U.S. Attorney Dena J. King Leads Panel Discussion With Student Government Representatives On Youth Violence Prevention and Intervention

CHARLOTTE, N.C. – Forty-eight student government representatives from high schools in North Carolina’s westernmost counties and the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians gathered today at the Cherokee High School on the Qualla Boundary for the 2024 Western North Carolina Student Council Spring Conference (WNC Conference).

The annual conference is an opportunity for high school student leaders to exchange ideas and information on important topics that impact their schools, network with other student body representatives, and collaborate on how to engage their campus communities.

WNC Conference organizers invited U.S. Attorney Dena J. King again this year to lead a panel on youth violence disruption, prevention and intervention. During the panel discussion, U.S. Attorney King shared information on the contributing factors of youth violence and encouraged students to trade ideas with their peers on how to prevent and stop incidents of violence in their schools. U.S. Attorney King also stressed the important role student governments play in facilitating solutions that can reduce acts of violence and enhance safe learning. Over the course of the panel, students had an opportunity to ask questions and share their perspectives on the causes and circumstances that may lead to youth violence and offered possible remedies to help reduce violence on school grounds.

“Student council members are elected to be the students’ voice within their schools and represent the interests, concerns and needs of their peers,” said U.S. Attorney King. “As student leaders, they are also tasked with raising issues that may impact academic achievement and prevent students from thriving in their classrooms. I encourage all students attending the conference to network with each other, share their experiences, and facilitate ideas that can be implemented in their own high schools.”

U.S. Attorney King also stressed the importance of developing effective communication and leadership skills, increasing student involvement within the community, and facilitating positive interactions with law enforcement.

U.S. Attorney King noted, “Today’s event is an opportunity to connect with student leaders, encourage them to make the right choices and develop skills and ideas that will be beneficial to their schools and the students they represent. Helping young people understand the root causes of violence, listening to their input, and sharing perspectives on how to increase safety in their schools can make our broader communities better and safer and strengthen the ties between law enforcement and the youth population we seek to nurture, serve and protect.”