A total of three children, all age nine -- as well as three adults -- were killed at the Covenant School in Nashville in what President Joe Biden referred to as"sick" and"heartbreaking."
Dr. Daniel Marullo, a clinical psychologist from Children's of Alabama Hospital, told ABC News that many children develop resilience, or an ability to overcome serious hardships. "Younger kids tend to have symptoms that reflect in things like withdrawal, depression, anxiety...in response to being a party to or witness to community violence, gun violence," he added.Dr. Scott Krakower, a child and adolescent psychiatrist at Northwell Health in New York, told ABC News that children can experience a wide range of emotions following a traumatic event.
About four in 10 Americans believe they may become a victim of gun violence within the next five years, according to a UChicago Harris/AP-NORC Poll released in August 2022. "One thing is to get back to normal, get back to routine," Marullo said."Getting back to that kind of structure is very important. That really provides a sense of security for kids."