| Helping
Children and Their Families Cope with Disasters
(Michigan State University Extension)
Also see "Picking
up the Pieces" by the University of Minnesota Extension Service
,
Facing Fear: Helping Young People Deal With Terrorism and Other
Tragic Events - American Red Cross ,
AND the Family
Development and Resource Management Base Program by the USDA.
The number 911, in
use throughout much of the United States as the phone number to call in
an emergency, took on new and catastrophic significance on September 11,
or 9/11. As adults cope with the horror, stress and sense of
helplessness arising from the disasters in New York, Washington, D.C.,
and Pennsylvania, we shouldn't overlook the impact that these acts and
the resulting images, adult reactions and national grief will have on
children.
The following
resources are designed to help families and communities respond to the
emotional aftermath of terrorist events and to help families help their
children understand and cope.
Helping
Young People and Their Families Cope with Emotional Trauma
Michigan
State University Resources:
- Children and
Death - A Guide for Caring Adults, MSU Extension Bulletin E-1944
— located in the MSU
Extension Disaster Response Notebook, Section III: Family Issues
(http://www.msue.msu.edu/msue/iac/disasterresp/), provides parents,
teachers and other caring adults with strategies for interacting
with children who have experienced loss through the death of a
family member or friend. (Adobe Acrobat document; requires the Adobe
Acrobat Reader plug-in).
- Children,
Stress and Natural Disasters: A Guide for Teachers (http://www.ag.uiuc.edu/~disaster/teacher/teacher.html)
is a resource for teachers and other youth educators to help
children who have been through a disaster. This site, which includes
a teacher's guide and activities to do with children, is co-authored
by MSU Extension youth development specialist Lynne
Borden and Aaron T. Ebata, Extension specialist and professor at
the School of Human Resources and Family Studies, University of
Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.
- Parenting
and Being Caring Adults in Times of War and Other Violent Tragedy.
Joanne Keith, MSU Family and Child Ecology researcher, offers tips
for parents and other adult caregivers to help children process and
manage their reactions and feelings about war and terrorism.
- Parenting
Children Following a Terrorist Attack. Tips for parents
based on research and personal experience from MSU professor Tom
Luster, Department of
Family and Child Ecology, Michigan State University.
- Real
Words to Help Children Cope with Tragedy. The MSU Extension
Human Development Area of Expertise Team provides developmentally
appropriate words and phrases adults can use to talk with children
and teenagers about tragedy.
- The
Extension Disaster Education Network (EDEN) (http://www.agctr.lsu.edu/eden/default.asp)
is a collaborative multi-state effort by Extension Services across
the country, including MSU Extension, to reduce the impact of
disasters. Look for keywords "coping,"
"distress," "emotions" and "helping"
in the searchable database.
- What
About Our Children? The MSU Extension Human Development Area
of Expertise Team provides ways adults who care for and about
children can help them talk about and deal with the recent
catastrophies.
Other
National Resources:
- Aftermath
of Attack on America: The Healing Process (http://www.ca.uky.edu/fcs/terrorism/)
Eight media articles from the University of Kentucky Cooperative
Extension Service which include information on the grieving and
healing process, talking and listening skills for parents and
educators, dealing with issues of prejudice among other relevant
topics.
- Children's
Needs, Recognizing Stress in Children, September 2001
(http://www.preparerespondrecover.com/childrensneeds/),
PrepareRespondRecover.org offers safety planning and disaster
response and recovery. Information to help children recover from the
stress and anxiety caused by disaster. This resource was created
with the help of Karen Debord, North Carolina Cooperative Extension
Service.
- Families
Coping With Traumatic Events (http://www.familyinfoserv.com/crisis.html)
The Family Information Service offers resources for professionals
working with children, youth and families on stress and coping with
trauma and a variety of other family issue areas.
- National
Center for Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (http://www.ncptsd.org).
Provides facts, research and treatment options related to
posttraumatic stress disorder with a special section for managing
the traumatic stress of terrorism.
- Resources
For Talking With Children About Tuesday's Tragedies in New York
& Washington (http://www.childrensdefense.org/resources_tragedy.htm)
The Children's Defense Fund provides general tips and links to
resources that can be used by parents, teachers, and other
caregivers to help children cope with tragedy.
- Talking
with Children about Terrorism (http://www.ces.purdue.edu/terrorism/children/)
Judith Myers Walls, Purdue Cooperative Extension Service, gives tips
to parents, teachers and caregivers on how to have meaningful
conversations with children about terrorism and other disasters.
Helping
Young People and Their Families Deal with Issues of Prejudice and
Discrimination
Michigan
State University Resources:
- Stopping
Hateful Language: It Begins With Us. The MSU Extension
Diversity Committee offers guidelines and skill-building ideas to
help people speak out against hateful language, slurs and comments
that hurt and demean people and communities.
- The
Character of a Nation is Tested. The MSU Extension Diversity
Committee and the Youth Development Area of Expertise Team offer
tips to help communities avoid the perpetuation of stereotypes and
racism that could fuel hate-based reactions to people of color and
test the character of our nation.
National
Resources:
- Beyond
Blame: A Reaction to the Terrorist Attack. (http://www.edc.org/spotlight/schools/beyondblame.htm)
New 30-page curriculum provides information and lesson plans
focusing on issues of justice, fairness and mislaid blame for use
with middle and high school students. Appropriate for in school and
out-of-school programs. Available through the Education
Development Center, Inc. (http://www.edc.org) Free copies of the
curriculum may be printed directly from their website.
- National
Clearinghouse for Bilingual Education. (http://www.ncbe.gwu.edu/library/tolerance.htm)
Resources to assist teachers and others in talking to students about
the recent tragedy and to prevent cross cultural misunderstanding
and persecution within schools and communities as well as promote
healing and respect for differences. Includes links to resources on:
The Middle East, Islam, and Arab Americans and challenging
stereotypes, intolerance, and racism, including lesson plans on
community building and respect for cultural diversity.
- The
National PTA. (http://www.pta.org/parentinvolvement/tragedy/index.asp)
Information on talking with children about hatred and prejudice, in
both English and Spanish.
Other
Helpful National Sites with Additional Information on Cultural
Understanding:
Ways
to Help
National
Resources:
- American
Red Cross (http://www.redcross.org/). The Red Cross is the
central agency for information on disaster relief and recovery, as
well as on ways to help both in blood donations and volunteer
efforts. From this site, you can also find a list of Michigan
chapters (http://www.redcross.org/where/chapts.html) of the
American Red Cross.
- Helping.Org
(www.helping.org). This site, sponsored by America Online, lists
volunteer and donation opportunities to help victims of the New York
City, Washington, D.C., and Pennsylvania disasters and meet other
national nonprofit needs.
Other
Resources
Michigan
State University Resources:
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