How to Educate You Children Again Gun Violence

These suggestions for parents and educators provide guidance on how to talk about school violence or violence in a customs, discuss events in the news, and assist children feel safety in their environment.

Note: These resources were originally compiled post-obit the school shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Connecticut. The commodity has been updated equally new resources are fabricated available.

When children accept questions near violence, many adults have questions about how to help children cope with the tragedy. Some adults may wonder how much information children should be exposed to, or what to say to their children near their safety. Others may wait for ideas on what to say when children ask why this tragedy happened or how they tin assistance people who take been affected.

Organizations around the country accept pulled together their resources to provide some guidance and many of these organizations are publishing materials in multiple languages. Here are some tips for getting started, as well every bit boosted recommended resource. The original commodity is also bachelor as a PDF in English and Spanish.

Note: Many of these suggestions originally appeared in Fred Rogers Talks About Tragic Events in the News.

Talking with Children Well-nigh Tragedy in the News

• Get-go, find out what your child or student knows about the event. Even if you haven't yet discussed it together, the child may have heard the news from media sources or classmates. The child'south perception of what has happened may be very unlike from the reality.
• Assure the child that it is ok to talk about distressing or scary events. It is also ok to admit to feeling distressing, scared, or angry and to admit that yous are having those feelings too. In an interview with Skilful Morn America, adept Willow Bay advises, "Establish that in that location is no question also scary for your child to talk about." Likewise, Mr. Rogers writes, "If we don't allow children know it's okay to feel deplorable and scared, they may think something is wrong with them when they do feel that way."
• Encourage questions, both at present and in the time to come. David Schonfeld, MD, writes, "Similar adults, children are better able to cope with a crisis if they feel they understand it. Question-and-answer exchanges provide you lot with the opportunity to offer back up as your kid begins to understand the crunch and the response to information technology."
• Reassure the child that he or she is safe. When a kid has questions such as, "Why did this happen?" or "Am I safe?", Ms. Bay encourages parents to talk about the many people who work every day to keep kids safe.
• In sharing data, be honest, simply exist mindful of the kid'southward age. The National Clan of School Psychologists offers these helpful guidelines in its tips for talking with children nearly violence (available in multiple languages below). Examples related to school shootings are included with the tips:
  • Early elementary school children need brief, simple information that should be balanced with reassurances that their school and homes are safe and that adults are there to protect them. Give simple examples of school safety like reminding children nearly outside doors existence locked, kid monitoring efforts on the playground, and emergency drills practiced during the school day.
  • Upper elementary and early middle school children will exist more vocal in asking questions nigh whether they truly are safe and what is being done at their school. Some students may need help separating reality from fantasy. Discuss efforts of school and customs leaders to provide safe schools.
  • Upper center schoolhouse and loftier school students will take stiff and varying opinions most the causes of violence in schools and society. They volition share concrete suggestions near how to make schoolhouse safer and how to prevent tragedies in society. Emphasize the role that students take in maintaining condom schools past following school safety guidelines (e.g. not providing edifice access to strangers, reporting strangers on campus, reporting threats to the school safety made by students or community members, etc.), communicating any personal safety issues to school administrators, and accessing support for emotional needs.
• Remember that it is ok to admit that you don't accept all of the answers. Mr. Rogers offers the post-obit: "If the reply is 'I don't know,' then the simplest answer might be something like, 'I'thou sad about the news, and I'chiliad worried. But I love y'all, and I'm here to care for you lot.'"
• Exist patient. If the child doesn't have much to say nonetheless, give him some fourth dimension and let him know he can come back with more questions or to talk about the events when he is ready. If he shows signs of depression and anxiety over fourth dimension, speak with the kid's pediatrician or a school counselor for guidance.

Other of import steps

• Plough off the news. Media images can add to the trauma of a tragedy, particularly for young children. Images on the idiot box, in video, and on the Internet can be confusing and disorienting as dramatic images are repeated over and once again. Mr. Rogers notes that "Someone who has died turns upwardly alive and and so dies once more and over again," while Dr. Elaine Ducharme explains that this can lead children to believe that the tragedy has happened many times. In addition, the live coverage and the closeness of the TV images tin can add to the sense of danger. If the child does meet these images, help her understand that she is far abroad from where the news has happened.
• Wait for "kid-friendly" sources of information. These might include children's books, magazines and websites for children who desire to learn more. For more than data nearly using children's literature, run across Afterwards the Crisis: Using Storybooks to Assist Children Cope. Websites near current events for kids are listed beneath.
• Encourage the child to express feelings and ideas through familiar activities. Professor Bonnie Rubenstein recommends writing, painting, and singing. Play may also be helpful, but Mr. Rogers encourages adults to help children come up with "prophylactic" brand-believe scenarios such every bit helping someone at a hospital rather than reenacting the tragedy.
• Talk about people who are helping. Mr. Rogers notes that whenever his family unit learned virtually bad news, his mother encouraged him to "look for the helpers." These may include first responders, volunteers, doctors, or community members. Permit your child know that even though bad things happen, the world has many good people who want to help.
• Ask the kid for ideas on how to help. This might include fundraising, collecting donations, or being pen pals, too as ways to make a difference closer to home through a customs projection. Mr. Rogers likewise suggests talking near ways that adults can assist, such as making a donation or writing a letter to an elected official.
• Keep up your routine. Normalcy will help the child deal with difficult feelings, as will doing fun things that you both enjoy. Call back that kids nevertheless need to be kids!
• Stay at-home. OneToughJob.com emphasizes how important it is for adults to manage their own stress so that they can be the best caregivers possible — and also to recall that children may be listening to developed conversations.
• Become close! A final tip from Mr. Rogers: "Requite your child extra comfort and concrete amore, similar hugs or snuggling upwards together with a favorite book. Physical comfort goes a long way towards providing inner security. That closeness tin can nourish you lot, likewise."

