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Terrorism Seen Through Our Children's Eyes

Web Producer: Brad Maglinger 

WASHINGTON, Feb. 18 /U.S. Newswire/ -- Are the current events having an impact on America's children?  We have ten tips from Save the Children by Neil Boothby, senior advisor to the Children in Emergencies and Crisis unit at Save the Children.

Concerned about the psychological welfare of their children, many people are looking for advice on how to respond to questions from children about unsettling and upsetting events taking place near home and around the world.

In forums around the country following traumatic events, children have ask, "Will everything be OK? Why are there so many police? Is it safe to fly? Why would people do this? Do people hate us?"

How do we respond to these questions? Save the Children has worked with children in crisis in the United States and worldwide and has prepared these ten tips to help adults talk to kids and give them hope.

1. Listen to your children carefully. Before responding, get a clear picture of what it is that they understand. Trauma results in part when a child cannot give meaning to dangerous experiences. Find out what he or she understands about war and terrorism. Their knowledge will be determined by their age and their exposure to such events. Begin a dialog to help them gain a basic understanding that would be appropriate for their age.

2. Give children reassurance and psychological first-aid. Assure them about all that is being done to protect them and their family, internationally and within this country. Take this opportunity to let them know that if any emergency or crisis should occur, your primary concern will be their safety. Make sure they know they are being protected.

3. Consider getting professional help. For children directly affected by a tragic event, parents should consult their pediatrician or family doctor and consider counseling, not just for the child, but also for the entire family. It may be an important preventative measure. For children not directly impacted, be alert to any significant changes in sleeping patterns, eating habits, concentration, wide emotional swings or frequent physical complaints without apparent illness. If present, these should subside within a short time. If prolonged, we encourage you to seek counseling.

4. Expect the Unexpected. Not every child will experience these events in the same way. As children develop, their intellectual, physical and emotional potentials change. Understand that older teenagers, because of their greater capacity for understanding, may be harder hit, and while they may be close to adulthood, they still need extra love, understanding and support to get through these confusing times.

5. Turn off the television. Watching television reports on disasters may overwhelm young children. They may not understand that the tape of an event is being replayed, and instead think the disaster is happening over and over again. Overexposure to coverage of the events affects teenagers and adults as well. Television limits should be set for both you and your children.

6. Give your children extra time and attention. They need your close, personal involvement to comprehend that they are safe and secure. Talk, play and, most important, listen to them. Read bedtime stories and sing songs to help them fall asleep.

7. Be A Model for Your Child. Your child will learn how to deal with these events by seeing how you deal with them. Base the amount of self-disclosure on the age and developmental level of each of your children. Explain your feelings, expressing your views and emotions, but remember to do so calmly. Don't pass on your anger and fears.

8. Watch Your Own Behavior. Be careful to avoid racial stereotyping, slurs or expressions of hatred against groups of people. This is also an opportunity to teach your children that it is wrong to hate an entire group of people for the heinous acts of a few.

9. Help your children return to normal activities. Children almost always benefit from activity, goal orientation and sociability.

10. Encourage your child to do volunteer work. Helping others can give your child a sense of control, security and empathy. Indeed, in the midst of crisis, adolescents and youth can emerge as active agents of positive change. Look on child-focused websites. Many sites, including Save the Children's YouthNOISE at www.youthnoise.org, offer ways for children to volunteer and to speak out about their concerns with others their own age.

For more information about Save the Children's work on behalf of children in crisis, visit www.savethechildren.org.