From the National Institute of Mental Health. This information is in
the public domain.
Early intervention to help children and adolescents who have suffered
trauma due to violence or a disaster is critical. Parents, teachers and
mental health professionals can do a great deal to help these youngsters
recover. Help should begin at the scene of the traumatic event.
According to the National Center for Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder of the Department of Veterans Affairs,
workers in charge of a disaster scene should:
- Find ways to protect children from further harm and from further
exposure to traumatic stimuli. If possible, create a safe haven for
them. Protect children from onlookers and the media covering the
story.
- When possible, direct children who are able to walk away from
the site of violence or destruction away from severely injured survivors,
and away from continuing danger. Kind but firm direction is needed.
- Identify children in acute distress and
stay with them until initial stabilization occurs. Acute distress
includes panic (marked by trembling, agitation, rambling speech, becoming
mute, or erratic behavior) and intense grief (signs include loud crying, rage,
or immobility).
- Use a supportive and compassionate verbal or non-verbal exchange
(such as a hug, if appropriate) with the child to help him or her feel safe.
However brief the exchange or however temporary, such reassurances are
important to children
After violence or a disaster occurs, the family is the first-line resource
for helping. Among the things that parents and other caring adults can do
are:
- Explain the episode of violence or disaster was well as you are able.
- Encourage the children to express their feelings and listen without passing judgment.
help younger children learn to use words that express their feelings.
However, do not force discussion of the traumatic event.
- Let children and adolescents know that it is normal to feel upset
after something bad happens.
- Allow time for the youngsters to experience and talk about their
feelings. At home, however, a gradual return to routine
can be reassuring to the child.
- If your children are fearful, reassure them that you love them and will take care of them.
Stay together as a family as much as possible.
- If behavior at bedtime is a problem, give the child extra time and
reassurance. Let him or her sleep with a light on
or in your room for a limited time if necessary.
- Reassure children and adolescents that the traumatic event was not their
fault.
- Do not criticize a regressive behavior or shame the child with words
like "babyish."
- Allow children to cry or be sad. Don't expect
them to be brave or tough.
- Encourage children and adolescents to feel in control. Let them
make some decisions about meals, what to wear, etc.
- Take care of yourself so you can take care of the children
When violence or disaster affects a whole school or community, teachers and school administrators
can play a major role in the healing process. Some of the things educators
can do are:
- If possible, give yourself a bit of time to come to terms with the
event before you attempt to reassure the children. This may not be
possible in the case of a violent episode that occurs at school, but
sometimes in a natural disaster there will be several days before schools
reopen and teachers can take the time to prepare themselves emotionally.
- Don't try to rush back to ordinary school routines too soon. Give
the children or adolescents time to talk over the traumatic event and
express their feelings about it.
- Respect the preferences of children who do not want to participate
in class discussions about the traumatic event. Do not force
discussion or repeatedly bring up the catastrophic event; doing so may
re-traumatize children.
- Hold in-school sessions with entire classes, with smaller groups of
students, or with individual students. These sessions can be very
useful in letting students know that their fears and concerns are normal
reactions. Many counties and school districts have teams
that will go into schools to hold such sessions after a disaster or episode
of violence. Involve mental health professionals in these activities
if possible.
- Offer art and play therapy for young children in school.
- Be sensitive to cultural differences among the children. In some
cultures, for example, it is not acceptable to express negative emotions.
Also, the child who is reluctant to make eye contact with a teacher may not
be depressed, but may simply be exhibiting behavior appropriate to his or
her culture.
- Encourage children to develop coping and problem-solving skills and
age-appropriate methods for managing anxiety.
- Hold meetings for parents to discuss the traumatic event, their
children's response to it, and how they and you can help.
Most children and adolescents, if given support such as that described
above, will recover almost completely from the fear and anxiety caused by a
traumatic experience within a few weeks. However, some children and
adolescents will need more help perhaps over a longer period of time in order to
heal. Grief over the loss of a loved one, teacher, friend, or pet may
take months to resolve, and may be reawakened by reminders such as media reports
or the anniversary of the death.
In the immediate aftermath of a traumatic event, and
in the weeks following, it is important to identify the youngsters who are in
need of more intensive support and therapy because of profound grief or some
other extreme emotion. Children and adolescents who may require the help
of a mental health professional include those who show avoidance behavior,
such as resisting or refusing to go places that remind them of the place where
the traumatic event occurred, and emotional numbing, a diminished
emotional response or lack of feeling toward the event. Youngsters who
have more common reactions including re-experiencing the trauma, or
reliving it in the form of nightmares and disturbing recollections during the
day, and hyperarousal, including sleep disturbances and a tendency to
be easily startled, may respond well to supportive reassurance from parents and
teachers.
Source: NIH Publication No. 01-3518, Reprinted September 2001.