Gang Violence in Vancouver and the Implications for our Children

There have been 30 shootings in Metro Vancouver since the beginning of the year resulting in 12 deaths and 16 injuries.

Each morning on our drive to school my children and I listen to a local radio station. At some point during our drive the news comes on which is, for the most part, a light look at news and sports on Vancouver Island. Since the new year each mornings news has been devoted to the previous days gang activity and violence in Vancouver.

Although Vancouver Island and Vancouver are separated by a three hour driving and ferry trip, Vancouver is still, very much, our neighbour. My children have grandparents, aunts, uncles and nieces in the city. Vancouver is as much their home as our little rural farming community.

This morning my children expressed great worry for their family in the city and fear of going to visit. In the past i have tried to protect my kids from the news of the world and when they expressed a fear about violence i could simply say "that doesn't happen here." I fear that i have let them know too much about what is going on in Vancouver, but that fear is often put by the wayside by my own interest in what has become of my own hometown. Added to that the fear that this is becoming something that they do need to know about, to understand, so that I can teach them the how's and why's of gang violence and the things they need to do to protect themselves from it.

For all my desire to move them to a small town I am now faced with the need to teach them "big City" lessons.

This is an original post to Canada Moms Blog. Jess Howard blogs at Drowning In Kids.