TRIGGER WARNING: This episode contains discussions of sensitive topics that may be harmful or disturbing to some. Audience discretion is advised.
Recent school shootings in Tacloban and Zamboanga — occurring just two months apart — have sparked national soul-searching and heavy speculation over what drives teenagers to commit deadly acts.
While popular video games are often blamed, psychologist and crisis response specialist AJ Sunglao urges investigators to look instead at extremist online networks where vulnerable youth are radicalized to inflict harm.
Sunglao emphasizes that while these toxic online communities exist globally, school shootings occur primarily in countries with widespread firearm availability, especially the United States which leads the world by far in mass shootings.
In both Tacloban and Zamboanga, the teenage shooters accessed unsecured weapons owned by family members or acquaintances.
Declaring that student-led shootings have \"wrecked our sense of normalcy\" (“nawarak ang normalcy\"), Sunglao stresses the urgent need for school administrators and teachers to build a \"new normal.\" This requires creating safe, supportive learning environments, even in unaffected schools where student anxiety remains high. Furthermore, he cautions against placing blame on youths, urging adults to take greater responsibility for protecting and guiding minors.
Compounding this collective trauma, Sunglao warns, is the viral circulation of crime scene footage by content creators unbound by rules or ethics guidelines. He urges platforms and creators to remove these videos to allow communities to properly heal.
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