There was a time when “duck and cover” drills were done in schools as a
safety measure in the event of a war bombing or nuclear missile attack. “Duck
and cover” has taken on a whole new meaning now with the many incidents of
school, movie theatre, and shopping mall mass & random shootings.
In the news today is the tragic and schocking school shooting and killing of 20 children and 7 adults at an elementary school
in Newtown, Connecticut. Also in our recent history of violence were the mall shootings in Oregon, the movie
theatre shootings in Aurora, Colorado, the Sikh temple shootings in Wisconsin and, of course, the Virginia Tech mass shootings. And who can
forget Columbine? In addition, today, December 13, 2012, it was reported that 20 elementary-aged children in China were stabbed.
Our hearts and prayers go out to the victims and families of such senseless and needless murders. While the murder of anyone is horribly tragic, murders of children are horrific beyond measure. The point must be made that such things happen because of the
prevalence of guns and the culture of violence in our society. Those issues
need to be addressed, in a common sense way, by the public and by our
lawmakers.
Children who have been in schools or public areas where such violence has
occurred, as well as children who hear about such violence on the news, can
become fearful and even suffer from Post Traumatic Stress. Such traumatic
effects in children can have physical and behavioral manifestations. Psychologists and other experts in PTSD, as
well as an organization called KidsPeace, dedicated to helping children and
parents deal with trauma resulting from such violence, suggest strategies for
talking to your children about school shootings or natural disasters.
1. It's vital, after an
event that can cause such trauma, that parents listen to their children .and
encourage them to express their fears, concerns and trepidations.
2. Regardless of the age
of the child, one of the most important strategies is to reassure your children
of safety and security by telling them that you, their school, their friends
and their communities are all dedicated to, focused on, and working for their safety.
Talk to them about people, such as police,
teachers and other school officials, neighbors and all concerned adults in
their community whose job it is to protect them.
3. Discussing such
things with younger children is more challenging. The type and amount of
information shared should be limited to very basic facts. You should use words
that they can understand and are meaningful to them. Share with them that some
bad people have used violence to hurt innocent people in the area. Tell them
that you don’t know exactly why it happened, but the violence has occurred. Avoid
going into specific details.
4. School-aged children may
wonder or ask if such an event could happen to them. Be truthful to your
children. Tell them that it is unlikely that anything like this will happen to
them or in their community. Then reassure them by repeating how you, the
police, their schools and their communities are focused on working to keep
everyone safe.
5. Parents, teachers and
all child caregivers should be cautious about allowing very young children to
watch news or listen to radio that is discussing or showing such violence. That
kind of violence is far too difficult for most young children to process.
Personal discussions with them that take place many times over the weeks that
follow such tragedies are the best way to share information with young children.
6. When you talk with
your preteens or teens, more detail is appropriate, as many will have already seen
news broadcasts about the mass shootings. However, don’t allow them to focus
too much on any of the graphic details. Rather, elicit their feelings and fears
and focus your discussions on what they are willing to share with you. Even
with teenagers, you should still be cautious of how much media they are exposed
to regarding such tragedies. Talk directly with your teens about the tragedy
and answer their questions truthfully.
7. Even though teenagers
are more mature, you still must remember to reassure teens of their safety and
the many collective efforts to protect them. No matter the age of your children,
they must hear this message. During tragedies such as public shootings, school
shootings or any school violence, words expressing safety and reassurance with
concrete safety plans should be discussed and agreed upon within your family. Such
discussions can provide the most comfort to young children and teenagers.
8. You should watch for physical
symptoms of anxiety that children may demonstrate following such violence. Such
anxiety may be a sign that your children, even if they aren’t directly mentioning
the tragedy, are troubled by the recent tragic events. You should talk more
directly to children who exhibit such signs as excessive worry, head or stomach
aches, argumentativeness, irritability, sudden withdrawal, sleeplessness, nightmares,
trouble eating as normal, clinging behavior, or reluctance or refusal to attend
school.
If you, as a parent, are
concerned about your children and their reaction to such tragedies, talk
directly with their school counselor, your family doctor or local mental health
professional. You can also have your older children visit KidsPeace’s, a teen
help website providing anonymous and clinically approved help and resources for
them. Access KidsPeace at the website, www.TeenCentral.Net.
Schools and communities that don't already practice drills to better prepare students, staff, and community members as to safety measures to take to better protect them in the event of similar violent incursions, should immediately implement protective drills nationwide. You, as parents and child caregivers, can also access
specific strategies that you and / or your children can take to better protect yours and
your children’s safety in the event you or they are ever caught up in any public place
where a violent intruder intending violence and mayhem may suddenly appear.
Access this information through the following pdf file:
Picture credit: Blake Campbell
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