How to talk with kids after Texas shooting

• Scott LaMar
  BioRecent Stories

  

  Scott LaMar has worked in both radio and television for more than four decades.
  
  Currently, LaMar is the Host and Executive Producer of The Spark program on WITF-FM, 89.5 & 93.3 in Harrisburg, Pa.
  
  Previously, LaMar was WITF TV’s Sr. Public Affairs producer and produced the station’s award-winning weekly public affairs TV program, Smart Talk.
  
  In addition to his on-air duties, LaMar has moderated political candidate debates, including those for candidates running for Pennsylvania governor and the U.S. Senate and was a regular contributor to BBC World News TV before and after the 2020 U.S. Presidential election.
  
  LaMar often emcees or moderates local events and has gone as far as California to emcee a national event.
  
  The American Society of Civil Engineers honored LaMar with their national Excellence in Journalism award in 2020. He has been nominated for five Mid-Atlantic Emmy Awards.
  
  LaMar and The Spark have been recognized throughout the Central Pennsylvania community including ADVOZ Lancaster’s “Dignity in Dialogue Award”, the South-Central Assembly’s “Regional Citizen Award” and was named a “Humanitarian Hero” by The Humane Society of the United States/Pennsylvania.
  
  A native of Coatesville, Pa., LaMar has also worked as a broadcast news anchor, sports play-by-play announcer and manager.

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Airdate: May 26, 2022

The mass shooting at an elementary school in Uvalde, Texas Tuesday that left 19 children and two adults dead is weighing on the hearts and minds of a nation.

Once again in the violent year of 2022, we are grieving and asking the usual questions after another mass shooting – why, what can be done to stop it and do we as people have the will to take steps to keep it from happening again?

But there are issues that may be or should be addressed in our own families – how to talk with our kids after another traumatic event – one that may leave them feeling vulnerable and scared?

Thursday’s Smart Talk addresses those issues with Dr. Brian Allen (PhD), a clinical psychologist and director of mental health services at the Center for the Protection of Children at Penn State Health Children’s Hospital and Brandy Fox, Director of Cross Sector Infant Early Childhood Mental Health Initiatives with the Pennsylvania Key ,that is part of Pennsylvania’s Office of Child Development and Early Learning.

How to talk with children after tragic events from pbs.org

Other resources:

The Pennsylvania Key has a webpage focused on Trauma: RESOURCES TO PROVIDE SUPPORT AROUND TRAUMATIC EXPERIENCES – THE PENNSYLVANIA KEY (pakeys.org) where several of the resources below are linked in one place.

The National Child Traumatic Stress Network:

Microsoft Word – Tips for Parents Media final_shooting (nctsn.org)

Danielle Lewis (nctsn.org) “Talking to children about the shooting”

restoring_safety_aftermath_of_mass_shooting_for_parents.pdf (nctsn.org)

From the Child Mind Institute:

Helping Children Cope With Trauma (childmind.org)