Talking to Students About Violence

Hundreds gathered on Tuesday to commemorate the lives of the 19 children and two teachers killed after a gunman opened fire at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, Texas.

In the aftermath of the tragic event, many are left to reconcile their grief and process what they believe to be true about evil. Romans 12:21 tells us, “not to be overcome with evil, but to overcome evil with good.” Evil should feel frightening. But that does not mean we flee from what we fear. It means we pray for the courage God provides; a courage that comes from believing God’s promises to us, even on the darkest of days.

It is vital for parents and educators to have conversations with students about the problem of evil following this devastating event. Axis has created a complimentary resource, Parent's Guide to Violence, to help navigate this challenging topic. Here are a few questions to get the conversation started:

  • How are you feeling after the incident in Uvalde?
  • What do you think it takes for someone to get to a place where they want to hurt others like that?
  • What do you think it would require to truly “overcome evil with good” in this case, like the Bible talks about?