According to the latest report card from the Brady Campaign and others, some states have successfully strengthened their gun laws, but a number of states continue to drag their feet on gun safety measures.

Violence prevention, childhood depression, the importance of mentors and more—these are some of the stories from Connect for Kids that drew reader response over the past month. See what everyone had to say, and feel free to join the conversation.

Parents and others concerned with keeping children from harm must balance the need to warn children of real dangers against the need to allow children to feel safe, not scared. This article from the November-December 2002 issue of the Children's Advocate, published by Action Alliance for Children, looks at a program that aims to do both.

This report funded by the Packard Foundation offers concrete suggestions, from educating parents about safely storing guns to training health providers on the signs of substance abuse among parents and advocating for a refundable pre-tax child credit.

This resource details the changes in state and federal laws that can help communities take a greater responsibility for protecting children and strengthening families.

Research shows that violence is learned, and often it's learned in the early stages of life. A new program called ACT (Adults and Children Together) Against Violence aims to help adults show kids through their own actions how to behave positively and avoid violence.

Few children grow up to be violently aggressive, but those who do tend to have physically abusive parents, or are victimized by peers according to this longitudinal study from Harvard University. Race, gender and family income had little effect on kids' likelihood of fighting, lashing out against peers, or attacking with weapons. But children who are physically punished at home and are socially withdrawn, distressed in new situations, and anxious about making new friends are at high risk for aggression.

Violence among children and teens takes many forms—from self-inflicted injuries to child abuse or witnessing violence at home or on TV. This entire issue of the Archives of Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine is devoted to the problem of violence in young lives, reflecting the health community's belief that violence is one of the most significant public health problems confronting our society and the world at large.

The Law Center works to protect and advance the progress of women and girls at work, in school and in virtually every aspect of their lives.

The Children's Defense Fund believe all children deserve to grow up in a nurturing environment that is free from violence and that promotes positive development from childhood through adolescence and into adulthood.