The Perceptions and Reactions of Professional School Counselors in the Management of Major Campus – Level Crises: A Grounded Theory Study

In the course of a school year, schools may face many crisis situations. These crisis events may affect only one individual or they may affect the entire school or district. These crises can pose a threat to the safety and security of all those connected to the school. Crisis events require a well thought out response and Professional School Counselors are often called upon to provide input into the crisis response.

This study will examine the process Professional School Counselors undergo when managing a major campus level crisis event and will attempt to build a theory grounded in the data of this process. Although the research on school crisis management continues to expand, there have been no grounded theory studies, to date, that have examined the process school counselors experience when managing a major campus level crisis event. This research can be used to inform best practices in school crisis response, to train and to educate school counselors in crisis response, and to inform school administrators to the needs of students, staff, and school counselors during crisis events.