Responding to Terrorism and War - Information for Educators
Common Reactions to Terrorist Violence and Other Traumatic Events
Children's reactions to terrorist violence will be influenced by a number of
factors, including: the seriousness of the violence, the child's level of exposure
to the violence, the child's relationship to the victims, and the child's age.[1]
If a child or teen has had mental health problems in the past, has previously
been a victim or witness to violence, or has recently experienced some other
type of trauma, he or she is more likely to be profoundly affected by traumatic
events and may be more likely to experience long-term consequences.
Children's reactions are also affected by the types of support they receive from their families. A supportive family can buffer the negative effects of trauma, providing a source of healing for a child. If a child's parents are incapable of offering sufficient support, however, because they are traumatized and overwhelmed by the events themselves, a child is much less likely to recover quickly from traumatic events and may have lingering problems.[3]
Common Reactions to Watch For in Children and Teens [4,5]
It is important to keep an eye on children for signs that they are having difficulties in dealing with a traumatic event. Children and teens' reactions can appear immediately after the event or days or weeks later.
For children 5 and under, typical reactions can include:
- Fear of being separated from parents and excessive clinging
- Avoidance of activities and places related to the attack
- Increased fears and anxieties that may seem unrelated to the attack (e.g., increased fear of monsters)
- Crying, whimpering, or screaming
- Disturbances in sleeping, including a reluctance to sleep alone, difficulty falling asleep and staying asleep, and bad dreams
- Tantrums, outbursts of anger, irritability or defiance
- Immobility, aimless motion, withdrawal, or confusion
- A return to earlier behaviors, such as thumb-sucking, bedwetting, and returning to using diapers, a pacifier or bottle.
- Changes in play, including more aggressive pretend play and play that re-enacts the events.
The responses of children 5 and under will be strongly affected by parents' reactions. Children can sense their parents' anxiety and fear, and if the adult is overwhelmed, the children will feel less secure.
For children 6 to 11 years, typical reactions can include:
- Extreme withdrawal, irritability, an inability to pay attention or difficulty concentrating
- Outbursts and disruptive or aggressive behavior
- Changes in play, including more aggressive pretend play and play that re-enacts the events.
- A return to earlier behaviors, such as thumb-sucking, bedwetting, and fear of darkness
- Disturbances in eating and sleeping, including difficulty falling asleep and recurrent distressing dreams
- A need to stay close to parents
- Complaints of stomach aches, headaches, or other physical symptoms
- Refusal to go to school or poor school performance
- Depression, anxiety, irrational fears, feelings of guilt, confusion, or emotional numbing.
- Avoidance of any reminders of the attack
- Jumpiness and nervousness, startling easily
For adolescents 12-17 years, typical reactions can include:
- Flashbacks and nightmares
- Avoidance of any reminders of the traumatic event
- Depression, anxiety, irrational fears, feelings of guilt, or emotional numbing.
- Difficulty concentrating and irritability
- Jumpiness and nervousness, startling easily
- Substance abuse, problems with peers, and anti-social, aggressive, or risk-taking behavior
- Withdrawal and isolation
- Changes in eating habits, physical complaints or sleep disturbance
- Suicidal thoughts
- Refusal to go to school or poor performance in school
1. Gurwitch, R.H., Sullivan, M.A., & Long, P.J. (1998). The impact of trauma and disaster on young children. Child and Adolescent Psychiatric Clinics of North America, 7(1), 19-32.
3. Gurwitch, R.H., Sullivan, M.A., & Long, P.J. (1998). The impact of trauma and disaster on young children. Child and Adolescent Psychiatric Clinics of North America, 7(1), 19-32.
4. Gurwitch, R.H., Sullivan, M.A., & Long, P.J. (1998). The impact of trauma and disaster on young children. Child and Adolescent Psychiatric Clinics of North America, 7(1), 19-32.
5. Shaw, J. A. (2000). Children, adolescents, and trauma. Psychiatric Quarterly, 71(3), 227-243.