High-profile acts of violence like the shooting in Uvalde, Texas, where a gunman shot and killed 19 students and two teachers at an elementary school, resonate with students and educators far beyond where the tragedy takes place. After the Texas shooting—as with other such attacks—educators nationwide were called upon to help students manage their fears, and help them feel safe and ready to learn.
That work can prove ongoing and complex. In the year ahead, for instance, educators also will need to know that most states require lockdown drills or active shooter drills in schools , and that may trigger fear or anxiety over school violence. Analysis of social media conversations spanning over 100 K-12 schools by Everytown Research & Policy, an advocacy group for gun violence prevention, and the Georgia Institute of Technology found that active shooter drills are associated with increases in depression (39 percent), stress and anxiety (42 percent), and physiological health problems (23 percent) overall for children from as young as five years old to high schoolers, their parents, and teachers.
How students understand these disturbing events and deal with them can also vary widely depending on their developmental level. The following is a list of age-appropriate steps educators can take to help kids feel safe, protected, and comfortable processing the feelings that surround school shootings and violence.
