Before the Headlines

It's easy to read a headline about a young person in trouble and wonder, What's wrong with kids today? But what happens when we ask a different question: Who was this child before the headline?In this episode of UNrattled, Jessica and Venay are joined by Joshua Jones, Director of the HALO Program at USA Health, for a deeply personal conversation about childhood, community, and the adults who can change the trajectory of a young person's life.Jessica, Venay, and Josh begin by looking back at the "little" versions of themselves—the experiences that shaped them, the things adults noticed, and the things they didn't. From there, the conversation turns to the children we encounter today whose anger, withdrawal, defiance, hunger, or other behaviors may be telling us more than we realize.Josh brings both his professional experience in violence intervention and his own story to a larger question: What if we stopped seeing struggling young people as "those kids" and started seeing them as our kids?This isn't a conversation about excusing harmful choices. It's about recognizing that prevention begins long before a crisis—and that parents aren't the only adults who matter. Teachers, coaches, neighbors, mentors, faith communities, and everyday people all have opportunities to notice, connect, and pour into a young person's life.Because before every headline, there was a child.What You'll Take AwayPrevention starts with connection. A caring, consistent relationship with an adult can be a powerful protective factor in a young person's life.Look beyond the behavior. Anger, acting out, withdrawal, sleeping in class, hunger, and other behaviors may tell only part of a child's story.Parents can't—and shouldn't have to—do it alone. Children benefit from a network of adults who can reinforce messages, offer perspective, and provide support at moments when parents may not be able to reach them.Consistency matters. Josh challenges adults to move beyond one-time acts of service and build genuine relationships with young people who need someone they can count on.Pay attention. Sometimes making a difference doesn't require a program, a degree, or a grand gesture. It begins by noticing the child in front of you and being curious enough to ask another question.Meet the GuestJoshua Jones directs the Hospital-Based Violence Intervention Program at USA Health, supporting individuals and families impacted by violence. A devoted father of three daughters, Josh brings his professional experience, faith, and personal journey of breaking generational cycles to conversations about fatherhood, healing, prevention, and the power of caring adults to change a child's story.A Challenge for This WeekLook beyond your own household. Is there a child or teenager you regularly encounter—in your neighborhood, classroom, church, team, extended family, or community—who could use another caring adult in their corner?You don't have to fix everything. Notice them. Be curious. Show up. And keep showing up.