M3: School Lockdown
For this discussion, imagine the following:
A local school with children in grades kindergarten through 6 recently had a "lockdown" after the principal received an anonymous call that someone was coming to "shoot up the school." The principal made an announcement over the loudspeaker instructing everyone in the building to lockdown immediately. The students and teachers knew from previous drills that this meant to hide wherever they were, lock the doors, and remain silent. The teachers and other school personnel were confused and concerned, as they had not been told that a drill was taking place. They tried to remain calm but their wo
y was apparent to some of the children. Despite being told to be quiet, the children throughout the school were whispering about what they thought might be happening. Some children asked their teachers what was happening but the teachers told them to stay silent and hide. It was clear to many students that their teachers did not know the reason for the lockdown. The lockdown went on for much longer than their usual drills; after 45 minutes of hiding in their locked classrooms, the principal announced that everyone could unlock their doors and go back to their regular routine. The teachers attempted to resume the day's normal activities, but they were distressed and many of the children were showing signs of trauma.
please answer the following:
1. What signs of trauma might you see in the children after this experience?
2. Imagine that you are a teacher or counselor in this school. What would you do to respond to the students' trauma reactions in the hours after the lockdown? What would you do in the few days that followed? (Refer specifically to the Psychological First Aid information in Content Guide 2 and information from Levine & Kline's books.)
3. Imagine that you are a parent of a child in the school and your child came home in distress. What would you do to support your child and to prevent longer-term traumatic reactions to the event?
Trauma First Aid
Chapters 4-8 of Levine & Klein provide guidance for parents and other adults on ways to respond to a child’s immediate reactions to everyday frightening events and more serious traumas. Quick and sensitive interventions by adults who are aware of the potential impacts of trauma can help reduce the long-term negative impacts on children.
The National Child Traumatic Stress Network describes Psychological First Aid as, an “approach to help children, adolescents, adults, and families in the immediate aftermath of disaster and te
orism” (NCTSN, n.d.). The eight “core actions” of Psychological First Aid are:
1. Contact and Engagement: To respond to contacts initiated by survivors, or to initiate contacts in a non-intrusive, compassionate, and helpful manner.
2. Safety and Comfort: To enhance immediate and ongoing safety, and provide physical and emotional comfort.
3. Stabilization (if needed): To calm and orient emotionally overwhelmed or disoriented survivors.
4. Information Gathering on Cu
ent Needs and Concerns: To identify immediate needs and concerns, gather additional information, and tailor Psychological First Aid interventions.
5. Practical Assistance: To offer practical help to survivors in addressing immediate needs and concerns.
6. Connection with Social Supports: To help establish
ief or ongoing contacts with primary support persons and other sources of support, including family members, friends, and community helping resources.
7. Information on Coping: To provide information about stress reactions and coping to reduce distress and promote adaptive functioning.
8. Linkage with Collaborative Services: To link survivors with available services needed at the time or in the future.
This chapter 5 Summary of the book Trauma through A child’s Eyes By Peter A. Levine
Chapter 6 Summary