Keep Schools Open After Shooting, Psychologist Advises

Newswise — “Schools have a tendency to close for the entire week (after a shooting incident) which I am generally opposed to,” says Dr. Scott Poland, professor of psychology at Nova Southeastern University in Fort Lauderdale, Florida and the author of four books on school crises.

“At the very least schools should be open for counseling the day after. Let kids and parents know that teachers and counselors are there and it won’t be a regular academic day but kids can come in and get help,” says Poland who has served on national crisis teams after numerous school shootings including those in Littleton, CO, and Red Lake, MN.

About 60 percent of students bounce back after school shootings with little or no psychological damage, Poland says. Another 20 percent will suffer minor psychological problems. A final 20 percent are at risk for major problems.

“What needs to happen is a psychological triage,” he says. “There are three circles of vulnerability. The first circle includes those students and staff who were in close physical proximity to the shootings. The second circle includes those who were in close social proximity to the shooting victims—people who were their close friends or roommates, for example. The third circle is comprised of people who have had a history of trauma or violence in their family.”

Poland says the problem in the immediate aftermath of school shootings is that people focus on why the massacre occurred instead of what the survivors need.

“We never seem to get much of an explanation as to why—and there is always a lot of second-guessing about what could have been done differently. But the most frustrating thing about that is that we need to focus on the mental health and psychological needs of the people who have been through the experience.”