What to Do If Your Teen Is In Crisis (Advice from a Sandy Hook Mom)

What would you do if your teen told you a classmate was making threats? Most parents freeze — unsure whether to panic, dismiss it, or act.

In this episode, Dr. Cam sits down with Nicole Hockley, co-founder of Sandy Hook Promise and mother who lost her six-year-old son Dylan in the 2012 Sandy Hook tragedy, to talk about one of the most important skills a parent can develop: knowing when something is wrong with your teen before it becomes a crisis.

Nicole has spent over a decade studying the warning signs that precede school violence and teen crisis — and what she shares might surprise you. The signs are rarely dramatic. They're quiet. Easy to explain away. And most parents miss them.

In this episode, you'll learn:

• The difference between subtle and overt warning signs — and why the subtle ones are more dangerous
• Why dismissing your teen's feelings ("you're overreacting") actually makes things worse
• The single most powerful protective factor against teen crisis (hint: it's not monitoring)
• What to do when a peer reports something concerning about your child
• How to secure lethal means at home — and why this one step saves lives
• The tiered response framework that helps you stay calm and act appropriately at every level of concern

A word from Nicole that every parent needs to hear:

"I would much rather be embarrassed by being wrong than be horrified by being right."

Connect with Nicole Hockley & Sandy Hook Promise:

• 🌐 sandyhookpromise.org
• 📘 facebook.com/SandyHookPromise
• 📸 instagram.com/sandyhookpromise
• 🐦 twitter.com/sandyhook
• 🎵 tiktok.com/@sandyhookpromise
• ▶️ youtube.com/channel/UCl5MxshIyRwoFNsFut6UZdA

Resources mentioned:

• Sandy Hook Promise's UnTargeting initiative & latest report with Children and Screens: sandyhookpromise.org

If you or your teen is in crisis:

• 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline: call or text 988
• Crisis Text Line: text HOME to 741741
• Emergency: 911

Your instinct to reach out for help is never an overreaction. This episode could change how you see your teen — and how they see you.