Regular and relevant communication with families, staff and students still matters. The reasons are as important in the long term as the short term.
You can offer advice about:
- anniversaries about the deceased student
- media coverage
- any other forms of potential stress.
This will continue to help protect the wellbeing of your school community. It reinforces a consistent and supportive approach from your school’s emergency response team.
Do not hide stressful news
Hiding possible stressful events from people is not protective. This:
- makes them more vulnerable
- increases their risk of harm.
The desire to find the positive
People’s desire to see something positive emerge from a student’s traumatic death can be very strong.
The work of a critical incident review can help.
Your results and recommendations can give the community a sense of moving forward.