Resources for Victims and Survivors of Gun Violence
Gun violence has emotional, medical, financial, and legal consequences for individuals and communities. This page offers basic resources and information to help victims and survivors of gun violence. This list is not comprehensive and there may be other resources available to you in your community.
Emotional Support for Survivors
Trauma and Gun Violence
Provides basic information about: the signs and symptoms of emotional and physical trauma, ways to cope with the consequences of trauma and to avoid retraumatization.
Acute Stress and Post Traumatic Stress Disorder
In the aftermath of a shooting, some survivors experience acute stress disorder or post traumatic stress disorder. Here is general information about these disorders, including tips for recognizing the signs and symptoms and effective coping strategies.
Taking Care of Yourself
Provides information about the importance of self care for gun violence survivors, including guidance on how to develop a self care plan.
Coping with Traumatic Grief
Here is some information aimed at helping survivors understand how grief after a trauma is different than grief that is anticipated, how to cope with complicated grief and, the recovery process.
Children’s Responses to Trauma
Provides information for parents and adults about how to support children and teens who have experienced a shooting or are upset by images of gun violence.
Legal
Navigating the Criminal Justice System
Many survivors have never experienced the criminal justice system and learn quickly that legal case processing is complicated. Understanding how different system agencies work and interact with one another may help survivors to navigate what lies ahead of them.
Financial Support
Crime Victim Compensation
The Crime Victims’ Compensation (CVC) Program helps crime victims and their immediate families with the financial costs of crime. CVC covers crime-related costs such as counseling, medical treatment, funerals, and loss of income not paid by other sources. Here is general information about the CVC program and eligibility, as well as links to each state crime victims compensation program.
Finding Help
How to Find Help
There are many organizations that provide emotional support and assistance to individuals experiencing the effects of a trauma. While Everytown for Gun Safety does not endorse any particular organization, these agencies may be able to help in a crisis, or connect individuals to area community resources.
Research
When the Shooting Stops: The Impact of Gun Violence on Survivors in America
The trauma of gun violence doesn’t end when the shooting stops. Experiencing gun violence has a lasting impact on survivors. Read more about the lasting emotional, physical, legal, and financial impacts on survivors as well as their communities.