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Apalachee High shooting's ripple effect on students' mental health

By Brittany Edney
Updated  September 7, 2024 12:44am EDT
Apalachee High School shooting
FOX 5 Atlanta

How to talk to kids about the Apalachee shooting

A deadly mass shooting can have a deep impact on students’ mental health and not just in the Barrow County community. Students across the nation could be impacted and parents may not understand how to approach the topic.

BARROW COUNTY, Ga. - The deadly mass shooting at Apalachee High School could have a deep impact on students’ mental health both inside and outside the Barrow County community. 

Mental health experts say students across the nation could be impacted by what they see and hear. This topic may also be a tough one for parents to know how to address. 

Psychotherapist Laura Morse says the mass shooting at Apalachee High School exposed many of its students to graphic and violent acts that can put their mental health at risk. 

SEE ALSO: Panic alarm system credited with saving lives in Apalachee High School shooting

She explains that everyone reacts to trauma differently. "In the initial phases, they can have shock and then, following that, there can be some hyper-arousal, anxiety, trouble sleeping, maybe people having unclear memories," said Morse. 

The impact of seeing violence at such a young age can develop and manifest in various ways in the weeks and months that follow. "Once our psyche and bodies realize that we’re no longer in danger, then a lot of extra thoughts and experiences can arise either sympathetically with headaches, stomach aches, pain in a certain way or survival guilt," said Morse. "For example, 'Did I do enough?' or 'Why my friend and not me?'" 

Dozens of Georgia students arrested for threats

The Apalachee High School shooting has seemingly opened a floodgate of teens making terroristic threats. At least a dozen arrests have taken place at schools across Georgia since Wednesday's deadly shooting.

SEE ALSO: Georgia schools face threats, student arrests after Apalachee shooting

That trauma can stick with them for a lifetime, so it is important to let them know it is OK to express how they feel. "So, it’s really important to know your child, know what they might need. Find things that might be supportive for them even if they’re not asking for help," said Morse. 

Morse is advising parents and guardians to be ready to bring in other resources if their kids exhibit more extreme signs. 

"If you start to see acute symptoms where they stop functioning, like they can’t return to school without feeling panicked, or they can’t eat, or sleep, or they’re very irritable, then you may need to find them professional help and support," she added. 

The U.S. Surgeon General cites a recent study that found that 51 percent of 14- to 17-year-olds in the country worry about school shootings.