Recovery from Jokela school shootings could take years and cost millions

About 50 in urgent need of trauma therapy

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Dealing with the psychological aftermath of the school shootings in Jokela is likely to take several years. Therapy costs during the next four years are expected to reach EUR 4.8 million.
     Counselling is available to all who were affected by in the events. The families of those who died, and siblings and friends of pupils will also have access to therapy services.
     The events that shocked the whole country took place at Jokela School near Helsinki on November 7th, when student Pekka-Eric Auvinen shot dead six fellow students, the school nurse, the head teacher, and himself.
     
The tragedy affects nearly everyone in Jokela, says Riitta Ristolainen, head physician of the municipality of Tuusula.
     A team that has been set up to deal with the aftermath includes doctors, psychologists, and experts of the Ministry of Social Affairs and Health.
     Trauma experts in the group say that nearly half of the pupils and personnel at the Jokela School Centre need some kind of treatment. About 50 are estimated to need long-term trauma therapy, and in some cases, the treatment is expected to continue until 2011.
     
Two suicides have been reported in Jokela since the school shootings. Ristolainen says that a connection with the massacre can neither be proven, nor ruled out.
      "Facts and rumours get mixed up in what people say. Those dealing with the aftermath try to clip the wings of the rumours."
     The upper grades in Jokela now have a new head teacher, Janne Leivo, whose predecessor Helena Kalmi died in the massacre.
     "We have tried to adhere to the normal schedule at the school for the past couple of weeks", Leivo says.
     There is still some absenteeism in the school. The aim is to focus on studying. Crisis counsellors are available if someone wants to talk about the events, or the emotions that they provoked.
     Mental health problems can usually be recognised in school health care, Ristolainen says.
     
A new child protection law takes effect at the beginning of the year. It puts a high priority on prevention, and obliges local authorities to hire school counsellors.
     Municipal Mayor Hannu Joensivu of Tuusula says that Jokela has awakened a desire to help and to share. This has brought the school plenty of donations through the Finnish Red Cross.
      After the massacre, the Tuusula Municipal Council set aside money for personnel to engage in preventative work.


Previously in HS International Edition:
  Local clergy help Jokela residents cope with shooting aftermath (12.11.2007)
  Jokela students turn to each other for solace (9.11.2007)
  School massacre: Ninth graders saw killing of school principal (9.11.2007)
  Gunman and eight others die in school shooting spree (8.11.2007)
  Ombudsman for Children wants study on media handling of Jokela shootings (21.11.2007)
  Jokela tries to get back to normal (13.11.2007)

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