Yet, another tragic school shooting has occurred. This is the 130th mass shooting this year! Nashville marks the 39th incident of gunfire at a school, with now 17 deaths and 30 injuries in 2023. In 2022, we saw 57 deaths from 177 shooting events. In fact, firearm injuries are the leading cause of death among children. Firearm injuries (at and away from school) have now surpassed motor vehicle crashes as a main cause of death in children.

When will it stop?

And no, I am not resigned to just say it will keep happening. We are not protecting our children! Shootings have become a new normal at school and children need help navigating the fear and anxiety that inevitably follows.

1. Talk to your children when these shootings happen. Don’t avoid the event. They will hear about it from someone and it would be better if they heard it from their parents. They might feel sad, anxious, helpless, maybe angry. Begin by asking what they know about the shooting. What did they hear on social media and from friends?
2. Let them talk and don’t interrupt. Listen and then correct misinformation.
3. Then, encourage them to ask questions. They might ask if someone could come to their school and do the same. If this is a concern, review your school’s plan and what to do if someone were to come into their building with a gun.
4. Limit media exposure. Don’t let them watch graphic scenes and trauma reported in news stories or online. This will only increase anxiety.
5. Look for aftermath signs like trouble concentrating, being irritable, defiant or wanting to stay close to home. Monitor them for sleep and appetite changes for a few weeks.
6. Share your feelings, but at a level they can understand. “I am sad too,  God is a present help in times of trouble.  The police were quick to act and many people were heroic. Your school ….” (talk about what their school is doing).
7. Encourage open conversation. They may not want to talk about it right away, but the topic may come up again and you need to be ready to respond and reassure whenever they’re ready to talk. Sometimes that happens riding in the car, on a walk or before bedtime.
8. Encourage children to speak up if they hear anything from another child or teen that is frightening or worrisome. This is not tattling and could prevent something bad from happening. Even if they aren’t sure, they should tell you or an adult at school.
9. Talk about evil in the world but let them know that Christ came to overcome evil. And, while evil exists, we can pray against it and also look at what good people do in evil situations.
10. Make your home a place of safety and security. Hug your children and be involved in their lives. Know what they are doing, who their friends are, and the sites they frequent online.

More for Parents: 

1. Talk to your school administrators about your concerns and ask about their safety measures. Do they have locks on classroom doors, single points of entry, a police officer on duty or security in the building? Is the perimeter of the school secure with cameras and monitored? Ask these questions and organize a parent group to review safety and what might be needed. For example, it doesn’t take money to lock down a school with a single entry point. Things can be done without waiting for governmental funds.
2. If you hear something disturbing from a child, talk to other parents and let the school know. Unfortunately, profiles of shooters are not the same, but a common one is previous grievances with classmates or school administrators.
3. Ask your child to tell you if someone they know has an interest in violent topics or guns.

To the Media: 

1. Stop making fun of people of faith who pray. While we cannot prevent evil people from acting on their impulses, but we can pray for protection and for the people involved in senseless violence. Why would you make fun of the one thing that can bring comfort and peace to an anxious and horrifying situation? Why would you mock religion that is based on love? Your intolerance for those who do not believe like you do is astounding. The nasty words that have been spoken about those who lean on their faith during tragedy and violence are unconscionable. Shame on you!