Basic Information
What percent of parents fear for their children's safety?
35%
True or false: school shootings are common.
False.
School shootings are exceedingly rare and appears to be such a high chance due to more media coverage on these events over the years.
“Any time a plane crashes, we hear about it heavily, but we don’t hear about all the planes that are just fine,” says Dr. Bubrick. “The same applies to the horribly tragic school shootings. On that same day hundreds of thousands of schools functioned safely. That’s powerful and needs to be taken into perspective.”
Continue to find out more about the actual likelihood in school settings!
What would you say to a friend who was worried about a school shooting occurring at your school?
All answers that are positive and encouraging are welcome!
What percent of children fear for their safety at school?
20%
True or false? The odds of a school shooting occurring is less than 1% in grades K-12.
True!
The chances of any particular K-12 school in the United States experiencing a shooting incident in any given year is approximately 1 in 53,925.
This is 0.00001854%
What is one thing you can do when you catch yourself worrying about a school shooting?
Any coping skill is welcome!
What changes in a child's behavior are important to watch out for when looking for clues on how they are feeling about school shootings?
Children, like adults, often cycle through feelings of shock, anger, sadness, fear, and helplessness when they learn that people are dying unexpectedly and brutally at the hands of someone wielding guns. However, due to less-developed communication and emotional processing skills, children (depending on their age and stage of development) express their thoughts and feelings differently from adults.
Children may have increased nightmares, intrusive thoughts, abrupt changes in their mood, and changes in their play behavior (i.e., acting out shootings, mimicking dying, or other aspects of the school shooting, etc.).
They may also report aches and pain in their bodies following a traumatic experience. Children who are especially distressed or anxious may exhibit regressions in their development, such as increases in bedwetting, clinginess, and tantrums.
True or false? School shootings are more common in elementary schools than in high schools.
False!
The chances of a school shooting taking place in a US high school in any given year: 1 in 21,000. This is 0.00004762% of a chance.
The chances of a school shooting taking place in a US elementary or middle school in any given year: 1 in 141,463. This is 0.00000707% chance.
Any person is welcome!
Am I alone in my feelings of anxiety?
No!
Of children aged 3-17 years, approximately 5.8 million had diagnosed anxiety in 2016-2019. This has grown since COVID, per mental health expert reports.
True or false: Parents should focus on their child's worries about school shootings before focusing on their own worries.
False.
There is no making sense of this kind of loss. It will never be something we can simply soothe our kids through. Never. But it is our job to be there for them.
Process your own feelings first. Call a friend. Share your rage and frustration with your spouse or partner. Then, listen to and comfort your children. Take a break from social media. Stay off TikTok, Snap, and Instagram for now as it will likely continue exposing you and your kids to the traumatic events.
Be sure to remind your children of all the helpers in their school and community and discuss/review safety plans.
What is your school doing to keep you safe?
If there is not an answer for this, it is still correct. It is important to have an idea of the safety measures being taken at school to remind yourself of how your school has prepared to handle unsafe situations.
What are some ways that children show anxiety? Name 3 that you can think of.
Agitation
Restlessness
Inattention, poor focus
Somatic symptoms like headaches or stomachaches
Avoidance
Tantrums
Crying
Refusing to go to school
Meltdowns before school about clothing, hair, shoes, socks
Meltdowns after school about homework
Difficulties with transitions within school, and between school and an activity/sport
Difficulty settling down for bed
Having high expectations for school work, homework and sports performance
True or false: If we don't talk about school shootings, we won't be as anxious about it.
False.
Not talking about it can make the event even more threatening in your child’s mind. Silence suggests that what has occurred is too horrible even to speak about or that you do not know what has happened.
Does your school have an IEP or plan for you in case you get worried or frustrated?
As things may be difficult in the transition back to school, if there are significant worries, schools can work with parents to develop IEP's or other plans to help children who are struggling with their emotional health. If additional assistance is needed, do not be afraid to reach out to the school!