Indian Community School in Franklin closed for two days in September after a man pointed a handgun at a school staff member.
Schools, including Milwaukee Public Schools, conduct safety drills to prepare students for potential threats.
But talking to a 4-year-old about guns and gun violence is different from talking to a teenager, experts say.
It’s important to be informative without being overwhelming, said Bianca Tocci, an assistant professor of pediatrics at the Medical College of Wisconsin and pediatric trauma psychologist at Children’s Wisconsin.
She said conversations about gun violence should reflect children’s developmental needs, including their age, experiences and ability to understand the information.
Here are four things to keep in mind when talking to young children about guns and gun violence.
1. Start by asking what they already know
Before explaining guns or gun violence, adults should ask children what they already know about the subject, Tocci said.
Their understanding may come from conversations with classmates, school safety drills, social media or experiences in their neighborhoods.
This conversation can help answer children’s questions and address their misconceptions – without introducing unnecessary information.
The National Education Association, a national labor union representing educators and other school employees, also offers similar suggestions. The association advises adults to first find out what children already know and let their questions guide how much information to provide, while avoiding graphic details.
According to the association, younger elementary school children benefit from brief explanations, reassurance and concrete examples of safety measures, such as locked school doors.
Older elementary and middle school students may ask more specific questions about their safety and need help understanding the precautions schools and communities are taking to help protect them.
2. Keep calm
Adults also should speak and behave calmly.
Tocci recommended speaking truthfully, calmly and in an even tone, noting that children can pick up on adults’ emotions.
There is the same need for calmness in how drills and other safety precautions are presented, said Trish Kilpin, director of the Wisconsin Department of Justice Office of School Safety.
“For a kindergartner, maybe the ‘school safety drill’ is about the following directions of your teacher,” Kilpin said. “Anxiety and learning doesn’t work.”
John McKenna, executive director of the Campaign to Keep Guns Off Campus, a national organization advocating for gun-free college and university campuses, said even the amount of time children are expected to remain hidden during a drill can affect them differently depending on their age.
“If you’re 5 years old, you’re told to hide somewhere for 30 minutes – that’s different than asking a sophomore in college to hide for 30 minutes,” McKenna said.
3. Emphasize who is responsible
Children should understand that adults are primarily responsible for keeping them safe, rather than feeling that responsibility rests on their own shoulders.
Tocci recommends identifying the trusted adults children can turn to, including caregivers, teachers and first responders, and explaining the safety measures already in place.
The National Association of School Psychologists also recommends reassuring younger children that adults are there to protect them, while helping older students understand how they can contribute to their own safety and that of others.
4. Maintain conversations and relationships
A single conversation may not address every question or concern a child has about gun violence.
Tocci identified several factors that can help protect children exposed to violence, which include healthy relationships with caregivers and community members.
Children should be “engaging in frequent shared activities with caregivers” and also have spaces available where they can discuss their problems with trusted adults like their parents, Tocci said.
Making sure these things are in place can help create “more opportunities for healing, which inherently impacts decision-making and behavior,” she said.
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