The more times someone is exposed to violence, the higher the likelihood of long-term behavioral health issues. The sheer frequency of exposures for our youth — in terms of frequency of attacks and ease of watching coverage of past attacks — is likely to have a negative effect with regard to amplifying traumatic stress responses and/or increasing “numbness” to these types of events. The effect of this “secondhand terrorism” on kids is, however, largely undocumented.
No one knows whether mass shootings lead to unique types of post-traumatic stress symptoms. Acute stress disorder and post-traumatic stress disorder can manifest in a myriad of ways, ranging from bedwetting to numbing to flashbacks to aggressiveness.
The effect of mass shootings on parents is also unknown. As specialists in this area, we suspect that the anxiety and worry we feel when we send our kids back school the day after a shooting is likely to trickle down to our kids. Parental anxiety is a strong predictor of mental health disorders after exposure to other forms of trauma; we expect the same is true for mass shootings.
More research is needed — and it is needed now.
Thanks to work with victims of community violence and other kinds of trauma, we can use our expertise to make best guesses for what we should do to help our kids and our communities to be resilient after a mass shooting. (Due to a continuing lack of Congressional appropriations for gun research, however, expert opinions are the best evidence that we have in this area.)
First and most importantly, parents need to take care of themselves. It’s like the old saying: put your own oxygen mask on first. It’s normal to feel anxious after an event like Parkland, but kids need adults to show them the way. If you’re feeling stressed, talk to someone; if you find that you’re not sleeping, are drinking too much, or are getting depressed, it’s particularly important to reach out for professional help.
Second, it’s critical that parents set limits around watching TV and social media that shows the aftermath — or replays the scene — of the tragedy. This repeated exposure will increase children’s (and our own) risk of post-traumatic stress.
Third, research shows that social support is one of the biggest factors in being resilient. Withdrawal is the worst thing to do in the aftermath of trauma. If you or your kid is feeling upset, even though the inclination may be to withdraw, reach out to friends and family. If you go to church, spend more time with your religious community. If your child belongs to a sports team, or if your extended family lives nearby, try to set up fun and distracting events. Creating normalcy will help prevent downstream consequences.
Research shows that social support is one of the biggest factors in being resilient. Withdrawal is the worst thing to do in the aftermath of trauma.
Finally, work with your kid to create a sense of control, and a sense of hope. This is one place where social media may be a real force for good.
Many Gen X kids were entranced by the story of Samantha Smith, a 10-year-old girl who caught the attention of the leader of the Soviet Union with her plea for peace. Her mission to eradicate nuclear weapons was inspiring. In the aftermath of Parkland, youth like Emma Gonzales are leading a different kind of movement. This movement is critically important for American communities: It may lead to change. But it’s also important for this generation: It gives them hope.
Not every child is Emma Gonzales, but almost every child can nonetheless take some action to help feel in control and to help feel like they can make a difference. Some ideas include writing letters to students at the affected school; volunteering to help youth who’ve been injured or who are sick in other ways; or raising money to cover community service projects.
Yes, America’s kids deserve better than living under this constant threat of mass shootings. But in the meantime, adults can try and prevent long-term psychological consequences. Parents especially can help children to find resilience. And as a society, the first step towards a world without “turtle time” is to support the belief that change is possible.
Dr. Megan Ranney is an Associate Professor in the Department of Emergency Medicine at Rhode Island Hospital/Alpert Medical School of Brown University. and the director and found of the Brown Emergency Digital Health Innovation program (www.brownedhi.org) and director of special projects in the Department of Emergency Medicine. She is on Twitter @meganranney.
Dr. Rinad Beidas is an Assistant Professor in Psychology the Perelman School of Medicine at Penn. Her research focuses on the dissemination and implementation of evidence-based practices (EBPs) for youth psychiatric disorders in community settings. She tweets at @Rsbeidas.
Dr. Megan Ranney and Dr. Rinad Beidas
Dr. Megan Ranney is an Associate Professor in the Department of Emergency Medicine at Rhode Island Hospital/Alpert Medical School of Brown University and the director and found of the Brown Emergency Digital Health Innovation program (www.brownedhi.org) and director of special projects in the Department of Emergency Medicine. Her research focuses on developing, testing, and disseminating digital health interventions to reduce violence and related behavioral risk factors among at-risk populations. She is on Twitter @meganranney.
Dr. Rinad Beidas is an Assistant Professor in Psychology the Perelman School of Medicine at Penn. Her research focuses on the dissemination and implementation of evidence-based practices (EBPs) for youth psychiatric disorders in community settings. She tweets at @Rsbeidas.
