversations with children of all ages about lockdown drills, school shootings and all of the emotions that come along with these topics.
- Talking with Children About Difficult Things in the News (Fred Rogers Institute)
- What to Do When the News Scares You: A Kid’s Guide to Understanding Current Events by Jacqueline B. Toner