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Parents fight for school safety in Hampton Roads

Posted at 6:14 PM, Mar 27, 2018
and last updated 2018-03-27 18:19:40-04

VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. - Ryan Lynch started Fathers In Training Alumni just about a year ago. He says they’re an advocacy group for parents to let them know there are outlets available and free services out there to help children with behavioral problems.

“Parents have to recognize the symptoms and the outcries of the children because a lot of the times the behavior of the child is an outcry for help. They don’t know how to ask for help," says Lynch.

Just last month- News 3 was there when numerous social media threats broke out against schools in the area. Lynch – a father of three – says those threats hit home because all of his children are still in grade school.

“It’s alarming because you don’t know what’s going to happen from day to day. You don’t know what’s going through the kids’ minds and the safety of my children. Are they going to be okay in the school? We don’t know what’s going to happen, what’s going to set a kid off," says Lynch.

By partnering with other local organizations in the area, Lynch says he’s trying to bridge the gap when it comes to parenting and children.

“We’re going to get you to the appropriate resources and walk you through every step of the way. If you need help with the schools, we’ll get you to the school social worker, if you need help with counseling, therapy, in house services we’ll get you to child and youth services," says Lynch.

The Virginia Beach School Board had a meeting Tuesday evening. Lynch says he hopes that the recent threats made against local schools in this area will be brought up and discussed because he says the first steps of taking action and being proactive is communication.