On 10 September, Charlie Kirk, an American right-wing conservative influencer, was shot dead at Utah Valley University while holding a debate on campus.
Within minutes of the incident, incredibly graphic videos of his death, filmed from just 10ft away, were uploaded to social media.
Despite the recent Online Safety Bill coming into force, none of these videos was censored. Whether people wanted to see them or not, the videos were thrown into their algorithms, and before they knew it, they had watched someone’s life being taken away. This is what happened to me - and it’s what happened to some of my students, too.
Walking into school the next morning, I could hear students discussing Kirk’s assassination.
For many of them, graphic images online have become normalised. But for others, the content was incredibly distressing.
This raises questions about young people’s safety online. And there is another dimension to these discussions: the politicisation of the issues surrounding Kirk’s murder.
Controversial questions in class
Kirk was the CEO of Turning Point USA, an American non-profit organisation that advocates for conservative politics on high school and university campuses. He was known for visiting schools across the US and debating whoever stood in front of him. These debates would get clipped and uploaded to social media as viral videos.
As a result, Kirk was a somewhat polarising figure, with a long list of what many would claim to be controversial statements.
Students who spend a lot of time online were already well aware of him. Following his death, many came to school with questions about his politics and beliefs.
These are not easy questions for teachers to answer, but this was also not an isolated incident. School staff might recently have found themselves in similarly difficult positions, having to field students’ questions about the ongoing conflict in Gaza, for example, or about protests outside hotels housing asylum seekers.
So, how should school staff handle both the graphic nature of what students might see online and the controversial questions that might follow?
1. Acknowledge students’ distress
First, we must understand the scale of the distress that indirect exposure to traumatic events can cause. Seeing graphic images and videos being repeatedly shared can produce symptoms associated with post traumatic stress disorder, through a process known as vicarious trauma.
Owing to the algorithmic nature of social media, once you’ve seen a video, more in the same vein will be sent to your timeline. This repeated exposure can lead to a negative cycle that actually increases media consumption. People may have heightened stress levels, intrusive thoughts related to the images or difficulty sleeping.
Feeling an emotional connection to the victims in the images can also heighten the impact of the exposure.
Students need to know that they are in a safe and supportive environment and that there are adults around who will listen without judgement. Let them share what they saw and how it made them feel. Validate their emotions.
Encourage breaks from social media and the news. Remind them how to stay safe online, and use filters to block or mute key words.
2. Encourage critical thinking
It’s also important to help students to distinguish fact from speculation or misinformation. With any traumatic event, rumours soon spread and there is a race to politicise the situation.
Explain this to students, reminding them that you might get a different version of events depending on where you look. Encourage critical thinking, explaining the need to check credible sources for evidence and to keep an open mind.
3. Set boundaries for discussion
Young people are becoming much more politically engaged and want to delve into discussions about current events. As educators, we need to be mindful about how we engage with these discussions.
Set clear and agreed upon rules of discussion: outline the need to respect one another, to challenge the idea, not the person, and to listen.
Include multiple perspectives by helping students to see how different people might have experienced the same event.
Recognise that emotions may be running high. Allow students to express fear, confusion or grief. Allow for a pause or break in conversation if it all becomes overwhelming.
4. Remain impartial
Focus on critical thinking, not persuasion. The goal isn’t to convert students to a political view; we must remain impartial in that respect. The goal is to help them to think carefully: where does the evidence come from? Who gains from each perspective? Am I basing my views on facts or feelings?
Traumatic incidents viewed on social media can be deeply unsettling, not just for students but for adults, too. Ignoring traumatic events in the news isn’t an option - that will only build anxiety, misinformation or fear.
By creating safe spaces for emotional regulation and facilitating thoughtful discussion, we can help students to move from shock or fear towards understanding and resilience.
Thomas Michael is a safeguarding lead
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