Gun violence has stolen countless lives and traumatized millions more, so the language we use when talking about it is important.
It’s #MentalHealthAwarenessMonth and we’ve put together a small trauma-informed guide to help navigate these conversations. (A thread)
It’s #MentalHealthAwarenessMonth and we’ve put together a small trauma-informed guide to help navigate these conversations. (A thread)
First off: It’s important to keep survivors in mind when talking about gun violence. A survivor is anyone who has personally experienced gun violence, whether they witnessed it, were threatened or wounded with a gun, or had a loved one taken or wounded with a gun.
Avoid naming or sharing photos of shooters: Don’t give shooters the notoriety they may want. Instead, focus on the victims and survivors of shootings. #NoNotoriety
Avoid sharing photos or videos of shootings: Seeing gun violence and hearing gunshots can be traumatizing for people, regardless of whether they are a survivor.
Avoid saying “committed suicide.” Instead, say “died by gun suicide.”
“Committed” is a word we use when describing crimes. Using it in this context can be shaming and stigmatizing to those whose loved one died by suicide.
“Committed” is a word we use when describing crimes. Using it in this context can be shaming and stigmatizing to those whose loved one died by suicide.
People are not “lost” to gun violence. Using a passive term like “lost” makes the loss of life a passive action, when in reality, someone was killed.
Instead, say someone was “stolen” by gun violence, or be factual and say that they were “killed.”
Instead, say someone was “stolen” by gun violence, or be factual and say that they were “killed.”
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