ABSTRACT
Just the words school shooting stir powerful emotions, fears, vulnerabilities, and reactions among a culture dedicated to protecting its youth. It is the nature of these types of egregious acts of murder and malice against the most vulnerable in our society that it tends to be one of the greatest fears, each day, for those who work with children and adolescents in schools. Post-traumatic stress disorder will likely occur in those who are struggling with events they have witnessed or experienced that are understandably beyond their level of resilience. They may be experiencing intrusive and repetitive ideation, denial or some level of emotional guilt, increased nervous symptom arousal, or some level of disassociation. Students may benefit from several different types of groups that may be led by a school counselor during the post-event phase of recovery. Support groups can help students adjust emotionally and socially through psychoeducation and the processing of shared experiences.
