- PROTECT CHILDREN, ESPECIALLY YOUNG CHILDREN, AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE FROM
EXPOSURE TO NEWS REPORTS AND FROM HEARING ADULTS TALK ABOUT THE WAR.
The more coverage children see, the more dangerous and violent the world
can seem and the more information they will have to try to figure out.
- TRUSTED ADULTS HAVE A VITAL ROLE TO PLAY HELPING CHILDREN FEEL SAFE
AND SORT OUT WHAT THEY DO SEE & HEAR. Coverage of the war so dominates
the news that it's rarely possible to protect them fully from hearing
about it. They need trusted adults to help them feel safe and work out
their ideas about what they do hear. How you respond will influence
how children feel about talking about the war and what they learn about
it.
- BASE YOUR RESPONSE ON THE AGE, UNDERSTANDING & CONCERNS OF THE
CHILDREN. While your responses need to take into account the unique
ideas and responses of individual children, their age also influences
how they need you to respond.
- YOUNG CHILDREN WON'T UNDERSTAND THE WAR AS ADULTS DO. They will
often relate what they hear to themselves and worry about their
own safety. They tend to focus on one thing at a time and the most
salient aspects of what they see-e.g., the bombs, explosions, and
images of wounded people. Because they don't have fully logical
causal thinking, it's hard for them to figure out the logic of what
happened and why, or sort out what's pretend and real. They relate
what they hear to what they already know which can lead to misunderstandings.
"Planes in the war drop bombs, maybe the planes over my house
will drop bombs too!"
- OLDER CHILDREN BEGIN TO THINK ABOUT UNDERLYING ISSUES ABOUT THE
WAR AND POSSIBLE REAL WORLD IMPLICATIONS. They use more accurate
language and make logical causal connections, but still don't understand
all the meanings or motivations and can develop misunderstandings
and fears. Explore the meanings behind their language ("What
did you hear about Saddam Hussein?). Then base your responses on
what they seem to know and be asking. Do not rush in to provide
more information than they are asking for.
- WHEN CHILDREN ASK QUESTIONS, START BY FINDING OUT WHAT THEY KNOW.
Asking an open-ended question to find out more often works well. That
way you can provide a response that meets individual needs. If a child
asks a question about the war, you might respond by asking, "What
have you heard about that?" If a child doesn't ask, you can raise
the war by asking, "Have you heard anything about a place called
Iraq? What did you hear?" If they say they haven't heard, you can
just drop the issue.
- ANSWER QUESTIONS AND CLEAR UP MISCONCEPTIONS THAT WORRY OR CONFUSE.
You don't need to provide the full story. Just tell children what they
seem to want to know. Don't worry about giving "right answers"
or if children have ideas that don't agree with yours. You will often
need to help them distinguish real from pretend (like the Power Rangers)
violence, help them see how they are safe despite the war. You can calmly
and simply voice your feelings and concerns. End the conversation by
letting them you're available to talk about things more later.
- SUPPORT CHILDREN'S EFFORTS TO USE PLAY, ART, AND WRITING TO WORK OUT
AN UNDERSTANDING OF SCARY THINGS THEY SEE AND HEAR. Beyond conversations,
it's normal for children to use play, art and writing in an ongoing
way; to work out ideas and feelings. What they do can show you what
they know and worry about. Open-ended (versus highly-structured) play
materials-blocks, airplanes, emergency vehicles, miniature people, a
doctor's kit, markers and paper-help children with this. [See below
for more information.]
- BE ON THE LOOKOUT FOR SIGNS OF STRESS. Changes in behavior such as
increased aggression or withdrawal, difficulty separating or sleeping,
or troubles with transition are signs that additional supports are needed.
Protecting children from violent media images, maintaining routines,
& providing reassurance & extra hugs help children regain equilibrium.
Knowing that caring adults are there to maintain their world is usually
the best antidote to worries the war can create.
- HELP CHILDREN LEARN ALTERNATIVES TO THE HARMFUL LESSONS THEY MAY BE
LEARNING ABOUT VIOLENCE AND PREJUDICE. Talk about non-violent ways to
solve conflicts in their own lives. As they get older and less egocentric,
help them look at different points of view in conflicts. Help them sort
out narrow and dehumanized ideas about real world and fantasy enemies.
Point to positive experiences with people different from themselves.
Try to complicate their thinking about these issues rather than tell
them what to think.
- DISCUSS WHAT ADULTS ARE DOING TO MAKE THE SITUATION BETTER AND WHAT
CHILDREN CAN DO TO HELP. It can help children to feel secure when they
see adults working to help keep the world safe. And while they need
to know that it is the adults who are working to keep them safe, taking
meaningful, age-appropriate action steps themselves can help them feel
more in control.
- TALK WITH OTHER ADULTS. Work together to support each other's efforts
to create a safe environment for children. This includes agreeing to
protect children from unnecessary exposure to violence. Talking together
can also can help you meet your own personal needs in this difficult
time, thereby keeping these kinds of concerns more separate from your
work with children.
HELPING CHILDREN USE PLAY TO
SAFELY WORK OUT SCARY EVENTS AND VIOLENCE*
When young children see and hear about the war they can become confused
or frightened, or just interested in figuring out the meaning of what
they saw. They often then try to bring this content into their PLAY where
they can work out ideas and feelings. Here are guidelines to help you
respond effectively when such play occurs.
- Watch children as they play to learn more about what they know, are
struggling to understand, and may be worried about. This will help you
figure out how to respond.
- Remember: it's normal & helpful for children to bring graphic
aspects of what they see & hear about the war into their play.
- If the play gets scary or dangerous, gently intervene and redirect
it. For example, ask children, "How could people help each other?"
- Help them expand and develop their play so it does not just imitate
the violence. Provide toys such as rescue vehicles and medical. Follow
children's leads in what you do. Don't take over the play.
- After the play, talk together about the play. "Who were the bad
guys in your play?" Reassure them about their safety. Answer questions
simply. Clear up confusions. Teach alternatives to harmful lessons children
may be learning.
WEB SITES with Materials to Help Educators & Parents Help Children
Deal with War and Violence:
1. Adapted from: Teaching Young Children in Violent Times: Building
a Peaceable Classroom (2nd Edition) by Diane E. Levin (Cambridge, MA:
Educators for Social Responsibility, in press).
Contact: D. Levin at Wheelock College, Boston, MA (617-879-2167; dlevin@wheelock.edu).
* Adapted from: Teachers Resisting Unhealthy Children's Entertainment's
TRUCE 2000-2001 TOY ACTION GUIDE (TRUCE materials can be downloaded from:
www.truceteachers.org). For more information on war play see: "Beyond
War & Superhero Play: Meeting Children's Needs in violent Times"
by D. Levin (Young Children, May, 2003). On the NAEYC web site-See above.
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