Dusk to Dawn letter to parents and guardians

Dear Parents and Guardians,

Nebraska Medicine cares about helping all people to have a healthy future. As part of our promise, we started Dusk to Dawn (D2D), a hospital based youth violence prevention program to talk about the rise in interpersonal violence in Omaha, which your child attended.

Thank You for trusting us with your child and for letting us enter into a very important conversation about violence. Our team is invested in helping youth make good choices that protect them from violence. We want to share with you what Dusk to Dawn is and the experience your child had while at the program.

Dusk to Dawn is a two-and-a-half hour program which starts in the trauma bay where youth relive the final moments of one young Omaha man’s life. Violence stole his life at the age of 20.

Your child spent time in the trauma bay at Nebraska Medicine learning about the drastic measures the trauma team took to attempt to save his life and the harm violence places on victims, families and communities.

Next, your child went to a classroom where a trained violence prevention specialist talked them through scenarios to build risk recognition and problem solving skills.

Your child learned to recognize their values and emotions, and how their choices can affect their well-being. They left D2D with a plan for protection from violence. 

We hope you will ask them to share this plan with you, and help them use the plan moving forward. 

An example of the plan

At Dusk to Dawn, I learned about the use of violence:

 

From what I learned today, I feel violence is:

 

I am now committed to no longer:

 

I will now handle conflict without violence by:_________ and __________.

 

Can you help me by:
 

How to keep the conversation going

Talk

Start talking about ways to reduce or eliminate violence:

  • Team up with other parents and get involved in your community; join your neighbors in activities to reduce violence
  • Talk to your teen about ways to solve arguments and fights without weapons or violence
  • Encourage your teen to talk to you or a trusted adult to avoid potentially violent situations
  • If you suspect a problem with your teen, start talking about it

Monitor

Monitor the media:

  • Limit the amount of television your teen watches to 1 to 2 hours a day (including music videos and video games)
  • Do not allow your teen to watch violent movies or TV programs
  • If something violent comes on the TV, talk about what is wrong with the program and how the situation could have been handled in a nonviolent way

Role model

Be a role model by handling problems in nonviolent ways:

  • Don't hit your teen. Model non-physical solutions to problem solving
  • Count to 10. Cool off. If you can't control your anger, tell your teen you need some time to get your thoughts and feelings under control
  • Problem solve with your teen. Think together about options and consequences for behaviors
  • Set limits, make sure your teen knows the rules and consequences, and follow through
  • Don't carry a gun. This sends a message to your teen that using guns solves problems

Reduce

Reduce the threat of gun-related violence to your teen:

  • Make certain your teen does not have access to guns. If you have a gun, remove it from your home or store it unloaded and locked up. Lock and store bullets separately
  • Tell your teen to stay away from potentially dangerous situations and from guns in homes of friends or places where he or she may visit or play
  • Keep in mind that teens don't always follow the rules. Also, teens are attracted to guns and see guns as symbols of power
  • Since you can't always count on teens to stay away from guns, you have to keep guns away from them

Help

Help your teen deal with anger:

  • Anger is a normal feeling. Anger does not have to be bad if it is expressed appropriately. Teach your teen that it is okay to be angry, but it's not okay to throw a punch
  • People must control their anger before they can control a situation
  • Sometimes counseling is necessary to help teens deal with their anger appropriately

Reach out if you need us

Again, we thank you for allowing us the honor to meet your child and spend time with them.

If you have any questions about Dusk to Dawn, please contact us:

Or reach out to one of our partners: 

Have questions? We're here to help.

Contact us to make an appointment

Dusk to Dawn

402.559.9154