Current Events Shaping The Future Of School Counseling

Introduction The school counseling profession is continually evolving. To this end, the roles and responsibilities of a school counselor can change according to societal concerns, and this can affect the school counseling curriculum. Societal concerns for safety in schools can prompt national policies and procedures, resulting in long-term changes to the school counselor role, curriculum, and scope of practice. Over the last five years, several incidents have rocked the American school system, but none more poignant that the Sandy Hook Elementary shooting in 2012. The Sandy Hook Elementary shooting was one of the traumatic events that will most likely impact the safety policies of schools; in addition, to dictating how school counselors prevent and respond to future tragedies. Future school counselors will most likely refer to the case and find sensible ways to prevent this from happening again.
Current Event Shaping the Future of School Counseling The safety and welfare of all students is of paramount concern to school counselors. While school is typically one of the safest places for the youth of society, violent interruptions in the calm have occurred repeatedly throughout history. In December 2012, a mentally ill gunman …show more content…
The statement provided steps that both counselors and parents should take in order to begin moving forward. This shocking display of violence towards such young children also had an effect on policy changes in schools, legislation at both the federal and state levels, and how the public viewed mental illness. The ASCA (Helping Children Cope, n.d.) recommended various strategies for parents in order to minimize crisis events for their children. These strategies included keeping normal routines, limiting exposure to the crisis via the news, and talking with children about any anxiety about the