Newtown, Connecticut Shooting: Coping with traumatic events
Friday, December 14, 2012 at 3:04PM Today’s news of the tragic shooting at an elementary school in Newton, Connecticut has shocked the entire nation as once again a mass shooting has robbed youth of their lives for no apparent reason. What I know about this country is when tragedy strikes, the entire nation unites in support of families and victims of horrific events like these. Words cannot describe what the families of victims are going through and surely they will be in everyone’s prayers. School shootings are traumatic events for all involved. Survivors frequently struggle with symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder. An article written by Susan Donaldson James in 2009 for abcnews.com spoke with survivors, both students and teachers, of the Columbine shooting. 10 years later some survivors report that coping remains a struggle and certain triggers can unleash grief. The survivor interviewed in the article credits counseling with helping him grieve and learning to cope with what happened.
PTSD, school, violence in School Issues