Folder: Peace Education
Coping with Violence
Page Contents
A Guide for Parents: Ten Tips for Talking with Children About Terrorism | Grieving | Information on how to help children understand the terrorist attacks: | Palestinian Counselling Center (PCC) Hotline | Related Links | Resources from the U.S. Dept. of Education | The Legacy Project | The National Association of School Psychologists
A Guide for Parents: Ten Tips for Talking with Children About Terrorism
By Timothy H. Warneka, M.Ed., LPCC
As much as we try and protect our children from traumatic events, it is probably not an exaggeration to say that almost every child in America was exposed to the horrible events of terrorism that captured our attention on Tuesday (September 11, 2001). Many of us are struggling with our own reactions to these painful events, and it can be very difficult to support our children emotionally while we ourselves are trying to cope with strong emotions. We want to describe some simple things to keep in mind while you are talking to your child about Tuesday's tragedy. The main goal in talking to children about tragedy is helping them to feel that the world is a safe place.
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Grieving
Barr-Harris Children's Grief Center
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Information on how to help children understand the terrorist attacks:
From the U.S. Department of Education:
Information on how to help children understand the terrorist attacks:
* Suggestions for Adults: Talking & Thinking with Children About the Terrorist Attacks http://www.ed.gov/inits/september11/adults.html
* Suggestions for Educators: Meeting the Needs of Students http://www.ed.gov/inits/september11/educators.html
==> Where you can find additional information & resources:
* American Academy of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry http://www.aacap.org/
* Emergency Services & Disaster Relief Branch, Center for Mental Health http://www.mentalhealth.org/cmhs/emergencyservices/
* Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) http://www.fema.gov/
* FEMA for Kids http://www.fema.gov/kids/
* Helping Children & Adolescents Cope with Violence & Disasters http://www.nimh.nih.gov/publicat/violence.cfm
* National Association of School Psychologists http://www.nasponline.org
* National Center for Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder http://www.ncptsd.org/what_is_new.html
* Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), Trauma, Disasters, & Violence http://www.nimh.nih.gov/anxiety/ptsdmenu.cfm
* U.S. Government Information & Resources in Response to September 11th Events http://www.firstgov.gov/featured/usgresponse.html
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Palestinian Counselling Center (PCC) Hotline
From the Palestinian Counselling Center (PCC) Hotline
The PCC, located in Jerusalem, issued hotline numbers in an effort to provide counselling to individuals and families under attack in various Palestinian cities. 22 staff and 30 volunteers are set up in 3 shifts working around the clock. They are having a difficult time dealing with the load of calls and the catastrophic conditions being reported in by Palestinians across the West Bank.
Four telephone lines and fax line ring non-stop: we have no bread; I need milk for my two month old baby; I need medicine because I have diabetes; I need medicine for my high blood pressure; I'm scared -- I'm alone trapped in a restaurant in Ramallah and the Israeli snipers are on the rooftop of the building I'm in; I don't know what to do -- my children are scared; I'm a doctor -- there are 38 apartments in the building I work in and the families here need bread, water, milk -- I also need medicine to treat some of the people here -- I need antibiotics, velum, I need aspirin for children and adults -- I also have a pregnant woman here -- if I don't get her to a hospital -- I will have to deliver the baby here. And the calls go on and on -- mainly the need for basic food necessities, medicine and guidance -- counseling. The staff have been working for 72 hours -- non-stop -- shifts -- to answer phone calls and provide assistance also through the radio and television stations that are still under Palestinian control.
The telephone lines ring -- again -- the nineteen year old who is stuck in the restaurant where Israeli snipers are on the rooftop of the building in Ramallah. He says he has access to food and even to television -- but he's scared -- he is isolated -- what should he do. We give him advice -- stay inside, take long and deep breaths, keep the volume for the television low so you stay safe.
