In the wake of the Columbine tragedy last spring, we turned to the American School Counselor Association. Judith Ladd, Past President of ASCA, shared her insights on the copycat phenomenon and what parents can do to keep their kids safe.

FEN: Why are we seeing copycat incidents at schools after Columbine?

J. Ladd: The copycat crimes are done by young people who feel some alliance to the two boys responsible for the Columbine tragedy. They identify with the Columbine perpetrators. They think they can feel better about themselves and more powerful by following suit. And this is consistent with the typical effect of violent trauma: One identifies with either the victim or the perpetrator. And kids involved in copycat crimes share a sense of alienation with the Columbine perpetrators: they don't feel they are a valued part of the school community. It's important for all of us to understand that very few kids do this just for attention. But we do have a lot of kids who feel hurt, unappreciated, and unconnected.

FEN: How can we ease our kids' anxiety about more school violence?

J. Ladd: One thing parents must do is realize the lack of comfort that a kid might feel. For example, a kid might start feeling compelled to look for an exit sign as soon as he enters a room. Parents need to allow kids to talk about their discomfort, and parents need to listen, which could be a very scary thing to do. Parents should also let kids verbally work through what they might do in the event of a school shooting, to imagine their escape route, etc.

FEN: Is it normal for our children to still be concerned about Columbine?

J. Ladd: Yes. Now that the violence in Columbine is over, the media's focus has shifted, but the feelings aren't necessarily resolved. We shouldn't assume that everything was dealt with on the media's schedule. A month later, it's OK for your kid to be talking about it, and it will be critically important for us to talk about it at back-to-school time.

FEN: How can parents make a positive difference?

J. Ladd: First, parents can listen to their kids. It's scary, but it's critically important. Secondly, if you discover that your child is feeling uncomfortable at school, chances are, other kids are feeling unsafe. You should make the school counselor or the head administrator aware of it so that they can address the problem.

And lastly, parents need to make sure that their kids' schools have violence prevention programs in place. If there are situations in your kids' schools where students are not accepting of differences, they need to be taught how to resolve conflict, manage their emotions well, and become tolerant of each other.