YOUNGSTOWN, Ohio - Holding hands, signs and chanting for peace, about 130 students, teachers and staff marched around Taft Elementary School to protest neighborhood violence.

"Violence is not the solution to problems, violence is just violence, violence is bad for the people that don't need it," said Jossnelys Toledo, a Taft 4th grader.

"It means stop doing stuff that is not right and do things like normal human beings would do," said Dazaniel Martinez-DeJesus, a Taft 2nd grader.

Many of the kids say they have seen some pretty scary stuff in their neighborhoods.

I saw a car run past the police chasing him last night, "Martinez-DeJesus said. "It was like super scary because the guy almost crashed into that lamp post that was right next to my house and almost fell."

Their small yet powerful voices are a sobering reminder that violence can affect everyone.

"We want all of those that are not making the best choices to understand that we need peace, we need love, we need forgiveness and unity and all of these things are important because it comes along side what we are teaching in the classrooms, said Leslie Kitchen, Dean of Students at Taft.

"We want to be safe and we want to come outside and feel safe and not be attacked," Toledo said.

"So then we will have love and everyone can be kind and people won't fight and get bullied," said Bella Hume, a Taft 4th grader.

Many of the kids are hoping the community will take them seriously.

"I know the world won't get this as a real march if you want to call it that, but I know some people will get it serious, they won't say it's only for fun, they want to do it for fun because it's not, it's for our safety," Toledo said.

"We are just trying to encourage all of those that are here in the community to speak up for peace," Kitchen said. "We teach the scholars to be respectful, responsible and safe in the school building and we would like them to do the same thing as well in the community this Summer and throughout their days."