INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) — In the wake of three consecutive weekends of mass shootings in Indianapolis, including the tragic incident where seven juveniles were shot on Saturday night, we aim to address the underlying factors contributing to troubled lives.

Our focus is on understanding how early signs of distress in a child’s upbringing can be recognized and effectively addressed to deter further youth from succumbing to lives marked by crime and violence.

Aaron Green, CEO of Struggle Made Me, stopped by Daybreak to discuss his experiences and working with troubled youth.

“These kids normally go through very adult-like situations early. It transforms how you see the world and we expect them to show up and champion every day but it’s hard. It’s hard when you’ve lost a parent, when you’ve lost a friend, when you’ve lost family members of gun violence and to still be able to kind of manage these situations or manage their emotions on a daily basis,” Green said.

Through Struggle Made Us and Struggle University, Green has worked to assist the city’s at-risk population and intervene at the pivotal point of their development.

“I created struggle made us just because I saw a need for my community in a mental aspect… The Struggle University kind of was birthed from it. When I was 17, my father was murdered by a 17-year-old and I didn’t know how to communicate that I needed help. A lot of the kids that we’re seeing are going through these certain issues and these different things. I was one of them and I could have easily been in the same situation,” Green said.

For more information on Struggle Made Us, click here. You can also watch the full interview above.