War Zones Close to Home

Written by Isaac Acosta, Ella Baker Center

When I think of war zones, I imagine landscapes of rocks and desert, soldiers crouching under the Iraqi or Afghani sun, bullets zipping back and forth, and improvised explosive devices. War zones seem distant from our lives, something that happens in foreign lands instead of our own neighborhoods. However, war is in fact in our backyards; it is something close to us, and affects people that do not wear army fatigues.

I recently came across a study connecting the rates of violence experienced by youth with rates of mental health impacts on those communities. According to the National Urban League, the US has an epidemic of violence among youth. Especially in urban areas where opportunities for poor youth of color are few, guns, drugs and violence are common. It is no surprise that urban youth experience one of the most detrimental consequences of these domestic war conditions—post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).

Courtesy Ella Baker Center

Post traumatic stress disorder is an anxiety related condition in which someone persistently relives the traumatic events they have experienced. Dreams, flashbacks, hallucinations and even loud noises can take a person back to that traumatic event. PTSD is very common for soldiers and civilians who have lived in a war zone. Therefore, its no surprise that urban youth who witness violence such as homicides, beatings, shootings, and robberies, would also suffer.

When I first read the National Urban League’s report, I thought, “How would I be impacted if I experienced the same thing? Who would I go to?” I can only imagine how it might feel to be at the point where breaking down seemed just easier than going to school and building a better future for myself and community.

The National Urban League calls for more school and parental involvement to support students with these same questions. Youth are in school for a large part of their day and nearly every student goes to school, so it makes sense that schools can act as centers for social services and support for these health issues. Youth already face so many challenges, in an increasingly difficult world; the last thing youth need is the added factor of PTSD.

However, we need to learn more about the link between mental health and violence in our communities. Our local and federal governments must fund additional research and programs that can tackle this problem.

The study also recommends an increased collaboration between community organizations, families, schools, youth and mental health providers. That is what inspired me to get involved in violence prevention by working with the Heal the Streets youth fellowship at the Ella Baker Center. No matter what your position is in the world, no one should be denied a life free of violence. We all must come together to address violence as a community issue and transform our cities from war zones to safe and thriving homes.

Issac-Alonso Acosta is a 4th year student at UC Berkeley studying public health. He is interning at the Ella Baker Center for Human Rights in the Heal the Streets Campaign.