Program for Survivors of Violence
Instructions
Scenario
It's been several days after the shooting at the local middle school, and details about the shooter have emerged
The shooter—13-year-old John—had been bullied most of his life. His mother left when he was three, and his alcoholic father physically and emotionally abused him. John often went without food and clean clothes for days, and other children mocked and humiliated him. Desperate to escape the misery, John took his father's rifle and killed his father, whom he considered to be the source of his anguish. Then, John headed to middle school, seeking additional payback. John killed 14 students and three teachers, wounded five other people, and ultimately ended his own life.
Surviving students and teachers feel pain, anger, confusion, and guilt in the shooting's aftermath. They need your help to create a program that will help them effectively process the situation and deal with their emotions.
Research
Your main research source will be your textbook when creating the program for the survivors. You should also use the references listed in this section or conduct your own research using reliable, relevant sources. Whether you agree or disagree with the authors, you must support your argument with reliable material from the provided sources. Also, if you have life experience in this area, you may include this information in your paper.
Program for Survivors
Student Name
Institutional Affiliation
Date
Program for Survivors
Apart from natural disasters, students experience violence and death related to suicide, rape, and snipers. When these occur, they adversely affect the survivors' wellbeing. In this case, the shooting incident has left the surviving students and teachers scared and mentally disturbed. The killing of 14 students and three teachers and the wounding of five other people is tragic. Incidences of mass violence and terrorism present unique challenges to the communities in which they occur CITATION Off23 \l 1033 (Office for Victims of Crime, 2023). Because of the students' and teachers' emotional and mental anguish, it is important to offer them a comprehensive recovery program that addresses their pain and anger. A program is needed for the survivors to regain their emotional and mental wellbeing affected by the tragic experience. Through a program, the survivors will cope with their emotions and work towards overcoming the challenging situation. The program designed is named “Recovering Together” and has various components.
Firstly, the “Recovering Together” program will include the provision of psychoeducation on trauma and grief to the survivors. Individuals can suffer trauma if they do not understand how to deal with it. The victims have gone through trauma as a result of watching their colleagues die. It is essential to provide the incident survivors with the information they need to cope with the problem (Birkhead & Vermeulen, 2018). In particular, gun violence incidence came with trauma, adversely affecting the functioning of the students and their teachers. Without proper information, the survivors will believe myths about trauma and may be unwilling to express themselves by opening up about what they are going through. Through education, the survivors will understand the importance of grieving. When a tragedy occurs, individuals must go through the grieving process. The program will help them appreciate that grieving is essential and that their emotions and feelings are valid to help normalize their response. Through the information provided, the survivors will be empowered to understand more about trauma and grief and how to deal with them.
Secondly, the program will outline the coping strategies needed to address the pain and frustration they are going through. The shooting incident has caused anxiety, stress, and overwhelming emotions. Without knowing how to manage these, it would be challenging for the survivors to navigate the process. As a result, the program will teach the survivors how to cope with the problem. The victims will undergo mindfulness and relaxation training to help them manage their emotions. Here, the survivors will learn how to control their emotions to avoid getting overwhelmed by the shooting incident. This could be supplemented with exercises and deep breathing activities. When the victims undertake exercise and deep breathing, they will enhance their capacity to control and regulate their emotions.
Thirdly, the program will allow the victims opportunities to share their experiences. The tragic shooting left the students and teachers with a lot to share. The program will bring the survivors together and create a safe space where they can express themselves. The forums will allow members to talk about their experiences, feelings, and how they are coping. When people go through a traumatic exp...