By Susan Gonsalves
Columbine. Parkland. Uvalde. Sandy Hook.
Those recognizable references spark a myriad of memories and emotions.
According to the K-12 Violence Project’s school shooting database, 2024 saw the second highest number of incidents at 330 or 19 less than an all-time high of 349 recorded in 2023.
Elementary schools were targeted 87 times while middle and high schools had 28 and 183 incidents, respectively.
2025 is continuing this disturbing trend with 41 reported school shootings as of this month.
Additionally, an uptick in bomb and shooting threats and hoax emergency calls nationwide have prompted large police presence, enhanced security measures, building searches, lockdowns and bus re-routing so far this year.
Children in Arlington, Texas had to shelter in place following an online threat. In Houston, two teenage girls plotted a mass casualty attack.
Students received warnings via TikTok and Snapchat about imminent danger at what is supposed to be a safe place of learning.
“It is the reality of our current landscape,” said Cory Reid-Vanas, MA LMFT, clinical therapist and founder of Rocky Mountain Counseling Collective, who works with children, teens and families on issues like anxiety and depression.
Georgia is no stranger to school tragedies. As in other states across the U.S., the reality has forced a generation of students to grow up practicing active shooter drills to prepare for in-school violence.
Reid-Vanas said, “There is no getting around active shooter drills, but they are intense.”
While agreeing that practicing safety through school shooting drills is important, Mallory Callans, LPC, NCC, a professional counselor at Key Counseling Group, said it can have a lasting detrimental effect on children.
“Ideally a drill would mimic the real situation and allow students to feel as close to it as possible,” Callans said.
During the drill, students are made to experience increased fear and anxiety in a space that is supposed to be secure for them. These lasting feelings, along with depression, posttraumatic stress disorder and other consequences, may be the result, according to Callans.
“The situation itself is scary—lights off, hiding, being quiet, locked doors…” she noted.
Callans said students are aware they are practicing for something scary and life-threatening that is different from fire drills. “They don’t get to leave the building. They are sitting in the scary.”
If a child fears attending school
Is it any wonder that students may become reluctant to attend school following a threat, an incident or even a highly charged practice run?
If a child is afraid to go to school, parents should acknowledge their concerns without dismissing them, said Lauren Parker, M.Ed., NCC, a therapist at Key Counseling Group.
Parents can work with their child to reassure them about safety precautions in place as well as practice coping skills to help them manage stress and anxiety, Parker said.
Reid-Vanas said the emotional toll on kids must be addressed by parents in conjunction with the school district. If children have a trauma history, their vulnerability and/or resiliency will be based on that history.
He said parents must support and advocate that the school conduct active shooter drills in a way that is not only thoughtful and trauma informed, but also age appropriate.
Parents should make it a priority to educate themselves regarding school safety protocols, which will help them in the reassurance process with their children, Reid-Vanas said.
If the child is frightened to attend school, Reid-Vanas said parents should use “compassion and gentle encouragement,” to help facilitate the return.
When the situation is severe, he noted, parents may need to work collaboratively with school personnel or a therapist to make the return gradual and more palpable for the child.
When parents fear sending children to school
It is not unusual for parents to experience trepidation about sending their kids back to school following an incident or when there is a looming threat.
Parker encourages parents to focus on the proactive measures being taken while Callans acknowledges these circumstances bring a different level of fear for parents.
“There are very few situations where parents feel they have zero control over keeping their child safe,” Callans said. “This is one of them.”
Typically, parents are alerted to a school shooting and must wait with that knowledge and the risk involved. It can leave them feeling helpless and scared, Callans said.
She offered parents the following advice:
- Reflect on what you can and cannot control—such as what your child knows about staying safe and trying to remain calm.
- Become involved in parent/teacher associations or other avenues to ensure schools are practicing drills and doing everything they can to provide safety.
- Take preventative measures for both yourself and your child for anxiety around these topics.
“Therapy is a space to learn anxiety coping skills and to be able to manage fears that may come along from school shootings,” Callans said. “While it does not decrease the risk, it can ensure there is space to process and work through the anxiety and fears before it even happens.”
Social media as source of threats
Parents can also advise their kids about social media use and content they might see including threats of school violence.
Parker said parents should encourage their children to come to them if they see something that is worrisome online.
“Encouraging them to report concerning content rather than engaging with it helps children feel a sense of control while keeping them safe online,” Parker said.
Reid-Vanas noted parents can role model digital consumption habits and review them with kids. He suggested “putting in guardrails” and slowly removing them as children get older.
He said boundaries should be clear but not overly rigid. Most importantly, social media use needs to be age-appropriate.
For young children, that means using simple language without a lot of graphic details when discussing threats and incidents. Reid-Vanas advised parents to limit media exposure and pay attention for signs children are overwhelmed by what is going on.
For middle school students/teens, he said conversations can be more direct and nuanced. While noticing their emotional responses, parents can talk about what their kids heard, validate their feelings and correct misinformation.
“Discuss rumors versus facts. You want them to stop and say, `Hold on a second, is this legit?””
In response to school violence, older teens can engage in advocacy and find community-related ways of giving back. Reid-Vanas encouraged parents to give teens the space they need to process emotions.
“We can’t fix this school violence issue,” Reid-Vanas added. “But we can be proactive and responsible. Honestly, it is a terrible social dynamic that tends to be part of our world.”
Last updated on April 27, 2025
