the traumatized brain is not able to learn as survival becomes the priority for the child. In an interview with The Atlantic he says that long with this diminishment in learning capability, students experience less tolerance from teachers when they act out. Intervention programs in schools tend to focus mainly on small children. Consequently, traumatized teenagers who are struggling or acting out do not receive the same understanding and support afforded younger children. They have difficulties with focus and decision-making. Meanwhile, adults have high expectations of older students and their abilities in managing their emotions better, exercising self-control, and pushing through challenges. Punishment for these behaviors at school hinders teenagers’ abilities to make crucial connections that foster attachment. These factors, …show more content…
Put simply, high rates of school violence interfere with academic and developmental achievement. Psychological development suffers, as well.
Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) is a common aftereffect in children who experience a school shooting. After exposure to a violent crime, almost 45% of children develop moderate PTSD and nearly 20% have severe PTSD, exhibiting an average of ten symptoms (Berman 332). The absolute shock and terror of a school shooting strikes a blow that causes damage to children’s coping skills. Though PTSD has several characteristics, there are four particular ways it usually manifests in children, according to Dr. Lenore Terr, in the American Journal of Psychiatry. She outlines them in her article, “Childhood Traumas: An Outline and Overview” (Terr 324-326). The first symptom is strong visual or otherwise repeatedly perceived memories. Recurring visualization of memories of the event, also known as flashbacks, occur. The child might also experience sounds, sensations, and smells as if the event is happening again. This is the most intense