In the aftermath of the Highland Park shooting, our community responded to a violent tragedy with compassion, empathy, and generosity. From the beginning and in the months that have followed, the City has benefitted greatly from the guidance of the Office for Victims of Crime (OVC) in implementing a trauma-informed approach to our resources, support services, communications, and event planning. The OVC team has been generous with their expertise in supporting the long-term resiliency of victims and communities that have survived similar mass violence. The OVC immediately shared with the City a maxim that has proven to be a North Star: do no harm. This challenges us as a community to think beyond our own comfort levels, to consider as carefully and as thoroughly as possible the potential and inadvertent consequences of the words and images we use to talk about the impacts of this tragedy and memorialize those who were killed.
These recommendations are provided as part of ongoing efforts to balance diverse needs within the community as we approach the one-year remembrance. These guidelines are shared for the consideration of community members interested in understanding best practices that support the long-term resiliency of communities impacted by gun violence.
In keeping with the guidance of the Department of Justice and victims’ support service providers, the City has prepared this guide to assist community members in using a trauma-informed approach to communicating about the Highland Park shooting, as it is important to be cognizant of language, design, or other items that may inadvertently cause harm to others. Below please find quick references for action and language, tagline guidance, logo/imagery guidance, and additional considerations.
A PDF of this guidance is available for download.Browse the guidance using the menu at left, or the links below:
- Best Practices
- Language Guidance
- Q&A: General Questions
- Q&A: Logo, Graphics, Images, Artwork
- Q&A: Additional Considerations