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.
Cameron (Dr. Cam) Caswell, PhD, the “teen translator,” is an adolescent psychologist, family success coach, and co-creator of Thriving School Community, a revolutionary program designed for schools to improve student, staff, and parent well-being.
For over two decades, she has been helping parents build strong, positive relationships with their teens through improved communication, connection, and understanding. Dr. Cam is a TEDx speaker, host of the Parenting Teens with Dr. Cam podcast, co-creator of the “I Am Enough” teen 12-week workshop, author of Power Phrases for Parents: Teen Edition, and co-author of Improving School Mental Health: The Thriving School Community Solution.
Dr. Cam is the mom of a teen too, so she not only talks the talk, she walks the walk!
