Responses to the Shooting in Nova Scotia

Welcome.

Thank you for taking the time to visit this page. My name is Dr. Karen Blair and I am a social psychologist who studies relationships, prejudice, discrimination, violence and health. Over the past few years, I have collected responses from people around the globe in the aftermath of tragic shootings, including the Pulse Shooting, Pittsburgh Synagogue Shooting, and the Christchurch Mosque shootings. I never thought that I would be gathering similar responses from my own friends, neighbours and fellow Nova Scotians, but in the days following the April 2020 mass shooting in Nova Scotia, I thought it was important to document the collective responses to this shooting, just as it has been in the past for other tragic events. We are looking for individuals willing to share with us their responses to the shooting in Nova Scotia that took place on April 18th and 19th, 2020. The study is open to anyone over the age of 18.

Documenting the response to violent/targeted shootings was not always an area of research interest for me, but following the Pulse Nightclub shooting in Orlando, Florida, it became clear that the processes of collective and global grief that occur after mass shootings need to be documented, catalogued and preserved. Many participants from past surveys have noted that they appreciated the opportunity to reflect on their thoughts and record their experiences. Your participation will help researchers like myself to better understand the extensive impact that events like these have and to improve the resources offered to those who will sadly experience similar events in the future.

At the conclusion of the study, a $500 donation will be made to a variety of charities. At the end of your survey, you’ll be able to select the charity to which you would like to direct your portion of the donation. The options will include local food banks, the RCMP Foundation’s fund for Constable Heidi Stevenson’s family, the Red Cross Fund for communities and families impacted by the shooting and a number of other local charities.

Have questions? 

Send an email to kblair@stfx.ca if you have any questions about participating in this study! 
This study has been approved by the Research Ethics Boards of St. Francis Xavier University in Antigonish, Nova Scotia.