Helping children cope with traumatic events
Schools are the most important places in a community for an educator or student to receive support when a crisis occurs. Schools provide a familiar environment where the many needs of grieving students and faculty can be met in one place. Administrators and educators need to be prepared to deal with any crisis that might arise; such preparation will better equip them to respond to students' emotional needs in the wake of a crisis. These resources may be of help to you in helping your students cope with fear and trauma.
Responding to traumatic events
Managing
emotional reactions to traumatic events
Parents and teachers can help youngsters manage their feelings by both
modeling healthy coping strategies and closely monitoring their own
emotional state and that of the children in their care.
Identifying
seriously traumatized children
Following exposure to crisis events it is not unusual for children to
display symptoms of acute distress. In most cases these reactions are
temporary and gradually lessen. This handout describes how to identify
severely traumatized children so as to better ensure they get timely
access to the professional counseling they will require.
Talking
to children about violence (includes translations in multiple
languages)
High
profile acts of violence, particularly in schools, can confuse and
frighten children who may feel in danger or worry that their friends or
loved-ones are at risk. Parents and school personnel can help children
feel safe by establishing a sense of normalcy and security and talking
with them about their fears. For parents who do not speak English, this
resource includes translations to multiple languages.
A
national tragedy: helping students cope
Whenever a national tragedy occurs, children, like many people, may be
confused or frightened. Most likely they will look to adults for
information and guidance on how to react—this guide will help.
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Tips for talking with children about school violence
In
the wake of school violence, many families and educators may have
questions about how to help children cope with the tragedy, or what to
say to reassure them. This resource from Colorín Colorado includes tips
in English and Spanish, as well as additional recommended
resources.
How
to talk about the connecticut shooting, from the director of the
national center for school crisis and bereavement
As the nation watches the reports of the recent Connecticut school
shooting, many may find themselves feeling anxious and sad.
David Schonfeld, MD, provides advice, in English and Spanish, to adults
on talking with children about the way they are feeling.
Preventative measures
School
violence: prevention tools and resources
The Center for Disease Control (CDC) offers a number of tools and
resources designed to help state and local education agencies and
schools promote safety and help schools be safe places for students to
learn.
Early
warning, timely response: a guide to safe schools
An early warning guide to help adults reach out to troubled children
quickly and effectively, developed by the Department of Education and
the Department of Justice.
Safeguarding
our children: an action guide
Practical steps schools can take to design and implement school safety
plans to reduce violence in our schools and help children get access to
the services they need. Developed as a follow up to "Early Warning,
Timely Response."
Promoting
safe schools
Help cultivate a safe and tolerant space in your hallways, classrooms,
buses and beyond.
Helping students with special needs
Coping
with crisis—helping children with special needs
When a crisis event occurs it can cause strong and deeply felt
reactions in adults and children, especially those children with
special needs. This resource provides advice and considerations in
helping students with special needs cope after a traumatic event.
Sadness
for sandy hook
Use this resource to provide graphic support for students with
disabilities and very young children so that they can hear, read and
understand they are safe. If children want to expand on each sentence
or thought, use vocabulary they know and understand to re-state the
content, for example: I am okay. You are okay. We are okay.
Helping students express their feelings
How
do you feel?
Pictures and words to aid discussion about feelings. (Grades K-4)
Let's
think about feelings
Images of people displaying a variety of emotions, with questions for
the class to read and respond to. (Grades K-1)
Display
of feelings
Images that correspond to various feelings. (Grades 2-5)
What
is bereavement and how does it feel
An information sheet for students about bereavement. (Grades 7-9)
Circles
of control
We all worry; but we do not always have control over what happens to
us. In this resource students categorize various fears according to
level of control over them. (Grades 8-10)
Discussing
fear
Students consider what fear is, and how to overcome it. (Grades 9-10)
Similarities
and differences exercise
This whole class interactive activity has students respond to a series
of "yes/no" statements dealing with respect and violence. It is meant
to show students that they are more similar than different and inspire
respectful non-violent interaction in the classroom. (Grades 3-9)
