Parents play a huge role in helping kids understand the horrendous terror attacks shown on television. How parents explain concepts to their children is as important as what they explain.
Dr. Russell Jones, a psychology professor and trauma expert at Virginia Tech, told ABC News that children mirror the behaviors and attitudes of adults. If parents become frightened or anxious about certain news topics, their kids will most likely feel the same.
Jones advised parents to be calm and collected when telling their kids about mass shootings and suicide bombings. He encouraged parents to consider the child's age as older children can understand far more concepts than preschoolers.
"Many times following these unexpected traumatic events, it shatters their world view," explained Jones. "They feel things will never be the same and good things don't happen to good people."
When kids become scared, their uneasiness usually morphs into sleeping problems, headaches and being fixated on staying at home. Other complications include fatigue, irritability and habitual worrying, Kids Helpline reported as per Mama Mia.
When kids become frightened of stepping outside or going to public areas, parents should address the fears in a mellow and reassuring tone. Jones said parents can tell their kids about policemen and firefighters who are constantly making sure they are safe all the time. Parents can also tell their kids that the likelihood of a bad incident happening to them is very low.
According to the American Academy of Pediatrics via Live Strong, prolonged exposure to violent news content increases a child's acceptance of violence as a means to solve problems. Additionally, children who regularly see violence on television develop weak moral reasoning.
"Fear of being the victim of violence is a strong motivation for some young people to carry a weapon, to be more aggressive," said the AAP. "More than 3,500 research studies have examined the association between media violence and violent behavior; all but 18 have shown a positive relationship."
