KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — "It's kind of sad because a lot of kids aren't okay," Said Alona Robinson. "And they're not getting the help that they need."
Turn Up Knox is assembling their first youth violence prevention cohort.
"It's really giving them the opportunity to use their voice and have the adults listen," said Lydia Brown, Program Director for Turn Up Knox.
The event had youth leaders speak on four topics:
- Social Media and fight culture
- Mental and emotional health
- gang influence
- Culture and music influence
"We want to listen to the youth, we want them to share their experiences, but we also want to be partners with them," said Brown. "And the issues that they are facing today."
One of the youth leaders is Karnell West, a freshman at Bearden High School.
"I felt like I was trying to spread a positive message to people that haven't heard this message, or those that aren't willing to speak up yet," said Mills.
He spoke about the impacts social media can have on him and his peers.
"All they see is negative things. And so they don't know anything about something positive," said Mills.
These kids want adults to know that the way they grew up was different than the way generations of the past did.
"I feel like there's so much pressure that we have to face now compared to what they had to face," said Mills. "Because of all of social media, and all this, these more violent things is happening in the world. There's more shootings every day, more crimes every day, crimes that kids are committing every day."
The organization said they hope to have annual meetings begin with the youth cohort starting in as early as June.