School Shootings: The Unspoken Impact on Youth Mental Health

Being a child in school, surrounded by your friends and teachers, when suddenly the world around you turns into a living nightmare. Gunshots ring out, screams fill the air, and chaos erupts. This is the reality for millions of American children who have been exposed to shootings, including over 1300 that have occurred on school grounds in the past decade alone. What happens after the media coverage fades and the community begins to heal? Too often, we overlook the lasting trauma inflicted upon young survivors. Dr. Gail Saltz, a renowned psychiatrist, warns us: 'We are growing a whole population of kids who will eventually be adults with anxiety disorders, post-traumatic stress disorder, and lack of trust in the world around them, all which they wouldn't have had if it weren't for the shootings. ' The signs are often subtle at first - a drop in grades, withdrawal from friends, difficulty sleeping or eating. But left untreated, these symptoms can spiral into full-blown mental health crises that derail their education and social development. As Maya Rossin-Slater, an associate professor of health policy, found in her research: 'We see heightened rates of antidepressant prescriptions amongst youth under age 20, and that persists for a long time. ' Rebekah Schuler, a survivor of the Oxford High School shooting in 2021, still struggles with PTSD years later. 'I can still see them running, I can remember in detail the screams, the sounds, every detail,' she shares. 'Yes, I have coping skills, and have worked through trauma, but it's still there and present and affecting my day-to-day life. ' Stella Kaye, another survivor from Denver, avoids crowded places like movie theaters and farmer's markets due to her anxiety triggers. Big crowds, including concerts and parties, are often impossible for her to attend. The impacts of ignoring early warning signs can be devastating. Rossin-Slater found that survivors are more likely to start being chronically absent, need to repeat grades, drop out of high school, fail to graduate college, and have lower earnings as adults. Saltz emphasizes the critical importance of early intervention: 'When you take a child and give them a mental illness, their functioning in all domains will suffer. ' Just like we wouldn't ignore a broken bone or diabetes, we cannot afford to neglect the mental health of our youth. Accessible, affordable treatment must be prioritized so that families can quickly find the help they need without financial strain. In a society plagued by gun violence, a growing community of survivors has united in activism and solidarity with each other. Schuler encourages other survivors: 'Ask for help. Don't be afraid to say no, you don't have to share your story, you don't have to tell the whole family what happened. You have so many people who want to support you, find those people you are comfortable having around, and lean on them. ' Your trauma doesn't define you, and you won't have to face it alone. By coming together as a nation to provide support, resources, and treatment for our youth survivors, we can