@childmindinstitute

School shootings have made a lot of parents in America anxious. Parents are often more worried about it than younger kids are. But kids pick up on their parents’ fear. And parents worry that seeing news reports of school shootings may be harming their kids. Some also worry that the “active shooter drills” many schools are practicing could cause more harm than good. The truth is that school shootings are very rare. But when one does happen, we are overwhelmed by the constant news about it. When this happens, the first thing to do is shut off the news. If you are very anxious about school shootings, one way to feel better is to take action. You can get involved in anti-violence activism or start or join a parent group that helps figure out what the school needs to do to be safe and prepared. Talking to kids about school shootings is important. Kids actually feel less scared when they get to talk about scary things. You can answer their questions and tell them that school shootings are rare. If their school does drills, you can tell kids that they are practicing how to be safe. Active shooter drills should help kids feel safe, not scare them. They shouldn’t use fake guns. That will just scare kids and teachers more. They should be used like fire drills. They should get kids used to practicing a plan, so they know what do to in a real emergency. It’s also important to let kids know that if another child seems to be very scared, they should let a grown-up know. And kids need to know it’s important to tell an adult if another kid writes or says something scary. Read more: childmind.org/article/anxiety-school-shooting