As violence continues to erupt around the country, the Academy is launching an initiative to address its impact on children.
Dr. DreyerOn Friday, AAP President Benard P. Dreyer, M.D., FAAP, called on pediatricians “to confront the twin epidemics of violence and intolerance.”
“As pediatricians, we see firsthand the effects of violence in the lives of children and their families,” Dr. Dreyer said. “Too often, we are called upon to mend bodies punctured with bullets and heal hearts broken by loss. Today, we must act.”
The initiative comes on the heels of black men being killed by police officers in St. Paul, Minn., and Baton Rouge, La., and five police officers in Dallas being killed during a related protest. The nation also continues to be plagued by mass shootings such as the one in Orlando, Fla., last month that appeared to target members of the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender community. Even more violent crimes take place every day that don’t make headlines.
The initiative's members, agenda and goals will be shared in the coming days, and will address gun violence as well as its underlying contributors.
Dr. Remley
“Children and members of their families and communities continue to be targeted for acts of discrimination and violence because of the color of their skin, the gender with which they identify, the people they love or the uniform they wear,” said AAP CEO/Executive Director Karen Remley, M.D., M.B.A., M.P.H., FAAP. “… Through this new effort, we will confront the violence in children’s lives and its root causes. We don’t yet know where this conversation will lead us, we just know we need to act.”
