The impact of the upsurge in violence on our children's psyche may not be fully realised for several years. Post traumatic stress syndrome can rear it's head even decades after an event, but measures are in place to help students deal with the issues right away.

The Department of Education is leading the way with ensuring all Island students have access to psychological support. A team of counsellors specifically trained in how to help in cases of disaster and crisis has been in place for four years.

The External Crisis Intervention Team, headed by Education Officer LeeAnn Simmons does not restrict its work to needs in the public schools. According to Ms Simmons her team was also called in at Warwick Academy when two students died (one through illness and one in an accident) in close succession and at Bermuda Institute when its newly graduated student Kellon Hill was murdered.

While not solely grief counsellors, so far every time the team has been deployed it's been in the case of an untimely death. Reaction to the specific death is always personal and children respond differently. According to Ms Simmons assumptions that older children are less impacted by the upsurge in violence, would be wrong.

"I wouldn't say any group handles it better than another, it's the individual," she said.

Many students at Victor Scott School expressed anger at the murder that took place on the school playfield on Good Friday. Ms Simmons was on hand when students returned from Easter break and said feedback from the children in their classrooms often included sentences like 'How dare you mess up our friend has lost his dad'.

"Anger is typical," she said, "and we had some fear which is also typical."

But the External Crisis Intervention Team did not have to be brought in, as the school counsellor was able to manage the number of children who required her help.

"I think because it was nine days before school reconvened, people had a chance to process and do some things in the interim," said Ms Simmons. "I think a lot of things done beforehand helped mitigate the need for us."

She said Victor Scott's principal and some of the staff went around the neighbourhood during the holiday and checked on students. They talked with them both to reassure and assess the impact of the murder on them.

The Education Department's Dr. Lou Matthews in his capacity as community activist with Rise Above, and area MP Michael Weeks, were with the principal as she made her rounds, and Ms Simmons said she feels their presence and input also helped.

The result was that the vast majority of students seemed to be coping well by the time school reopened. According to Ms Simmons only about five required ongoing counselling as a direct result of the shooting.

In fact the only students who have needed counselling in any of the recent incidents, were ones who knew someone involved in the violence (or the dead person when violence was not involved such as the student deaths at Warwick Academy).

"We notice a range of responses," said Ms Simmons, when asked how local students appear to be impacted by the upsurge in violence.

"There are some students that are not really severely impacted and there are those who are really in ongoing crisis, tearful and cannot concentrate," she said. "Luckily it's not a lot of large number who require ongoing support. Typically it is those close to the situation where a family member, best friend, godfather is involved so they are actually living that on an ongoing basis."

But while students may not require actual counselling many are being impacted by the increase in violence.

"Although our students have not been directly affected by the upsurge in violence in our community, I can say that they have expressed fears about attending community events like the Ag show, and about feeling safe in their homes," said Bonnie Exell, Guidance Counsellor, at Mount Saint Agnes Academy.

Jon Beard, guidance counsellor and sociology teacher at Saltus, said he's seeing a similar trend with his students. He said on the whole Saltus students are angry about the escalation of violence and have strong opinions that they voice in his classes.

"They think the gang thing is ridiculous and they are as dumbfounded as anybody about the killings," he said.

"I have a couple of children who live on 42nd Street, in sociology class. They are open and talk about the impact it's having on the community. They are concerned that it is impacting their lives and that they cannot walk as freely as they used to. They want something done about it," he added.

And he said that while he doesn't think his students are living in mortal fear, there are some who have to carefully plan their routes home so as to avoid meeting trouble.

No school that I spoke with has laid on any special programmes or counselling type sessions for students. None have felt it necessary to all have a school guidance counsellor. But at Warwick Academy principal Margaret McCorkell explained that a number of support systems are in place for the students.

"We will continue to deal with any effects on our students through the school's pastoral system which consists of form tutors, heads of year, guidance counsellors and a deputy principal dedicated to pastoral issues," she said.

"The students also have the opportunity to address issues that concern them through the Student Council. We will continue to emphasise through assemblies, and form time (classroom time) the importance of making healthy and safe decisions in terms of where we go and who we go with."

Helping students to think and form opinions on their own is good for their mental health. Mount Saint Agnes' Ms Exell noted that at the teenage level students get much of their support from each other.

"Although sometimes we don't think our young people are taking in what is happening in the community, the truth is that they absorb a lot. Most times, however, they discuss their fears with friends rather than adults," she said.

Bearing this in mind it is especially important for parents to converse with their children about the violence in the community. Safety is a basic need and if anyone is feeling unsafe they will not be able to function optimally.

Ms Simmons advises that when children are unsafe, parents ask them what would make them feel safe.

According to her, safety and a sense of normalcy are most important for the healthy development of every child on the Island.