Experts advise parents on easing kids' anxiety over school shooting threats
NORTH TEXAS — Whether the threat of school violence is real or a social media hoax, experts warn the stress is taking a toll on students.
"When they're worried about their own safety and constantly being reminded of threats, it's going to be really hard to focus and learn the material," said Dr. Nicholas Westers, a psychologist with Children's Health in Dallas and an associate professor at UT Southwestern Medical Center.
So what should parents do?
"I think, for a lot of parents, the initial reaction is to reassure and say, 'You're going to be okay. You're safe. There's nothing to worry about at school,'" Westers said. "And although that may be true and likely is true, that doesn't necessarily make them feel better."
Before rushing to reassure, Westers advises parents to validate, educate, and formulate a plan.
Validate how your children are feeling about the constant threat of school shootings. Educate them about the steps you take at home and the plans in place at school to help keep them safe. Then, have a plan to address the anxiety and model that behavior.
Whether it's exercise or focusing on hobbies, Westers encourages families to have routines and stick to them. Even set dinner and study times can be comforting. He also advises parents to model managing their own stress.
"I think a lot of parents hide their own stress and anxiety. And what we know from research is that our kids are really good at picking up when we're stressed and anxious, even though we don't think we're showing it or exhibiting it to them," Westers said. "So I typically encourage parents to recognize how you feel as a parent, and verbalize that with your emotions and express if you feel worried, too, to your child."
Finally, Westers says parents should make sure they're not contributing to the climate of fear. As a doctor and a father of a 4-year-old now doing lockdown drills in daycare, he urges parents to report anything concerning they see online but not to reshare it.
"I think it's okay to have anxiety and to feel stressed about this. I think the question is, what are we going to do about it?"