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As a B.C. community reels in the wake of a school shooting in which at least eight people died, therapists and health-care professionals say it’s important for parents to talk with their kids about what happened.
RCMP said there are eight dead, as well as the shooter, and roughly 25 others injured from a shooting at Tumbler Ridge Secondary School and a nearby residence. The deceased victims from the school include a 39-year-old adult female educator, three female students, all aged 12, and two male students, ages 12 and 13.
While some may feel like they should not talk about the tragedy, child and family therapist Alyson Jones said it’s better to “open” the conversations up.
“We can talk to our children and it’s important to talk to them. It’s important to allow space for them to bring forward their feelings, for us all to share together our shock and our confusion as to why this has happened,” Jones told Global News Morning B.C.
The elementary and secondary schools will be closed for the remainder of the week, School District 59 confirmed on Tuesday evening.
B.C.’s Minister of Public Safety and Solicitor General Nina Krieger on Tuesday night called the shooting one of the worst in the province and Canada’s history.
Jones told Global News when events like this happen, we don’t want to think of them as “close to home, but this one is.”
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“We have to help them understand that this is an isolated incident, that bad things do happen even in a good world, and that is a complicated world,” she said. “The best thing we can do is turn to each other to feel safe and secure, and that they’re day-to-day, they are surrounded by people that care about them.”
Her comments echoed those of Tumbler Ridge Mayor Darryl Krakowka, who stressed that the people of his community are “one big family.”
“We just got to support each other and have an ear if somebody needs an ear, or a shoulder if somebody needs a shoulder or a hug,” he told Global News Morning Edmonton.
Krakowka told Global News counsellors are being brought into the community for residents.
Being there for each other is something that the youth in Tumbler Ridge need right now, according to Holly Murphy, an advanced practice leader in trauma reform care at IWK Health.
“What children and youth need right now is for their caregivers to be with them, whoever they love, whoever they feel safe with, to be with them, to spend the time,” Murphy said.
“Ask them how are they feeling, do they feel safe, what do they need to feel safe? What can they do to help? Every child is different and you know your child best.”
Murphy added that parents should pay attention to their child as events like Tumbler Ridge can affect them in different ways.
“We can have them being very withdrawn or they may start to act out a bit or they may not share their feelings with us and it’s really important just to really hold the space and to be that caring, supportive adult for them,” she said.
Murphy said adults need to give themselves time and energy to take care so they can then look after their children.
“Before having a conversation with a child or youth who may be asking questions about this, just having a moment for yourself to say, how am I doing,” she added. “Kind of normalizing like, hey, this is hard for both of us.”
As more information comes out about the shooting, Murphy said parents and caregivers should also recognize people may differ on when they need help.
“Some people are going to need support early on, some people are going to need support a day or week from now, a month from now, a year from now, and that’s all OK, everyone is different,” she said.
—with files from Global News’ Amy Judd
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