Skip to content
  • The Alabama Baptist
  • The Baptist Paper
  • The Alabama Baptist
  • The Baptist Paper
  • Log In
  • Subscribe
  • Renew
  • Donate
  • The Alabama Baptist
  • The Baptist Paper
  • The Alabama Baptist
  • The Baptist Paper
  • Log In
  • Subscribe
  • Renew
  • Donate
The Baptist Paper
The Baptist Paper
  • SBC 2025
  • Latest News
  • Trending
  • Your state news
  • Classifieds
  • SBC 2025
  • Latest News
  • Trending
  • Your state news
  • Classifieds
  • June 1, 2022
  • Michael Smith
  • Latest News, Real Life News, Texas

Responding to the Texas school shooting: Helping children process tragedy

Parents and other adults helping children process the recent mass shooting at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, Texas, have quite a challenge. It is important for adults to give age-appropriate messages when children ask questions about current events.

James Flournoy, a licensed clinical psychologist serving as Alabama Psychiatry’s consulting psychologist for Brookwood Baptist Health in Birmingham, shared tips and warning signs for helping children talk about their concerns during a recent conversation with TAB Media.

Different approaches

With young children he recommended keeping things short and simple, while with teens he suggested taking an open-ended approach to provide lines of communication since they may not come to parents directly.

“It’s OK to say, ‘I don’t know. This is a very complicated social issue. You have very strong beliefs on either side, and I can’t honestly tell you what to do. I can tell you how I might feel about it. I want to hear how you feel about it. If there are some ideas that you think you have about how we could deal with things like this in the future, what are your thoughts on that?’”

Whether dealing with someone younger or a teen, be honest, Flourney encouraged parents. Listen and try not to be judgmental when a child expresses their thoughts.

“Just listen, be compassionate and try to give them, again, an age-appropriate message.”

It is important not to push too hard if the child does not want to talk, but leave the door open, Flourney noted. 

“If they’re still resistant to talking, then I think at that point you just monitor their behavior over the next several days and weeks and see if you see any changes that signal to you that they may be having a hard time coping and dealing with things.”

Warning signs

Flournoy said warning signs include trouble sleeping and concentrating, increased fear and anxiety, not wanting to go to school, physical symptoms like headaches and stomachaches or a decrease in academic performance.

When is it time to get help?

“If your teenager starts expressing feelings of hopelessness and despair,” Flournoy said.

“We live in the age of social media. Parents may monitor their children’s social media accounts. If you see them start leaving a lot of emojis that are sad faces and they start ‘liking’ someone on Twitter who has different views than they normally do, that could say, ‘Hey, something is going on, and we may need to have a conversation and maybe we need to seek professional help.’”

Another danger sign is if they start doing more risky things, Flournoy noted. If a child or adult friend starts driving more recklessly and gets a couple of speeding tickets when they normally have a spotless driving record, something’s going on there, he asserted.

If a child is normally docile and happy-go-lucky, and they suddenly start hitting a younger sibling or doing aggressive things not within their character, that’s also a warning sign that they may be having trouble processing and dealing with an issue.

Flournoy noted it is important for adults to “check their feelings” because children can pick up on their anxiety.

Seek a professional

Children and teens may not feel comfortable talking to family, so think about who else influences them (friends or pastors, for example) who can provide insight. If that doesn’t work, seek a mental health professional.

Establishing a predictable routine is another way to help children regain composure, confidence and calmness, he said.

Flournoy recommended the Seize the Awkward website and the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline (800-273-8255).

Pathways professional counseling offers Christ-centered services across Alabama. It is a nonprofit sister ministry of Alabama Baptist Children’s Homes and Family Ministries.

For more help on responding to trauma find a list of resources from The Baptist Paper.

Watch the full conversation between Flournoy and Rash on the TAB Media Group YouTube channel.

