Again, a school shooting. The horror is unfathomable, and as a parent, I feel it in my core. Here are some resources to take action and, if needed, to help us speak with our children about such tragedies.
The Need for Action
While the survivors, their families, and friends in Oregon mourn and heal to the extent they can, the rest of us must take action so that school shootings never happen again. The shooting in Oregon is only one of many incidents of gun violence in schools this year; Education Week notes that so far in 2026, including the shooting in Oregon, there have been:
- 26 school shootings with injuries or deaths
- 43 people killed or injured in a school shooting
- 17 people killed
- 9 students or other children killed
- 8 school employees or other adults killed
- 26 people injured
- 17 people killed
Since 2018, EdWeek says, there have been 165 people killed and 448 people injured from school shootings.
If you wish to take action against gun violence, a few places to start are:
or you can contact your federal, state, and local elected officials directly. Importantly, we must continue to vote with gun control in mind. (You are voting this November, aren’t you?)
Yes, gun control is only part of what we must do to end gun violence. Recognizing warning signs and helping people before they turn to violence is part of it, too. But as the Council on Foreign Relations has noted, “Gun ownership and gun homicide rates are high in the United States compared to other advanced democracies.” Better gun control will make a positive difference.
Resources for Talking With Children
Here are some general resources for helping children process their feelings around shootings and other violence they may hear about in the news, around ongoing active shooter drills in their schools, and even after seeing or experiencing such violence themselves. These are not replacements for seeking professional medical and mental health care, should you feel the need (and I am not a medical or mental health professional myself), but may serve as starting points for how to approach the topic:
- Sesame Street offers resources for children and families on feeling safer in the face of violence.
- A Kids Company About made their A Kids Book About School Shootings downloadable for free several years ago, and it still seems to be available. Written by a survivor of the 1999 Columbine High School shooting, it is aimed at ages 5 to 9.
- The American Academy of Pediatrics explains “How to Talk With Kids About Tragedies & Other Traumatic News Events.”
- The American Psychological Association shares ideas for “Helping your children manage distress in the aftermath of a shooting.”
- Everytown offers some useful information on “Children’s Responses to Trauma” and what adults can do to support children.
- Sandy Hook Promise also has “Resources on Supporting Children and Yourself After a Gun Violence Tragedy” as well as other materials for “Support and Guidance.”