[more]
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Related Links
Talk about it, counselors advise
Schools struggle to help students understand terrorist attacks
KidsHealth.org: Helping Your Child Deal With the Terrorist Tragedy
MSU: Helping Children Cope with Disasters/Trauma
Education Week: Schools and Crisis
American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry: Helping Children After a Disaster
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Resources from the U.S. Dept. of Education
September 14, 2001, Secretary Paige announced that aid is available to school districts affected by the September 11 terrorist attacks. He also announced "Helping Children Understand the Terrorist Attacks," a new webpage that suggests ways adults can talk with children about the attacks. The webpage also offers suggestions for educators, as well as links to additional resources that may be helpful to parents, teachers, & other adults who work with children.
Below is the text of the press release & the webpage. The webpage is available at
http://www.ed.gov/inits/september11/index.html
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"Education Department Announces Aid Available to School Districts Impacted by Terrorist Attacks -- Education Web site also to feature suggestions for parents & educators trying to help their children understand the terrorist attacks" (September 14, 2001)
U.S. Secretary of Education Rod Paige also announced that the U.S. Department of Education would be making a series of grants totaling in the millions of dollars to the school districts directly impacted by the terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center & the Pentagon. Paige also announced that the department would provide information resources to parents & teachers to help children dealing with the effects of the attacks, but who were not directly impacted.
Paige announced that the department has contacted the chief state school officers, as well as local school authorities, in Connecticut, Maryland, New Jersey, New York, Virginia & Washington, D.C., to offer them assistance with counseling & support services for their schoolchildren & faculty. In the coming days, the department will announce a series of grants to school districts in these states that were directly impacted by the terrorist attacks for assistance with grief & trauma counseling & other services, including a major grant to New York City Board of Education schools.
"It will take some time for the school districts that have suffered directly as a result of these acts of terror to determine the nature & extent of their need for our assistance," Paige said.
"They each have our assurance that Project SERV grants will be available to them when they determine their needs & priorities.
The U.S. Department of Education will be there to assist our schools in meeting the needs of their students & faculty & the communities they serve."
Each of the grants will come from the department's Project SERV.
Created with a $10 million appropriation from Congress in 2000, Project SERV is intended to provide assistance such as counseling services to local school districts that have experienced a traumatic event. The funds are available to meet the immediate needs of the students in these school districts as well as their longer-term crisis response needs.
Paige also announced that the department's Web site will feature suggestions for adults with children & for educators in order to offer help to the children who may be struggling with the terrorist attacks & the images & stories of terror & destruction that they have been exposed to in recent days.
"As adults, we must offer them our undivided attention & unequivocal support," Paige said. "All adults should be concerned about how well the children in their lives understand what has taken place. Families & teachers alike should know that they play a central role in helping children to understand what has taken place, to separate fact from fiction & to establish a sense of safety. There are simple things adults can do -- but the most important is to listen to & talk to the children in their lives.
They also need to watch for signs of unusual behavior & take steps to limit exposure to television & Internet imagery."
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The Legacy Project
The Legacy Project This site is a gathering place for people interested in the enduring legacies of the many violent traumas of the 20th century. We are dedicated to exploring issues of remembrance in different cultures, in order to better understand the contemporary significance of historical tragedy.
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The National Association of School Psychologists
The National Association of School Psychologists has posted a number of materials for parents on copyn with tragedy. These handouts have been translated into several languages. People can access the NASP site at http://www.naspweb.org and following these links:
A National Tragedy - Helping Children Cope: Tips for Parents and Teachers (English) This handout has also been adapted by translators from the Fairfax County, VA, Public Schools. We encourage you to distribute the translations together with the original English handout, but please give proper attribution both to NASP and to the Fairfax County, VA, Public Schools.
Spanish (PDF)
Urdu (PDF)
Korean (PDF)
Arabic (PDF)
Farsi (PDF)
Vietnamese (PDF)
Netscape users' alternate version
Disaster: Helping Children Cope
Desastres: C—mo Ayudar a los Ni–os a Enfrentarlos
Teachable Moment School Safety
Lesson
Primeros Auxilios para una Situaci—n Emocional: Gu’a Escolar para la Intervenci—n en una Crisis
(Emotional First Aid: A School's Guide to Crisis Intervention)
NEW: http://www.nasponline.org/NEAT/crisis_0911.html
Submitted to BILING@asu.edu by Luis Reyes, September 16, 2001.
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