The school shootings, the trial coverage of the Colorado shooting, the gun control debates, all of this is incredibly frightful for children. The coverage is creating a trauma itself - and according to Josh Klapow, Ph.D., this mass coverage can hurt our kids and increase their fears about going to school.
Additionally, as the future of Sandy Hook Elementary school is considered, parents, school officials and community members are debating, and kids are still caught in the middle. How do you handle the existence of a place that one day was the center of these kids lives and the next is a symbol of horror and trauma?
This is all about psychological wounds and psychological healing, says Klapow. Symbolism and ritual are extremely important parts of psychological healing. How this school is handled, how the media covers it, and how the spotlight is shined on these kids will determine their psychological outcomes.
Josh Klapow, Ph.D., UAB clinical psychologist, is available to discuss.
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