How to Manage Fears After Mass Violence
The recent shootings in Uvalde and Buffalo have put most (if not all) quarterlifers on edge. These 20- and 30-somethings are right on the cusp – either reeling from their own experiences of shootings in their childhood or fretting about their young children’s safety in public spaces. Managing fear, anxiety, and difficult conversations after incidences of mass violence isn’t something they give adults instructions for. Here’s our best guide on how to cope if you’re feeling especially worried these days.
The Rise of Mass Shootings
A mass shooting is an incident involving several victims of firearm-related violence. Over the past 25 years, hundreds of mass shootings have occurred, which only contribute to young adults’ general sense of anxiety and instability. Today’s young adults (Millennials and Gen Z-ers) grew up in a world where safety wasn’t guaranteed in schools, grocery stores, concerts, movie theaters, and other public spaces.
Here’s a list of just a fraction of the mass shootings that have occurred over the last 25 years.
- Columbine High School (1999)
- Virginia Tech (2007)
- Binghamton (2009)
- Foot Hood (2009)
- Aurora Theater (2012)
- Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, CT (2012)
- Washington Navy Yard (2013)
- San Bernadino (2015)
- Orlando Pulse Nightclub (2016)
- Route 91 Harvest Music Festival in Las Vegas (2017)
- Texas First Baptist Church (2017)
- Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, FL (2018)
- Thousand Oaks Nightclub (2018)
- El Paso Walmart (2019)
- Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, TX (2022)
In 2022 alone, there have been 300 mass shootings so far. These instances of violence can be especially difficult for a generation who has grown up fearing these occurrences in their communities. Now, even in young adulthood, the rate of mass shootings has continued to rise. The children of this generation have grown into adults — some with their own children, who have questions about the shootings..
5 Strategies to Manage Your Fear and Anxiety
1. Acknowledge your anxiety
It is normal to feel fear and anxiety following a traumatic event. Acknowledge your fear, but don’t allow it to consume you.
2. Connect with others
Fear can make you feel isolated and alone, which in turn, heightens the fear. Reach out to others to let them know how you’re feeling and to see how they’re doing. This can help you both feel supported and understood.
3. Avoid triggers
Triggers are things that can cause your fear and anxiety to increase. By temporarily avoiding triggers, you can help to minimize the fear and anxiety that you’re experiencing. Common triggers following mass violence events include:
- News about the event
- Images or videos of the event
- Sensory reminders of the event (sounds, smells, etc.)
- People who were at the event
- Conversations about the event
You may also find that you’re nervous in spaces that are like those of the mass violence event. For instance, maybe you’re not comfortable going to the movies right now, or you prefer to do online grocery pickup instead of shopping in person. It’s not always possible to avoid every trigger but planning and avoiding the ones you can is a good temporary solution.
4. Prepare and support your family
Following the Uvalde shooting, many young parents began to fear the worst about what their children would encounter in school. Searches like “how to talk to kids about school shootings” and “tips on navigating tough conversations with kids about school shootings” were trending on Google.
While it’s a horrifying reality that parents have to talk to their young child about such violence, preparing those in your household can make you feel more prepared if there is such an event in the future. Here are a few tips you can use.
- Remember that you serve as your child’s emotional stability — turn down the volume on your own reactions so you can listen to your child’s concerns calmly.
- Determine whether your child is aware of the event.
- Talk about the event and the impact that the event has had on their thoughts, feelings, and behaviors.
- Provide routines so your child has a sense of predictability and control.
5. Seek professional help
If your fear is still impacting your functioning weeks after an event, consider seeking professional help. Therapy can help you to understand and manage your anxiety in a way that doesn’t interfere with how you live.
Visit the Quarterlife Center for more information on individual counseling after mass violence events.
If you’re interested in scheduling an appointment or you’d like more information, please call us at 1-844-QLC-TALK (1-844-752-8255) or email us here.
