may develop distress.
Recognize Risk Factors
For many children, reactions to
disasters are brief and represent
normal reactions to “abnormal events.”
A smaller number of children can be at
risk for more enduring psychological
distress as a function of three major
risk factors:
• Direct exposure to the disaster,
such as being evacuated, observing
injuries or death of others, or
experiencing injury along with
fearing one’s life is in danger.
• Loss/grief: This relates to the
death or serious injury of family
or friends.
• On-going stress from the
secondary effects of disaster, such
as temporarily living elsewhere,
loss of friends and social networks,
loss of personal property, parental
unemployment, and costs
incurred during recovery to
return the family to pre-disaster
life and living conditions.
Vulnerabilities in Children
In most cases, depending on the risk
factors above, distressing responses
are temporary. In the absence of severe
threat to life, injury, loss of loved ones,
or secondary problems such as loss of
home, moves, etc., symptoms usually
diminish over time. For those that
were directly exposed to the disaster,
reminders of the disaster such as high
winds, smoke, cloudy skies, sirens, or
other reminders of the disaster may
cause upsetting feelings to return.
Having a prior history of some type
of traumatic event or severe stress may
contribute to these feelings.
disasters. One way to establish a sense
information about the recent
of control and to build confidence in
disaster and current plans for
children before a disaster is to engage
insuring their safety along with
and involve them in preparing a family
recovery plans.
disaster plan. After a disaster, children • Encourage your children to talk
can contribute to a family recovery
about their feelings.
plan.
• Spend extra time with your
children such as at bedtime.
Meeting the Child’s Emotional • Re-establish your daily routine for
Needs
work, school, play, meals, and rest.
Children’s reactions are influenced by • Involve your children by giving
the behavior, thoughts, and feelings
them specific chores to help them
of adults. Adults should encourage
feel they are helping to restore
children and adolescents to share
family and community life.
their thoughts and feelings about the • Praise and recognize responsible
incident. Clarify misunderstandings
behavior.
about risk and danger by listening • Understand that your children
to children’s concerns and answering
will have a range of reactions to
questions. Maintain a sense of calm
disasters.
by validating children’s concerns and • Encourage your children to help
perceptions and with discussion of
update your a family disaster plan.
concrete plans for safety.
If you have tried to create a reassuring
Listen to what the child is saying. environment by following the steps
If a young child is asking questions above, but your child continues to
about the event, answer them simply exhibit stress, if the reactions worsen
without the elaboration needed for an over time, or if they cause interference
older child or adult. Some children are with daily behavior at school, at home,
comforted by knowing more or less or with other relationships, it may be
information than others; decide what appropriate to talk to a professional.
level of information your particular You can get professional help from
child needs. If a child has difficulty the child’s primary care physician, a
expressing feelings, allow the child to mental health provider specializing in
draw a picture or tell a story of what children’s needs. Parents can build
happened.
their own unique social support
systems so that in an emergency
Try to understand what is causing situation or when a disaster
anxieties and fears. Be aware that strikes, they can be supported and
following a disaster, children are most helped to manage their reactions.
afraid that:
As a result, parents will be more
available to their children and
• The event will happen again.
better able to support them.
• Someone close to them will be Parents are almost always the best
killed or injured.
source of support for children in
• They will be left alone or separated difficult times. But to support their
from the family.
children, parents need to attend to
their own needs and have a plan
Reassuring Children After a for their own support.
Disaster
Suggestions to help reassure children For additional information please
include the following:
visit: www.ready.gov
Children’s coping with disaster or
emergencies is o ften tied to the way
parents cope. They can detect adults’
fears and sadness. Parents and adults
can make disasters less traumatic for
children by taking steps to manage
their own feelings and plans for • Personal contact is reassuring.
coping. Parents are almost always the
Hug and touch your children.
best source of support for children in • Calmly provide factual
Source: www.ready.gov/coping-with-
disaster
OCTOBER 2017
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WINTER GARDEN MAGAZINE
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