10 WAYS TO SHOW EMPATHY TO A SURVIVOR OF A SCHOOL SHOOTING
- DoItForThe17
- Oct 13, 2022
- 2 min read
Updated: Feb 16, 2023
(1 MINUTE READ)
Why is this relevant? How many school shooting survivors are there in the United States? Since the historic attack at Columbine High School in 1999, nearly 300,000 students have been on campus during a school shooting. That means that in just the past 23 years, over a quarter of a million youths (not even including teachers and administrators) are school shooting survivors. Just this year there have already been more than 113 incidents of gunfire on school grounds, resulting in 41 deaths and 82 injuries nationally.
Shatter the taboo. It isn’t easy for others to understand what survivors have gone through, and we know that it can be confusing because this subject is often not spoken about. That’s why its time to break the taboo,
and talk about it.
Guide to Helping Your Friend. It is so important to be competent communicators. The following list shows 10 ways to show empathy to someone that has gone through trauma, more specifically for those deeply affected by a school shooting.
1. Avoid trigger words and jokes
2. Don’t say the name of the shooter
3. Respect when they want to change the topic in a conversation
4. Be there to listen (remind them of this)
5. Be patient with emotional processing
6. Learn everything you can about PTSD *
7. Talk positively
8. Respectfully ask if it is okay to talk about something that might be triggering (news headlines, criminal justice cases, gun violence) BEFORE you do so (but more often than not, avoid doing so)
9. Don’t compare their trauma with someone else’s
10. Research what “survivor’s guilt” is and educate yourself about it **
Thank you. Remember, when in doubt regarding a boundary, just ask. Many times, certain emotions are out of our control and managing levels of PTSD and Survivor’s Guilt are a daily struggle. So we thank our friends and family for their patience, and ask them to continue showing empathy.
* Footnote 1: PTSD Infographic
https://vitalrecord.tamhsc.edu/wp-content/uploads/2017/03/PROOF_06-25_ADM-34642-0619_PTSD_Awareness_Day_SMG_Update-v2.jpg
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