SANDRA:
STUDENTS IN PARKLAND, FLORIDA, ARE
EXPECTED TO GO BACK TO CLASSES
THIS WEEK AFTER THAT DEADLY MASS
SHOOTING AND, OF COURSE, THERE'S
A MIX OF EMOTIONS.
A LOT OF PEOPLE AFRAID, THEY'RE
WORRIED ABOUT SAFETY, BUT IT'S
NOT JUST FLORIDA STUDENTS.
ALL ACROSS THE COUNTRY,
INCLUDING HERE IN SOUTHERN
CALIFORNIA, ARE CONCERNED ABOUT
VIOLENCE IN SCHOOLS, SO HOW DO
WE TALK TO OUR KIDS?
MARLA MATTENSON IS A
COMMUNICATIONS EXPERT, AND SHE
IS HERE TO HELP.
YOU'RE ALSO A FORMER TEACHER,
WELCOME.
THANK YOU SO MUCH.
SANDRA: SO THIS IS TOUGH BECAUSE
I THINK WE KNOW NOW IT'S NOT
JUST HAPPENING THERE, IT'S
HAPPENING EVERYWHERE.
AND OVER THE PAST WEEK, PARENTS
HERE IN SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA HAVE
HAD TO DEAL WITH THESE AND IS
TRY TO DECIPHER WHAT'S GOING ON
AND WHAT CAN WE DO TO HELP OUR
KIDS GET THROUGH THIS.
YEAH.
SO ACCORDING TO RESEARCH, OVER
291 SHOOTINGS HAVE HAPPENED IN
THE LAST FIVE YEARS, 17 OF THOSE
THIS YEAR ALONE.
SO STUDENTS AND TEACHERS AND
PARENTS, WE'RE ALL FILLED WITH
SO MUCH ANXIETY.
AND A FRIEND OF MINE HAS A
DAUGHTER IN HIGH SCHOOL WHO IS
SO NERVOUS ABOUT BEING IN LARGER
ARENAS LIKE THE CAFETERIA, AND
SHE'S JUST SO SCARED, SHE'S
EATING HER LUNCH IN THE
TEACHERS' ROOMS.
AND WHEN THE TEACHERS ARE NOT
AVAILABLE, SHE'S ACTUALLY GOING
INTO THE BATHROOM TO EAT HER
LUNCH.
IT'S REALLY TERRIFYING, WHAT'S
GOING ON RIGHT NOW.
AND ANOTHER TEACHER FRIEND OF
MINE IN LOS ANGELES, HE SAID THE
DAY AFTER THE PARKLAND SHOOTING
JUST A REGULAR FIRE TRILLION
HAPPENED AT THEIR SCHOOL IS --
DRILL HAPPENED AT THEIR SCHOOL,
AND IT SENT EVERYBODY INTO A
PANIC.
THE
FOR ARE WE SAFE, AND THE
TEACHERS JUST PEERED OUTSIDE THE
DOOR TO SEE ARE WE WE OKAY AND
THEY, OF COURSE, WERE.
BUT THEIR ANXIETY LEVEL'S SO
HIGH THESE DAYS.
SANDRA: SOCIAL MEDIA PLAYS INTO
THIS TOO, RIGHT?
IT USED TO BE KIDS WOULD JUST
GET IT FROM THE NEWSPAPER OR
FROM HEARING IT ON THE RADIO.
NOW THEY'RE BOMBARDED WITH
MESSAGES ABOUT WHO SAID WHAT AND
WHO DID WHAT AND LOOK AT THIS
PICTURE.
AS PARENTS, WHAT DO WE DO?
HOW DO WE MAKE THEM FEEL SAFE,
AND SHOULD THEY FEEL SAFE?
NOT A DEBATE ABOUT GUN LAWS, BUT
JUST ABOUT SENDING OUR KIDS OFF
IN THE MORNING.
EXACTLY.
YOU KNOW, THE FIRST THING IS TO
UNDERSTAND WHAT'S GOING ON ON A
BIOLOGICAL LEVEL.
PART OF MY BACKGROUND IS IN
NEUROSCIENCE AND MATHEMATICS,
AND IN THAT BACKGROUND I
UNDERSTAND THAT THE FIGHT,
FLIGHT AND FREEZE RESPONSE IS
ACTIVATED ALMOST ALL THE TIME IN
ALL OF US THESE DAYS.
WE CAN LITERALLY BE IN LEWIN AT
THE MARKET AND IN TRAFFIC, AND
WE GET THAT ANXIETY RESPONSE
JUST ACTIVATED.
SO IS IT TELLS OUR BRAIN TO SEND
A CASCADE OF CHEMICALS THROUGH
OUR SYSTEM THAT SAYS SMUT --
SHUT IT DOWN, SHUT IT OFF.
THAT DOESN'T SOUND HEALTHY.
IT'S VERY CHALLENGING.
AND EVEN THE CDC SAYS TWO OUT OF
THREE HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS ARE
SLEEP DEBRAVE PROVED.
SO NOT ONLY ARE THEY NOT GETTING
ENOUGH SLEEP, BUT NOW YOU ADD
THE ANXIETY OF A POTENTIAL
SHOOTING OR IS THAT KID ACTING
WEIRD OR, YOU KNOW, THERE'S SO
MUCH GOING ON WITH ANXIETY IN
GENERAL, SLEEP DEPRIVATION AND
NOW THESE SHOOTINGS THAT THE
STUDENTS HAVE A REALLY
CHALLENGING TIME LEARNING,
RIGHT?
BECAUSE IF YOU IMAGINE IF YOU
HAVE A CERTAIN LEVEL OF ANXIETY
AND YOU SIT DOWN TO TAKE A TEST,
PART OF YOUR ATTENTION IS ALWAYS
GOING TO BE ON THAT ANXIETY.
SO TO ACCESS YOUR SHORT OR
LONG-TERM MEMORY IS NEARLY
IMPOSSIBLE.
SANDRA: SO MUCH MORE TO TALK
ABOUT AND SO MUCH RESPONSIBILITY
FOR PARENTS AND EDUCATORS.
MARLA, THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE.
YOU CAN GET MORE INFORMATION
ABOUT MARLA AND HER OPINION ON
ALL OF THIS, JUST GO TO OUR WEB
