18 | DECEMBER 9 • 2021
OUR COMMUNITY
I
n the wake of the Oxford High School
shooting on Nov. 30 that left four stu-
dents dead and seven others injured, the
Oxford community and the surrounding
Metro Detroit area are navigating the after-
math. Students, parents and the general
population alike are now dealing with the
effects of trauma, an experience — like the
Oxford High School shooting — that is
deeply distressing or disturbing.
To help youth in particular cope with
trauma, shock and the days to come, gen-
eral education social worker Aliza Bracha
Klein, who works with Oak Park School
District in crisis intervention and also with
Jewish Family Service as a case aide, offers
advice on what parents should know about
trauma, the after-effects and how to talk to
your kids about what they’re experiencing.
UNDERSTANDING THE IMPACT
OF TRAUMA
Some effects of trauma can present them-
selves right away, while others may take
shape in more delayed forms that begin to
appear over time. Symptoms of psychologi-
cal trauma, which people may be experienc-
ing now, can include:
•
Shock, denial or disbelief
•
Confusion or difficulty concentrat-
ing
•
Anger, irritability and mood swings
•
Anxiety and fear
•
Guilt, shame and self-blame
•
Withdrawing from others
•
Feeling sad or hopeless
•
Feeling disconnected or numb
Every child will have different coping
skills, Klein explains. “Not every person is
going to cope in the same way that some-
body else is,
” she says. “These are things that
we have to look out for.
”
Some kids, she continues, may develop a
mindset of “why me,
” or of wanting to take
the place of a victim. Others can develop
what’s known as secondary trauma, or indi-
rect exposure through a firsthand account
or narrative of a traumatic event (such as
hearing a story about the shooting through
a friend).
Students in other school districts who
were home from school as a result of coun-
ty-wide school closures in Oakland County
following the shooting might also fear the
idea of going back to school.
This trauma, Klein describes, can take the
form of layers. “You have trauma on top of
trauma,
” she says.
HOW PARENTS CAN HELP KIDS
NAVIGATE TRAUMA
Encouraging kids to feel safe is the biggest
step parents can take in helping their chil-
dren navigate trauma and its after effects.
“
Allow them to process their feelings in a
healthy way,
” Klein advises. “It’s important
to let them know that they’re safe. Always
let them talk the way they want to talk and
to process emotions in a healthy way.
”
Klein also recommends being patient.
Because everyone reacts differently to trau-
ma, she suggests acknowledging feelings
and the events that occurred in a simple,
easy-to-understand way so children can
process their emotions. Sometimes, it may
take time for that process to occur.
Going over safety procedures is also key
to helping kids feel safe, says Klein, 36, of
Oak Park. “Make sure they know what to
do and that there are resources out there,
”
she advises.
Lastly, Klein suggests regularly checking
in on your kids and how they’re feeling.
It’s important to keep an eye on things
like behavior, sleeping patterns and eating
habits or appetite, which can change due to
increased anxiety or discomfort — a sign
that your child may need support.
“Even though they don’t display any
symptoms, weeks or months from now they
could possibly be feeling emotions from
the event,
” she says. “It’s really important to
make sure that we continue to get kids and
students the help they need to make sure
we’re one step ahead of it.
”
HEALING FROM TRAUMA
AS A COMMUNITY
With 28 school shootings in 2021 alone,
the deadly Oxford High School shooting
brought the national crisis home — and
shook up the entire community. “It hit close
to home, especially in Oakland County,
”
Klein explains. “It impacted us.
”
Many people in Metro Detroit have
friends or family who attend or have kids
who attend Oxford Community Schools,
creating just one degree of separation at
times between themselves and those who
experienced the shooting firsthand.
Helping kids understand the resources
around them can go a long way in both
preventing and healing from tragedy. “Kids
don’t usually know that there’s somebody
they can speak to,
” Klein says. “Kids can
internalize things. They have trauma; they
have different things that they go through
that they may not tell their parents.
”
That’s why making these resources
known matters. “They could be struggling
alone,
” she adds.
Now, as the community heals, safety and
mental health are of paramount impor-
tance, especially for youth. “People are more
aware about the need for safety plans,
” Klein
says. “People are more concerned. Parents
are scared; kids are scared. This opens up a
[new] topic of mental health.
”
Crisis expert shares guidance on how to help kids
navigate the aftermath of the Oxford shooting.
Dealing with Trauma
ASHLEY ZLATOPOLSKY CONTRIBUTING WRITER
Aliza
Bracha
Klein