by Douglas L. Anderson, PsyD

Sadly, we have watched school shootings occur on a frequent basis.  The EducationWeek website has been tracking school shootings for several years now.  They note that “There have been 48 school shootings this year that resulted in injuries or deaths, the most in a single year since Education Week began tracking such incidents in 2018. There have been 141 such shootings since 2018.  Prior to 2022, the highest number of school shootings with injuries or deaths was last year when there were 35. There were 10 in 2020, and 24 each in 2019 and 2018.

As violence ticks up in our society, and particularly in our schools, we need to be thoughtful about how to address the psychological impact on our children, on our teachers, and on our communities.  The impact is not limited to the schools and communities where these tragedies occur.  We know that children, teachers, and administrators in all of our nation’s schools have heard about and been impacted by the many school shootings across our country.  

We tend to have a few core beliefs that are often threatened by trauma.  We tend to believe that we have worth, that people are basically good, and that events have meaning.  But when traumatic experiences involve another human being inflicting the trauma those core beliefs take a major hit.

When a shooter enters a school and randomly begins shooting and killing children and teachers, maintaining a sense of personal worth is difficult.  The notion that people are basically good is shattered.  And seeing meaning in the event is extremely challenging.

Here are some ideas about what you can do when thinking about and addressing the problem of school shootings.

• Turn off the news and protect you and your children from being immersed in the stories of school shootings.

• Talk to your children about their fears and concerns for safety when in school.  Google how to talk to your children about school shootings and you will find plenty of resources.
• Support your school administrators, teachers, and staff members as they feel the responsibility to protect their students, your children.
• Make sure your school counselors and teachers are well-trained in how to deal with traumatic events and their aftermath.  Make the financial investment in providing them with the knowledge and skills they need to help your children.
• Make use of mental health professionals to assist in processing traumatic events at all levels - personal, organizational, community.
• Always uphold the worth of individuals.  Help your children see the goodness in people.

• Look for ways to make even the most heinous acts meaningful by taking action to prevent tragedy from occurring in your own schools and communities. 

• Support your school administrators, teachers, and staff members as they feel the responsibility to protect their students, your children.

Make sure your school counselors and teachers are well-trained in how to deal with traumatic events and their aftermath.  Make the financial investment in providing them with the knowledge and skills they need to help your children.

Make use of mental health professionals to assist in processing traumatic events at all levels - personal, organizational, community.

Always uphold the worth of individuals.  Help your children see the goodness in people.

Look for ways to make even the most heinous acts meaningful by taking action to prevent tragedy from occurring in your own schools and communities.  

The psychological impact of a school shooting is not limited to those who go through the traumatic event.  It impacts all of us.  We need to respond wisely and well to both prevent such events from occurring and to make use of all of our community resources to assist those who are impacted by traumatic events.

If you want/need some help dealing with the impact of school shootings or the impact of any traumatic events in your life, we have competent and caring therapists in all four of our locations - River Counseling Services in Platte, Sioux Falls Psychological Services, and Stronghold Counseling Services in Sioux Falls and in Yankton - who will meet you where you are, offering hope. That is our mission. You may schedule an appointment at the Platte office at 605-337-3444 or meet with one of our Sioux Falls or Yankton based therapists from your computer, smartphone, or in person at any of our clinics. To schedule an appointment, please call 605-334-2696.