The terrorist attacks in the United States have affected many individuals, both adults and children. With the flood of media coverage, no one is untouched by the disaster. Parents, teachers, and other caregivers are left wondering how to help children cope with these events. 

What do Children Understand? 

Children think differently than adults. To best help our children, we must recognize how children of different ages understand war-related events. Young children, preschoolers, and even early elementary children, are "egocentric, " meaning that they understand the world best in relation to themselves. So, they will think about war in relation to their own lives and how it may affect them. Young children tend to assume that others will feel as they do, and thus they may be concerned about the welfare of others (Rodd, 1998). These children may be afraid to go to bed at night, fearing that their own home or room is not safe. They may seem more needy or "clingy" than usual, and they may be more upset than usual when separated from parents. Caregivers should be responsive to these needs and offer extra nurturing and physical reassurance of their presence in children's lives. 

As children get older and move into later elementary and middle school, they think in very concrete terms, and so they will think about the concrete effects of disaster and war. For example, they may fear that their own schools will be targets for destruction, knowing that the World Trade Center was targeted because it houses many people. Elementary and middle school children understand war-related events in terms of individual actions and individual emotions such as revenge, hatred, or envy. It is not until adolescence that children are able to think more abstractly and understand war in terms of political beliefs (Bert & Vanni, 2000). Teenagers are more likely to think about the global implications and reasons for war (Monaco & Gaier, 1993). 

Helping Children Cope 

Knowing what children can understand about traumatic events can enable caregivers to deal more effectively with children. Caregivers should focus on children's developmental level. Good caregiver-child interaction is important to children's healthy coping with disastrous events (Dybdahl, 2001). Parents must also look after their own well-being. Research has shown that a parent's emotional state is significantly related to children's emotional states (Miller, 1996).

Researchers have suggested three types of coping assistance that adults can offer children: emotional processing, roles and routines, and distraction (Prinstein, La Greca, Vernberg, & Silverman, 1997). 

Emotional Processing 

Children must be given opportunities to discuss their feelings about traumatic events. In our media-saturated society, most children have been exposed to news coverage and video footage that will affect them. Ask them how it makes them feel. Offer them opportunities to express themselves. Some children might prefer to draw a picture or write a letter expressing their feelings. Let them know how you feel. By sharing your emotions, in a way that is appropriate for the child's age and developmental level, you let them know that it is okay to feel sad, scared, and confused. 

Roles and Routines 

Children need predictability in their lives. Providing a daily routine and continuing daily habits provides security for children (Garbarino, Dubrow, Kostelny, & Pardo, 1992). Disaster and war are very unpredictable events, and children need the reassurance and security that daily structure can provide. 

Distraction 

Although it is beneficial for children to express their emotions related to traumatic events, it may not be helpful for them to dwell on these events excessively. Turn off the radio or television set. Exposure to continuous news coverage of traumatic events may prevent children from returning to routines and engaging in productive activities. One way to help children cope is to get them involved in familiar, safe activities. Play games with them. Go for a walk. Prepare a meal together. Talk about schoolwork, friends, or family events. 

Other researchers suggest making traumatic events personally meaningful (Tedeschi, 1999) to change the way that we think about them. Help children to find constructive ways to deal with their feelings about traumatic events. For example, children may wish to write a letter of encouragement or thanks to firefighters, doctors, nurses, or military personnel. You may help children make donations of money or other items to help in relief efforts. These types of activities provide children the opportunity to play a useful role in relation to tragic events, and it helps them to change their focus from one of fear to one of hope. 

Berti, A. M., & Vanni, E. (2000). Italian children's understanding of war: A domain-specific approach. Social Development, 9, 478-496. 

Dybdahl, R. (2001). A psychosocial support programme for children and mothers in war. Clinical Child Psychology and Psychiatry, 6, 425-436. 

Garbarino, J., Dubrow, N., Kostelny, K., & Pardo, C. (1992). Children in danger: Coping with the consequences of community violence. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass Publishers. 

Miller, K. E. (1996). The effects of state terrorism and exile on indigent Guatemalan refugee children: A mental health assessment and an analysis of children's narratives. Child Development, 67, 89-106. 

Monaco, N. M., & Gaier, E. L. (1993). Developmental level and children's understanding of the Gulf War. Early Child Development and Care, 79, 29-38. 

Prinstein, M. J., La Grecca, A. M., Vernberg, E. M., & Silverman, W. K. (1997). Children's coping assistance: How parents, teachers, and friends help children cope after a natural disaster. Journal of Clinical Child Psychology, 25, 463-475. 

Rodd, J. (1998). Pre-school children's understanding of war. Early Child Development and Care, 22, 109-121. 

Tedeschi, R. G. (1999). Violence transformed: Posttraumatic growth in survivors and their societies. Aggression and Violent Behavior, 4, 319-341. 

11/06/01

Specializing in child development, Kelly B. Cartwright, Ph.D., is a full-time faculty member in the Psychology Department at Christopher Newport University in Newport News, VA. Dr. Cartwright's research has focused on cognitive development, language, literacy, and gender issues.