ABSTRACT
Highly publicized and tragic school shootings have evoked widespread public fear that schools are dangerous places. On the contrary, schools are one of the safest places for children to be during the day. One study found that only 0.8% of mass-casualty homicides within the US occur in schools; multiple casualty homicides were much more likely to occur at residences (52%) or on the streets (24%). The impact of violence on children can be measured in terms of physical injury and death, psychological trauma to victims and witnesses, and disruption of the school learning environment. Acute stress reactions describe trauma-related symptomatology that occur between 3 days and 1 month following exposure to a traumatic event, and may be a precursor to a diagnosis of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Post-traumatic stress disorder, or PTSD, is a trauma or stressor-related disorder that may occur in individuals exposed to actual or threatened death.
