Forty people have been killed in mass shootings in the United States thus far in 2015, with more than half of those deaths occurring just since Oct. 1.

The most recent shooting that claimed 14 lives and left 21 people wounded was on a weekday — Wednesday, Dec. 2 — in San Bernardino, Calif.

The nation remains traumatized. Politicians scramble for cover. And again parents are left wondering what to tell their children. How do they explain terrorism to those perhaps too young to comprehend such brutality, let alone the ideology behind it?

Most adults manage to ingest this type of news and get on with their lives. But in a broadcast era where such tragic reports and the accompanying images seem constant, how can children cope with it?

First, children must indicate whether they are bothered at all, according to Virgie Hamrick, Toledo Public Schools director of guidance services and a counselor at Start High School.

She said hardly anyone talks about the tragedies, which may indicate that gun violence has become common place to some students. After all, Ms. Hamrick said, just prior to the start of school, two students were murdered. She concludes that adolescents and teenagers hear so much about fatal gun violence that they have become impervious to it.

The San Bernardino shooting is a case in point.

“The next day, no one said anything. It’s like we’re disconnected. Maybe it’s become more of the norm that we don’t think about whether people are feeling anxiety. No teacher or student brought it up to me,” Ms. Hamrick said.

Any of several reasons could explain why no one initiated talking about San Bernardio’s tragedy. Some students are familiar with firearms, as their parents have them in their homes, she said.

“I think there’s so much of this going on that maybe they have been desensitized to it, unless it’s in our back door,” Ms. Hamrick said, even though students are often on their cell phones and other devices and see news and social media alerts.

“Probably most [students] hear about it from media outlets or see it on their devices,” said Adam Fineske, a father of three and who also is the executive director of teaching and learning for Sylvania schools.

Though the Fineskes don’t broach the subject with their youngsters — ages 5, 10, and 12 — their children are aware of the events because the family is astute about reading and watching the news. These parents don’t avoid discussing the subject with their children, but they don’t bring it up either.

Mr. Fineske said when his 10-year-old wonders about these events, he responds by asking how the youth handles challenges in school, on the bus, and at recess. He urges his son to “think about what would you do to protect yourself and what does the school do to protect you, and that seems to calm him a bit.”

Ms. Hamrick, an adolescent psychiatrist, stresses the importance of not causing children to feel anxious.

“You don’t want to have a child who’s fearful all the time,” she said. “If parents proceed with caution and help [children] feel safe in their home and surroundings, that’s better than having kids be panic stricken.”

When youngsters do broach the subject with parents, Dr. Theodor Rais, director of the child and adolescent psychiatry division at the University of Toledo Medical College, said adults must know that first there is no one-size fits all approach or magic solution.

“It depends on the age of the children. If they are in junior high, you could address the complexity of the issue and state the facts,” said Dr. Rais, of the former Medical College of Ohio.

Asking youngsters how they feel about what they hear and whether they are afraid is a chance for parents to instill feelings of safety. Say, “‘You shouldn’t be afraid,’ and ‘We are OK,’ ” he said.

Mr. Fineske said he talks more about the subject with his 12-year-old daughter who is very interested in staying up on the news.

“She compares it to what they [do] in school,” Mr. Fineske said, pointing to the ALICE Training program. Every Sylvania school student, parent, and employee has received training in ALICE, which stands for alert, lockdown, inform, counter, and evacuate. (This training has also been in Toledo Public Schools.) Additionally, he said, his daughter knows “the world wasn’t always like this.”

Another parent, Darla McCarty, urges her Toledo Public Schools senior to not let mass shootings prevent her from living her life.

“I tell her she has to be vigilant in her day-to-day life. If something seems off or weird, take heed of that and listen to your inner voice,” said Ms. McCarty.

Of course, while her daughter Cassidy Dyas is aware of these world events, she’s comfortable with school policies in place to increase student safety. Besides, Ms. McCarty said, her daughter knows that it’s “unfortunate that these things are happening. She understands that [but] I tell her to be aware of her surroundings.”

Dr. Rais said many times anxiety results from the absence of control. Tell children what they can do in these circumstances: how to take cover, who to follow, and who to listen to, he said.

It’s a civilized world, albeit a violent one where “We are not ... used to the concept of not having the ability to 100 percent predict what will happen,” he said, adding, “It’s OK to tell adolescents that you yourself are a little bit anxious.”

Still, he cautions parents not to show anxiety when talking with youngsters about these issues.

“Stay cool, calm, and keep things simple,” Dr. Rais said. “When you start to talk to preschoolers, first ask what they know. Many times the media [are] very dramatic; they give a very catastrophic feeling, so you have to ask [children] what they know. Tell a child ‘The bad man is dead. The police or army took care of him.’ You have to keep things very simple and you don’t need to elaborate.”

Dr. Rais also urges parents not to alter their routines.

“The biggest mistakes we do is try to change routines,” he said. “That will raise more anxiety.”

Contact Rose Russell at: rrussell@theblade.com or 419-724-6178.

First Published December 13, 2015, 5:00 a.m.