Virginia fathers want to guard schools to make them safer for their children.

Two Virginia brothers have launched an effort to position fathers in local high schools to assist instructors and staff and avoid student violence.

Jimmy and Josh Carter, who have seven children between them, were inspired by the “Dads on Duty” initiative in Louisiana, where a group of fathers took matters into their own hands last fall after repeated violence broke out at Southwood High School in Shreveport, leading to the arrest of 23 students in just three days. When a student was arrested in March for allegedly taking a female classmate into the restroom at Thomas Dale High School in Chesterfield and raping her in February, the Carter brothers were compelled to intervene.

While working out how to put up their own version of “Dads on Duty,” they reached out to the Louisiana organization for advice and were delighted to learn of the initiative’s success there. When 40 dads came up at the school and took turns keeping the peace, the violent brawls ceased and pupils returned to class. “Just by having those male mentors and that presence at the school, the violent crime numbers reduced substantially,” Josh added.

According to the Carter brothers, they have already secured the cooperation of roughly 30 volunteers for “Dads on Duty.”

Josh went on to say that launching their own “Dads on Duty” program in Chesterfield will “not only assist the school system and the professors, staff with having somebody else there with them, but also the children, to make them feel safer while they’re at school.”

“It kind of became a win-win situation for everyone,” he remarked.

The Carter brothers’ idea arose from their fear that their children’s public school is understaffed to deal with difficulties.

The brothers described the practical efforts their organization will take to assist kids at the schools, such as welcoming them in the morning, ensuring they arrive at class on time throughout the day, and ensuring a seamless dismissal.

They stated one of their most essential responsibilities would be to guarantee there are no problems in the restrooms, which they said are frequently troublesome.

“No parents participating in the initiative will be in the restroom; instead, they will be near the bathrooms,” Josh added. “So, if a group of seven students walks into the restrooms and there are only three stalls, clearly all seven of you don’t need to be in there at the same time because that’s when the issue begins.”

Jimmy recalled recently chatting with his daughter’s doctor, who informed him that “75 percent of adolescent kids these days take drugs for depression and anxiety, and she adds that they’ve noticed a tremendous spike since COVID started.”

“COVID was tough for everyone, especially kids because they were locked in the house nonstop for a school year and a half,” Jimmy added. He believes that now that school has resumed, many pupils regard it as a free-for-all.

The brothers believe that their program, which is set to launch completely next autumn, will help to address such issues by providing mentorship and assisting students in succeeding.