Save the Children: 5 ways to talk to children about school shootings

Recently, nineteen children and two adults were killed in a mass school shooting at an elementary school in Uvalde, Texas.

Many children around the world are learning about the violence through television, social media and their peers. Their awareness of school shootings can lead to emotional conversations filled with complex questions.

The emergency response experts of Save the Children published five tips to help adults talk to children about school shootings. They include: starting the conversation, emphasizing safety, reiterating that it is normal to be scared, watching signs of trauma and looking for leaders to follow.

Children are more likely to have the confidence to make a safe decision in an actual emergency situation when they’ve practised. The experts also point out that lockdown and shooter drills should be developed and implemented by a multidisciplinary safety team and informed by a mental health professional.