Staying alert: An unnecessary fear and worry at school

Run, hide, or fight: A phrase that many have heard teachers or parents say about what to do in case a school shooter enters campus. It is a situation no one ever dreams of going through, but in recent years, a tragic number of lives have been taken. But how exactly does it impact the lives of these victims?

In the last two decades, school shootings have nearly doubled. The number of students exposed to gun violence related at schools from 1999 to 2024 is over 37,000. School shootings have occured at more than 400 schools.

Photo courtesy of Gerald Herbert

Many students exposed to school shootings tend to suffer heavily from it, to the point of not being able to graduate high school or getting employed. School shootings lead students to drop their enrollment as their mental health declines severely. The lives of students change with the aftermath of it all, and it tends to stick with them for the rest of their lives.

“I’d say it makes everyone overthink, worry, and be in a constant state of having your guard up,” Liberty senior Gianna Shoomiloff expressed.

Mental health within students is altered heavily after a traumatic event. Many survivors often develop PTSD, major depressive disorders, anxiety disorders, and drug-use. The lack of trust that one would not have due to the shootings is getting higher and higher with each attack on innocent lives.

"It would be something that you can never get past and possibly be hard to move on from,” a Liberty senior concluded.

Students who survived school shootings tend to repress their emotions and thoughts since they do not want to relive their experience. It differs with every child, with some showing obvious signs of declining mental health while others can hide it easier from parents and peers.

Liberty senior, Hannah Rivers, acknowledged, “It would shift the energy when you come back to school if a situation were to happen.”

Aiding a survivor early on, despite what they outwardly show, will help them find stability in their life. They will be able to live with the reality of their situation without having to suffer alone.