Discussing Possible Active Shooter Situations With Your Children

GOLDEN TRIANGLE, Miss. (WCBI) – Wednesday’s horrific events in Florida are becoming more common, which raises fear levels for many parents, students, and school districts.

The tragic school shooting in Kentucky last month, and now another one this month, just two months into the new year.

As they seem to be becoming more common, talks with children about the possibility of an active shooter situation at their school are growing in importance.

“Telling them things to do such as, listen to your authorities, but also protect yourself. If you see a place to hide, then hide,” says Christian Changes Counseling and Recovery Center, Executive Director, Wendie Woods.

It’s a parent’s worst nightmare, thinking about their child being caught in an active shooter situation at school, but as the shootings continue to happen, counselors are encouraging parents to talk with their children about the unimaginable.

“Try to refrain from details and use generalizations the younger the child is, so that you don’t implement fear, but you prepare them. Say, ‘So, you know, just like you have at school tornado or fire drills, there may be a safety situation where you have to listen to your teacher and you may not know what the circumstance is.'”

Woods says educating children can ease their fear about the circumstances, but that can depend on how parents deliver the conversation.

“If we present fear and anxiety, then that’s exactly what are children are going to present. If we present confidence and knowledge, then our children will present that same confidence, especially, in the likelihood of a disastrous event.”

School systems already have plans in place for these types of situations.

“It’s just a part of our tornado drills, our fire drills, and anything else that we can plan for. We are going to revamp it in light of the shooting yesterday, on Tuesday, with our principals,” says Lowndes County School District Assistant Superintendent, Dr. Robin Ballard

Ballard says the revamping is to ensure the utmost safety for students and confidence for parents.

“Giving them confidence that we are on the forefront of trying to protect their children and doing what we can do to prevent these kinds of things from happening.”