Georgia’s Children are Living with Trauma—and Lawmakers Must Act on Gun Safety

By State Representative Sandra Scott (D-Rex)

(494 words)

Georgia's children are growing up under a level of fear no child should ever know. Lockdown drills, active-shooter alerts and relentless news of school shootings are no longer rare disruptions-they are a defining part of childhood. The result is trauma that follows students into classrooms, homes and adulthood.

This is not anecdotal. It is measurable.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, one in five children in the United States experiences a mental health disorder, and exposure to violence is a significant contributing factor. Repeated exposure-whether direct or indirect-deepens anxiety, depression, sleep disorders and impaired learning. For many students, fear has become routine.

Gun violence is not only a public safety issue; it is a mental health crisis.

Each school shooting sends shockwaves far beyond the immediate victims. Students struggle to focus. Parents question whether school is safe. Teachers are expected to educate while preparing for the unthinkable. Veterans relive past trauma. Seniors fear public spaces. Communities absorb the psychological damage long after the headlines fade.

Yet, Georgia continues to hesitate.

Common-sense gun safety legislation is not about stripping rights from responsible gun owners. It is about recognizing that unrestricted access to weapons-and devices that dramatically increase their lethality-comes with consequences we can no longer ignore.

House Bill 44, legislation my colleagues and I introduced during the 2025 session, would strengthen background checks for all firearm transfers and purchasers and clearly define firearm categories. It would close loopholes that allow weapons to change hands without basic safeguards.

House Bill 555, legislation my colleagues and I introduced during the 2023 session, would address one of the most dangerous trends in gun violence: devices that allow firearms to fire at rapid or near-automatic rates. Turning a handgun into a weapon capable of mass casualties serves no public safety purpose; it simply increases the body count.

As the American Psychological Association has warned, "Repeated exposure to violence-whether experienced directly or witnessed through media-can overwhelm a child's ability to cope, leading to long-term emotional and cognitive harm."

House Bill 553 and House Bill 554, legislation my colleagues and I introduced during the 2023 session, would add additional, measured protections aimed at reducing gun violence and strengthening community safety.

Taken together, these bills reflect balance-not extremism. They respect constitutional rights, while acknowledging a moral responsibility to protect lives and mental well-being.

The question before Georgia lawmakers is no longer whether gun violence harms children. The evidence is overwhelming. The real question is whether we are willing to act.

Georgia has the opportunity to lead-to be the first state in the south to pass comprehensive, common-sense gun safety legislation that puts people over politics and children over ideology. Our students do not feel safe. Their parents do not feel reassured, and that should concern every elected official.

Georgia must act to pass HB 44, HB 553, HB 554 and HB 555. Our children are watching, and they deserve better.

Representative Sandra Scott represents the citizens of District 76, which includes a portion of Clayton County. She was first elected to the House of Representatives in 2010 and currently serves on the Banks & Banking, Defense & Veterans Affairs, Human Relations & Aging, Insurance and Reapportionment and Redistricting committees.

The views expressed above and information shared are those of the author.

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