Witnessing Violence: 3 Ways Trauma Coverage Can Help
- American Trauma Insurance
- Oct 2, 2025
- 3 min read
What to know, even if you’re a bystander to witnessing violence.
Unfortunately, in today’s world, violence in public spaces has become all too common. And due to the reach of social media, the effects aren’t limited to the immediate scene. A single shooting, stabbing, or violent act can send shockwaves through communities near and far.
For some, the impact may be limited to fear or sadness that eventually fades. For many others, however, exposure to trauma—whether directly or indirectly—can lead to post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), intense grief, and even long-term disruption of work and daily life. And these effects don’t discriminate. They can touch the victims themselves, bystanders in the audience, friends, classmates, co-workers, or grieving families.
While trauma coverage can’t turn back time, it can play a critical role in helping people recover, regain strength, and move forward. To that end, here are three things we want our readers to know:
1. Our Trauma Coverage extends beyond the obvious.
Our coverage is designed to support individuals affected by a wide range of incidents, no matter in the world they occur, including:
Aggravated assaults
Sexual assaults
Mass shootings
Terrorist acts
Accidental death
Infected by disease at work or school
Witnessing violence at work or school
A hypothetical scenario:
After a mass shooting on a college campus, survivors and even those who witnessed the event from a distance could struggle with depression—so much so, that they can’t go to work. But if they have trauma insurance, they could potentially access counseling and financial benefits to help them get back on their feet.
2. Those impacted by trauma need more than just time.
Healing from trauma often demands mental, emotional, and financial support. Our benefits are designed to address all three:
Lost Wage Benefit: Provides 100% of an insured’s regular pay from all employment income sources while they’re unable to work due to trauma—no waiting period required.
Recuperation Benefit: Helps cover out-of-pocket expenses, from medical needs to the lost wages of a family member who steps in as caregiver.
Student Financial Assistance & Accidental Death Benefits: Tailored to help families and young people facing unexpected, life-altering events.
Trauma Counseling: Access to confidential support through therapies such as Cognitive Processing Therapy, Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR), Prolonged Exposure, or medication-assisted treatment. Counseling has consistently proven invaluable in helping survivors process what they’ve experienced and reclaim their lives.
A hypothetical scenario:
In his office parking lot, a man is attacked in front of colleagues. Let’s say one of his colleagues, an innocent bystander, begins to show signs of PTSD. She is too scarred by what she saw to even get out of bed. With trauma coverage, she could receive payments for lost wages and the type of counseling she needs to move forward.
3. Protection matters for communities—not just individuals.
If you’re in charge of an organization or large gathering, it’s always a good idea to explore your options when it comes to trauma insurance.
Colleges and universities can protect students and faculty in case of campus violence.
Employers can show employees that their safety and recovery are a top priority.
Event organizers and venue operators can provide peace of mind to audiences and staff.
Faith communities, nonprofits, and youth organizations can extend protection to their members.
A hypothetical scenario:
After a terrorist attack at a workplace, several employees could require extended leave for therapy and recovery. If their employer had invested in trauma coverage, they could receive full wage replacement and counseling, which not only aids individual recovery but also preserves workplace morale and trust.
The bottom line is that traumatic incidents happen every day, everywhere, and oftentimes, there’s a built-in audience to think about.
Having the right protection in place ensures that when the unthinkable happens, healing—both financial and emotional—remains possible.