Lawmakers in Harrisburg spent time this week hearing from experts as part of an effort to understand youth violence and prevention.
The House Democratic Policy Committee cited a number of reasons why they believe violence in youth has increased over the last couple of years.
State Representative Donna Bullock believes the pandemic played a role.
“Communities and particularly young people lost their connections to organizations and resources, whether it be an after-school program or counseling,” Bullock said. “So, a lot of those young people that were in distress lost their safety net and community connections like their church or elsewhere.”
Some lawmakers specifically cited an increase in gun violence among teens—a report last year by the AP showed that nearly a third of fatal shootings last year in Pittsburgh were teenagers.