Trauma Case Study
A group of CHWs work at a nonprofit community organization called Family Forward that helps youth and families access healthcare, practice preventive health measures, and obtain education. The community has been rocked by the fatal shootings of three children in separate incidents over the last several weeks. The dead include a 16-year-old boy, a 15-yearold girl, and a 9-year-old boy. The 16-year-old boy was a client of Family Forward and had participated in their educational programs on and off over the past year. The grandmother of the 9-year-old boy is a former client of Family Forward, as well.
At a staff meeting of Family Forward, the CHWs learn that the mayor has arranged for a press conference to be held in the neighborhood, and that she (the mayor) plans to announce tough new measures to stop the killings, including a youth curfew. If implemented, the youth curfew would mean that any child 16 years old or younger could be cited or arrested if they were on the street after 9 pm.
The staff and leadership of Family Forward are troubled by the violence, but they are also concerned about the idea of a youth curfew, as it could rope some young people into the criminal justice system. They also think that both the violence and the curfew could decrease participation in community events in the evenings. The CHWs offer to make a proposal for an alternative response to the crisissomething that Family Forward, other nonprofits, and community residents could take on.
The staff agrees that something should be done quickly, and it should involve the community and possibly other organizations or government services in the neighborhood. The CHWs know that many people in the community are upset about the shootings. Although the community has suffered from high levels of street violence for some time, the rapid death of three children in a row is unusual. The personal connection that Family Forward has to two of the victims makes it even more important to respond to the killings.
Discussion Questions:
1. What impacts of collective trauma (gun violence, and in particular the recent child deaths) would you anticipate seeing in the community?
2. How might Family Forward and the community take action to respond to this violence? Brainstorm a list of options that Family Forward might consider.
3. What is your goal in designing a collective response to the trauma? What do you hope will happen?
