School shootings traumatize more than those directly affected

David Schonfeld, Director, National Center for School Crisis and Bereavement at the USC Suzanne Dworak-Peck School of Social Work:

"Even students that have no direct connections with any of the communities where these shootings occurred may nonetheless be impacted by the media coverage. Just knowing that it could happen in another school in the country may make them feel vulnerable. The National Center for School Crisis and Bereavement has guidelines on how to talk to children about school shootings in the media at https://www.schoolcrisiscenter.org/resources/talking-kids-about-tragedies/."

Marleen Wong, Stein/Goldberg Sachs Endowed Professor of Mental Health at the USC Suzanne Dworak-Peck School of Social Work:

"There are now thousands of student and teacher survivors of school shootings across the country. Social workers should be aware that these survivors could have strong reactions, including serious distress, because the present shootings are reopening old wounds."

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