Valley teens are facing a rising tide of mental health and behavior challenges, as spotlighted during a recent roundtable discussion. The two-hour session, part of the "Youth on Edge" series, delved into the complexities surrounding teen violence, including the tragic death of a young man named Preston Lord, and featured insights from local reporters and mental health professionals.

The roundtable, which was sandwiched into two distinct halves, first addressed the spate of teen violence incidents over the past years in the East Valley, according to ABC15 Arizona; the conversation then pivoted to tackle the underlying issues including mental health, bullying, and the worrying influence of social media on young minds, without forgetting how the COVID-19 pandemic has significantly compounded these pressures on our youth's mental well-being

The event brought together the voices of KTAR’s The Chris and Joe Show hosts Chris Merrill and Joe Huizenga with ABC15's reporters Nicole Grigg, Ashley Holden, and Melissa Blasius who laid bare the local incidents of bullying and violence while debating community responses, as per KTAR News.

During the second hour of discussion, the lens shifted focus to experience-sharing by a panel of experts such as the charter holder of Accelerated Learning Center, James Meehan; the founder and CEO of Bloom365, Donna Bartos; and Michael Klinkner, a licensed clinical social worker specializing in cognitive behavioral therapy, tackling the multifaceted issues of our younger generation's mental health crises, as mental health professionals, educators, and advocates shared both data and anecdotal evidence pointing to a rise in behavioral issues among teens, as reported by KTAR News.

The "Youth on Edge" series is a week-long initiative geared towards unpacking the mental health and behavioral challenges plaguing Valley's younger denizens. Those seeking to engage with the series or with tips on teen violence issues can reach out to [email protected], underscoring the community's growing concern and seeking a collaborative approach to addressing these grave concerns facing today's younger generation.