This Field Guide is intended for mental health and disaster
workers; first responders; government agency employees; and
crime victim assistance, faith-based, healthcare, and other service
providers who assist survivors and families during the aftermath
of mass violence and terrorism. All who come in contact with
victims and families can contribute to restoring their dignity and
sense of control by interacting with sensitivity, kindness, and
respect. This Field Guide provides the basics of responding to
those in crisis.

Human-caused events such as mass shootings, bombings, riots,
exposure to biohazards, and acts of terrorism are deliberately
planned and perpetrated for political, sociocultural, revenge motivated, or hate-based reasons. Acts of mass violence and
terrorism target a building, neighborhood, particular site, or event.
Those confronted with life threat, mass casualties, overwhelming
terror, and human suffering may experience severe psychological
stress and trauma. Survivors, families, and the affected communities
cope not only with the resulting deaths, injuries, and
destruction but also with the horrific knowledge that their losses
were caused by intentional human malevolence. When rescue
and recovery efforts extend over weeks and months, family
members endure prolonged uncertainty and an ongoing threat of
possible future attacks, which contribute to heightened anxiety
and a sense of vulnerability. These traumatic realities also impact
first responders, media personnel, government officials, and
others whose job-related responsibilities bring them in contact
with the disaster’s tragic impact.

Because disasters caused by mass violence and acts of terrorism
are also crimes, law enforcement and the criminal justice system
fill primary roles. When the underlying motivation is terrorism,
Federal criminal justice agencies are responsible for the investigation
and prosecution. The disaster’s impact zone becomes a
secured crime scene. Crime victims and their families have the
legal right to receive information about criminal justice activities,
participate in the criminal justice process, and receive protection
from intimidation and harassment. They may apply for benefits
and compensation for crime-related expenses. This interplay of
emergency response, criminal justice, and disaster relief and
recovery systems is a defining feature of the response to mass
violence and terrorism.

This Field Guide includes essential information about survivors’
and family members’ reactions and needs, with specific suggestions
for assisting children, adolescents, adults, and older adults.
It describes basic “helping” skills with indicators for when to refer
someone to a licensed mental health professional. The last
section presents strategies for worker stress prevention and
management.