Are We Ignoring the Role of Childhood Trauma in School Shootings?

School shootings have become part of the national dialogue in America, with much of the focus on weapons and security measures. But today I want to shift the lens in this conversation to something that doesn’t get nearly enough attention: Childhood trauma, and how it connects to the mental health crisis underlying these violent acts.

Today, we’re going to examine the long-term effects of childhood trauma and how it intersects with the kinds of violence we see in schools. What would it look like if we intervened earlier—if we could catch the signs of a kid who might be in trouble before it’s too late? Could doing that be part of our gun violence prevention strategy?

In this episode, you’ll learn:

• Why childhood trauma leads to violent behavior as a teenager.
• The 7 warning signs that a student is in trouble that could lead to a school shooting. 
• What specific actions schools and communities can take to prevent trauma from turning into violence.

Xxoo Darcy

REFERENCES

MindfulCare 

Darcy's Dissertation

Finkelhor, D., Turner, H. A., & Shattuck, A. (2023). Adverse childhood experiences: Understanding and addressing trauma in children and families. Springer.

FBI's "The School Shooter: A Threat Assessment Perspective" (2000):

U.S. Department of Justice's "Indicators of School Crime and Safety" (2019):

National Threat Assessment Center. (2019). Protecting America’s schools: A U.S. Secret Service analysis of targeted school violence. U.S. Secret Service, Department of Homeland Security.

CREDITS

“We Need To Talk With Dr. Darcy Sterling” is a Sterling Standard Production. Editing and sound engineering by Bart Migal. Our theme music is by Trending Music. Special thanks to Amanda Cristiani and Preston Smith. 

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