Recognizing and Responding to Trauma in the Wake of a School Shooting
Multiple reactions follow school shootings, including shock, outrage and grief when deaths occur. Such a crisis is often followed by a cascade of unexpected secondary losses and stressors. For example, after a school shooting, there may be a drop in school enrollment when students who have experienced trauma transfer out or even students who were not traumatized seek a school that is less impacted by the recovery from the event and more focused on academic pursuits. Prospective students and fami- lies often opt to go to a different school. Budgets are based on the number of students attending the school and if the budget drops after enrollment drops, schools may feel the need to cut support ser- vices to save money, just at a time when students need this help. Tax bases may drop, too, as property values diminish due to the violence occurring within the neighborhood.
Crisis events uncover prior trauma or loss, even if it is unrelated to the event. Research reveals that trauma and loss are common, but provider training addressing these issues is often not sufficient to meet the need. One out of 20 young people experiences the death of a parent and nine out of 10 experience the death of a close relative by the time they complete high school. However, fewer than 10 percent of educators receive any training on how to support grieving children and youth, which is the main factor limiting their ability and willingness to provide support
