Date of Conferral
2-7-2025
Degree
Ph.D.
School
Human Services
Advisor
Barbara Benoliel
Abstract
For over 2 decades, mass college campus shootings have been a problem in the United States. College counselors are required to assist and support others on campus after mass shootings and coping with their own concerns and safety. The purpose of this generic qualitative study was to explore coping strategies and perceptions of safety of college counselors in response to the potential risk of gun violence on campus. The framework was based on Figley’s principles of stress theory. Semistructured interviews were conducted with a purposeful sample of eight university counselors. Narrative data were collected and analyzed manually for emerging themes. The findings indicated themes of counselors’ concern for their personal safety, the safety of others, the lack of institutional support for coping, and experiences of vicarious trauma. The findings may contribute to positive social change by informing the counseling and higher education community about safe and healthy work environments after campus violence.
Recommended Citation
Sims, Tonya, "University Counselor Perceptions of Safety and Safety Coping Strategies After On-Campus Mass Shootings" (2025). Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies. 17266.
https://scholarworks.waldenu.edu/dissertations/17266