Talking to Children Well-nigh Violence: Multilingual Tips for Parents and Teachers

The National Clan of School Psychologists recommends a number of helping tips in how to talk to children about violence and safe in this tip sail, also available in multiple languages.

English language	Spanish
Korean	Vietnamese
French	Amharic
Chinese	Portuguese
Somali	Arabic
Kurdish-Bahdini

From the Athenaeum

• What do El Paso, Dayton gun massacres say most America? (PBS NewsHour Extra)
• Talking to kids nearly El Paso, Dayton shootings? Use the 4 S'southward to hash out cruel violence (The states Today)
• How to talk to kids about the mass shootings in El Paso and Dayton (ABC News)
• At least seven killed, 48 wounded in Chicago'southward most violent weekend this year, West Side bears brunt of the violence (Chicago Tribune)

Parkland, FL school shootings

• Resources for Talking and Pedagogy Well-nigh the School Shooting in Florida (The New York Times)
• Showing Up Strong for Yourself—and Your Students—in the Aftermath of Violence (Educational activity Tolerance)
• When Bad Things Happen (Instruction Tolerance)
• How To Talk With Kids About Terrible Things (NPR)
• Parkland, FL news coverage from Education Week & PBS NewsHour

Talking about the Sandy Claw shooting

• Classroom Resources: Talking and Teaching About the Shooting in Newtown, Conn. (The New York Times)
• Handling Tragedy: How to Talk to Kids Most Sandy Hook (Edutopia)
• How to Talk to Your Kids about the Connecticut Shooting (ABC News)
• Talking to Children About the Connecticut Shooting (American Federation of Teachers)
• After Newtown: Tip Sheets and Information (American Academy of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry)
• In the Wake of Newtown, Helping Children Cope (Education Week)
• Innocence Lost: Honoring the Children of Newton, CT (Reading Rockets)

About the Writer

Lydia Breiseth is the Director of Colorín Colorado, which is a part of the Learning Media Department of public broadcasting chapter WETA. In this capacity, Ms. Breiseth manages content, web production, outreach, and partnerships on behalf of the project.

References

Bay, Willow. Interview on Skilful Forenoon America. "How to Talk to Your Kids about the Connecticut Shooting." Retrieved 12/17/12 from http://abcnews.get.com/blogs/headlines/2012/12/willow-bay-talking-to-your-kids-connecticut-shootin/

Fassler, David. "Tips for Talking to Children near the Connecticut School Shooting." Every bit posted on the American Academy of Kid & Adolescent Psychiatry website. Retrived 12/17/12 http://www.aacap.org/galleries/default-file/TipsforTalkingtoChildrenabouttheSchoolShooting.pdf

Ducharme, Dr. Elaine. Interview on Weekend Edition Saturday. "To Recover From Trauma, Kids Follow Lead of Adults." December xv, 2012. Retrieved from http://www.npr.org/2012/12/xv/167321218/to-recover-from-trauma-kids-follow-lead-of-adults

National Association of Schoolhouse Psychologists. "Talking to Children About Violence: Tips for Parents and Teachers." Retrieved 12/17/12 from http://www.nasponline.org/resources/crisis_safety/talkingviolence.pdf

OneToughJob.com. "Talking About Tragic Events." Retrieved 12/17/12 from http://www.onetoughjob.org/your-family/transitions/talking-about-tragic-events

Rogers, Fred. The Fred Rogers Visitor. "Fred Rogers Talks About Tragic Events in the News." Retrieved 12/17/12 from http://world wide web.fredrogers.org/new-site/par-tragic-events.html

Rubenstein, Bonnie. Pedagogy Week. "In the Wake of Newtown, Helping Children Cope." Retrieved 12/17/12 http://www.edweek.org/ew/manufactures/2012/12/17/15rubenstein.h32.html?tkn=YVTF05XCs1nONaV7awauQw%2F4AEYJMyLg99xq&cmp=clp-edweek

Schonfeld, David. "Doc Advises Adults on How to Talk with Children about Connecticut School Shooting." Published by American Federation of Teachers. Retrieved 12/17/12 from http://www.colorincolorado.org/pdfs/articles/Talking%20to%20Students%20about%20Connecticut%20School%20Shooting_Bilin.pdf

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Source: https://www.colorincolorado.org/article/15-tips-talking-children-about-school-violence

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