Share with others:

Facebook
Twitter
LinkedIn
Email

Latest News

  • Mississippi News June 19, 2025
    Mississippi News June 19, 2025
    June 19, 2025/
    0 Comments
  • Lawsuit against Dave Ramsey’s company moving forward
    Lawsuit against Dave Ramsey’s company moving forward
    June 19, 2025/
    0 Comments
  • Mother in Somalia loses husband, home for following Christ
    Mother in Somalia loses husband, home for following Christ
    June 19, 2025/
    0 Comments

Sign up for the Highlights

Get all latest content delivered to your email a few times a month.
Email is required Email is not valid
Thanks for your subscription.
Failed to subscribe, please contact admin.

Related Posts

Mississippi News June 19, 2025

Events Saturday Night Alive youth worship, 7–8 p.m., Winston Association (junior high and high school students): June 28 — Poplar Flat Church July 12 —

Lawsuit against Dave Ramsey’s company moving forward

At issue is a “righteous living” policy at Lampo, better known as Ramsey Solutions, which requires employees to abide by Christian values. Those values, Ramsey’s company has argued, include banning intercourse outside of marriage.

Mother in Somalia loses husband, home for following Christ

A mother of three children in Somalia is struggling to survive after her Muslim relatives drove her from their home and threatened to kill her for accepting Christ, she said.

First person: 15 questions for a six-month spiritual checkup

If you haven’t done a spiritual self-reflection yet this year, I encourage you to review the questions in this post to look at your life at an even deeper level. 

Want to receive news highlights throughout the week? Sign up here!

Email is required Email is not valid
Thanks for your subscription.
Failed to subscribe, please contact admin.

About

  • Our Story
  • Our Team
  • Our Partners
  • Advertise and Promote
  • Classifieds
  • Contact us
  • Our Story
  • Our Team
  • Our Partners
  • Advertise and Promote
  • Classifieds
  • Contact us

Explore

  • State-specific news
  • Archive
  • Opinion pieces
  • Sunday School lessons
  • Persecuted Church
  • Podcasts
  • Videos
  • State-specific news
  • Archive
  • Opinion pieces
  • Sunday School lessons
  • Persecuted Church
  • Podcasts
  • Videos

Submissions

  • Story suggestions
  • Your Voice/Letter to the Editor
  • Photos / Videos
  • Corrections/other
  • Submission Policy
  • Story suggestions
  • Your Voice/Letter to the Editor
  • Photos / Videos
  • Corrections/other
  • Submission Policy

Subscribe

  • Subscribe
  • Renew subscription
  • Gift a subscription
  • Start a new member subscription
  • Start a new group subscription
  • Start a new subscription at the group rate
  • Hosted Church
  • Manage your group
  • Manage your account
  • Request free trial
  • Subscribe
  • Renew subscription
  • Gift a subscription
  • Start a new member subscription
  • Start a new group subscription
  • Start a new subscription at the group rate
  • Hosted Church
  • Manage your group
  • Manage your account
  • Request free trial
The Baptist Paper
Address:
3310 Independence Dr.
Birmingham, AL 35209
Copyright © 2025 TAB Media Group
  • Privacy/Terms of Use
  • Help
  • FAQ
  • Privacy/Terms of Use
  • Help
  • FAQ

Email:
news@thebaptistpaper.org

About

  • Our Team
  • Advertise and Promote
  • Classifieds
  • Donate
  • Photo Galleries
  • Contact us
  • Hosted Church
  • Our Team
  • Advertise and Promote
  • Classifieds
  • Donate
  • Photo Galleries
  • Contact us
  • Hosted Church

Explore

  • Latest News
  • Trending
  • Your State News
  • Persecuted Church
  • Editorials
  • Opinions
  • Podcasts
  • Videos
  • Archive
  • Submit your news
  • Latest News
  • Trending
  • Your State News
  • Persecuted Church
  • Editorials
  • Opinions
  • Podcasts
  • Videos
  • Archive
  • Submit your news

Subscribe

  • Manage your group
  • Manage your account
  • Subscribe
  • Start a new subscription at the group rate
  • Manage your group
  • Manage your account
  • Subscribe
  • Start a new subscription at the group rate

Log Out?

Lost your password?

Log In

Lost your password?

Log in

Become a part of our community!
Forgot your password? Get help
Privacy/Terms of Use

Reset password

Recover your password
A password reset link will be e-mailed to you.
Privacy/Terms of Use
Back to
Login
×
Close Panel