With great sadness I read of another mass shooting. 58 people have been confirmed dead and hundreds more were injured in the Las Vegas shooting on Sunday, October 1, 2017. As adults, it’s difficult to understand the hows and the whys of these events. For children, it’s even more difficult.
Young children, under the age of 8, have a difficult time differentiating between fact and fiction on screens including television, computers, smartphones, and game systems.
Children over the age of 9 have greater understand, but when overexposed to information about shootings and other traumatic events are at risk for developing anxiety, depression, anger, and post-traumatic stress disorder.
Below are 7 tips for talking to children about mass shootings and traumatic events.
1. Limit exposure to news.
If possible, do not allow children under the age of 9 to watch the news.
If older children are watching news, make a point of watching with them. Take time to help them express their thoughts and feelings about the information. Provide additional information from a calm, adult perspective. Point out positive media images if appropriate.
Engage children in non-news related activities: Watch movies on DVD, play board games, go for bike rides, go to the park.
2. Reassure children that they are cared for and safe.
Remind them that there are more good people in the world then bad. Encourage them to make a list of all of the supportive people in their lives.
3. Validate their feelings.
Let them know that it is okay to be sad or scared, but they are and will be okay.
4. Identify ways to give back.
Doing something productive can help manage feelings. Encourage children to write a letter of encouragement to the injured, collect soda cans and donate the proceeds to a medical fund to help victims, or other ideas that they may generate.
5. Check in with them periodically.
Ask children if they have any questions. Be sure to let them know that you are open to talking more if they want.
6. Monitor adult conversations.
Children hear more than adults realize and can often misunderstand adult reactions to traumatic events. Have adult conversations in private spaces where you cannot be overheard. If a child overhears part of a conversation, be open and honest about your feelings while continuing to reassure the child of their safety.
Some indicators that your child needs professional help includes:
- Persistent worry or anxiety about their safety or the of their friends and family.
- Continuing to focus on thoughts of the incident, including seeking out news information, talking about the event, or drawing pictures of the event.
- Significant changes in behavior including inattentiveness, irritability, sleeping too much or too little, lack of appetite, etc.
- Persistent headaches or stomachaches.
- Increased sensitivity to sounds.