Mass Shootings and Anxiety

Mass Shootings

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It seems every other week we hear about another mass shooting that has left many dead and a lot more injured. At some point it becomes a norm, but these recurring incidents should not be normal at all. These mass shootings are causing people to live in fear. People are afraid to do their day-to-day tasks because of this. Parents are afraid to send their children to school and students are afraid to go to school. According to Washington.com in a survey conducted after the El Paso and Dayton Ohio shootings back in 2019, 62% of parents fear their children will be victims of a mass shooting.

Students should be able to go to school and only worry about learning. They should not have to worry about potentially becoming victims of gun violence. Although you should always be vigilant, you cannot live your whole life in fear. It is completely okay to be afraid but do not let it consume you. Here are a few ways you can cope with your anxiety surrounding school and mass shootings.

Talk To A Parent Or Friend About How You Are Feeling

Talking to someone else about how you are feeling can help make you feel more at ease. You can get a sense of comfort and even spark an interesting conversation.

Stay Informed

The best protection in the world is your knowledge. If you know the warning signs you could prevent a peer from hurting others or even themselves.

Monitor Your Information Intake

Staying informed is great but constantly reading or watching disturbing content can begin to affect you negatively. It could make your anxiety worse or even cause you to spiral into depression. Make sure you take time away from all the chaos and do things you enjoy.

Times are tough. We have experienced at least 309 mass shootings so far this year according to npr.org. Still our people in power are failing to take action to change our gun laws. The Robb Elementary shooting being the deadliest school shooting in America since Sandy Hook many are concerned about the upcoming school year. How many more children and innocent people must lose their lives before we can put a stop to this?

Cindi Frazier