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

