Norfolk students and the community are grappling with a shooting that left one student dead and another injured.
Police were called to the northwest corner of Norview High at about 2:30 p.m. Wednesday. At the time, students were being dismissed for the day. A 16-year-old boy was shot and later died at the hospital, Norfolk Police said in a release. A 17-year-old boy was injured.
A Norfolk Public Schools spokesperson said the division provided additional support for students and staff, including crisis counselors and extra security personnel.
After a traumatic event, such as a shooting, it’s important for children and teens to have an adult who won’t judge but will respect their feelings, said Erinn Portnoy, the director of the Child Advocacy Center at the Children’s Hospital at The King’s Daughters.
“Having a supportive adult can really change the trajectory of a child's life,” she said. “It's so important to have an adult that they can talk to, and having adults who are calm and honest and available and willing to listen.”
Trauma is the emotional, physical or psychological response to an event that overwhelms someone’s sense of safety or ability to cope, Portnoy said. It isn’t defined by the event itself, but by how someone experiences it. Two people can experience the same situation and respond differently.
And just because a person didn’t directly experience an event doesn’t mean they won’t be affected, she said. Students may hear about it from their friends, see it on social media or know someone who was impacted.
Children may be scared, anxious, sad or confused. They can have nightmares, not want to go or do activities they normally enjoy or have safety concerns about their loved ones.
Portnoy said adults should talk with their child about an event in a way that’s comfortable and age-appropriate. Younger children may need simpler language and concrete explanations. Teenagers may want more detailed information and need help deciphering what’s fact versus a rumor.
“The most important thing is to create safe opportunities to have conversations with children and let the child or the teen guide the conversation,” she said. “An adult can ask, ‘What have you heard?’ or ‘how are you feeling about what happened? What questions do you have?’
A child or teen may not immediately respond to a traumatic event. A teenager “may seem fine today and be struggling later,” Portnoy said. Adults can help their children by creating low-pressure opportunities to talk.
They also should keep an eye on any persistent symptoms of anxiety or changes in behavior. If those thoughts persist, a child may need help from a mental health professional, she said.
For families, teachers or students who want more information about trauma, Portnoy recommends visiting the National Child Traumatic Stress Network.
Norfolk Public Schools is a member of the Hampton Roads Educational Telecommunications Association, which holds WHRO’s license.
