THE fatal shooting of a 10-year-old pupil by a fellow student at the Ateneo de Zamboanga University, as well as the shooting incident in Tacloban City, led me to retrieve the public statement of the Psychological Association of the Philippines (PAP). Issued last July 6, 2026, it is still relevant in the light of recent events and the trauma it has unleashed on the land.
The statement is subtitled “Understanding risk, prevention and well-being among children and adolescents.” As investigations continue, PAP calls for compassion toward victims and survivors, support for affected communities and restraint against speculation while facts are still being established. Public discussions following this tragedy have understandably raised important questions regarding youth violence, school safety and juvenile justice.
These conversations are necessary and should be guided by scientific evidence, developmental knowledge and a commitment to both public safety and child protection.
In the aftermath of this tragedy, PAP emphasizes the importance of providing timely, developmentally appropriate psychosocial support that recognizes how traumatic experiences may affect people differently and seeks to promote safety and avoid further harm. In practice, trauma-informed responses include:
– Recognizing that people may respond differently after a violent event.
– Prioritizing physical and psychological safety.
– Providing clear, accurate and predictable information.
– Avoiding unnecessary repeated retelling of traumatic experiences or exposure to graphic details.
– Respecting privacy, dignity, choice and readiness to engage.
– Supporting connection with family, peers and trusted adults.
– Responding to distress without automatically pathologizing understandable reactions to traumatic events.
– Ensuring access to appropriate support and specialized care when needed.
Effective recovery also requires attention to the needs of school personnel and other responders who may experience distress, secondary trauma or burnout. Institutions should provide opportunities for rest, peer support, supervision and access to mental health services for those involved in response and recovery efforts.
PAP also urges media organizations and social media users to report and share information responsibly. This includes respecting the privacy and dignity of victims and their families, avoiding graphic or sensationalized content, and refraining from speculation or premature conclusions about the causes of violence. Responsible communication can help reduce additional harm, misinformation and re-traumatization.
Research has identified multiple risk and protective factors across individual and developmental, relational and social, community and ecological, and cultural and societal levels. These include the following:
– At the individual and developmental level, emotional distress, difficulties in emotional regulation, trauma and adverse childhood experiences, and delinquent or antisocial behavior may increase vulnerability. Emotional regulation and problem-solving skills, empathy, a positive sense of identity, hope and opportunities to develop competence and agency can, in turn, support healthy development and resilience.
– At the relational and social level, bullying and victimization, family conflict, social isolation and peer rejection may increase risk, while supportive relationships with caregivers and trusted adults, positive peer relationships, family engagement and a strong sense of belonging and connection can provide stability, guidance and support.
– At the community and ecological level, unsafe or exclusionary school environments, exposure to violence, access to lethal means and harmful influences within online and offline environments may contribute to risk. Conversely, safe and inclusive schools, a positive school climate, meaningful opportunities for participation, supportive online and offline communities, accessible mental health and psychosocial support, and strong connections among families, schools and communities can reduce vulnerability and promote well-being.
– At the cultural and societal level, norms and attitudes that condone, normalize or positively view aggression and violence — including those reinforced through media and digital environments, public discourse and the behavior modeled by leaders, public figures and other influential voices — may shape how young people understand and respond to conflict. In contrast, norms and institutions that promote dignity, inclusion, nonviolence, help-seeking and the protection and well-being of children and adolescents can create broader conditions for healthy development.
Digital environments increasingly intersect with these different levels of young people’s development. They are part of the contexts in which young people form identities, build relationships, seek belonging and encounter ideas and social norms. While digital media and online games should not be treated as simple causes of violence, some young people may encounter violent or hateful content, communities that normalize aggression or dehumanization, or manipulative individuals and networks that exploit isolation, grievance and the need for belonging.
These factors do not operate in isolation. Their effects may interact and accumulate across development, with risk shaped by the timing, duration, intensity and combination of experiences, as well as by the presence or absence of protective relationships and resources. Importantly, the presence of one or more risk factors does not mean that a child or adolescent will inevitably engage in violent behavior. Most young people exposed to adversity do not commit serious acts of violence. Protective factors can buffer the effects of adversity, strengthen young people’s capacity to cope and recover, and create opportunities for healthy development even in the presence of difficult experiences.
Public discussions should, therefore, avoid simplistic explanations and refrain from attributing such incidents to any single factor, including particular forms of media, individual characteristics or isolated experiences. This caution applies to media reporting, public commentary, mental health advocacy and discussions on social media. Effective prevention requires understanding the broader developmental and ecological contexts in which children and adolescents grow and develop.
Public discussions following tragedies involving children and adolescents often raise important questions regarding accountability, juvenile justice and public safety. Psychological science demonstrates that children and adolescents differ from adults in important developmental capacities related to decision-making, emotional regulation and susceptibility to social influences. These discussions should therefore be informed by scientific evidence, developmental knowledge and a commitment to both public safety and child well-being.
To be concluded on Aug. 27, 2026
