Aftershocks of a National Tragedy: Helping Kids Cope

One year after the terrorist attacks on our country, many families are beginning to heal, but many others are still mourning, and still afraid. Connect for Kids has compiled some of the Web's strongest resources for parents, teachers and community members, to help all of our nation's children work through the tragic and unprecedented events of September 11, 2001.



Helping Kids Cope With Trauma

Parenting in the Wake of Terrorism
The Purdue University Extension offers advice to help families as we approach the one year anniversary of the September 11th terrorist attacks.

Supporting Our Children
by Susan Phillips and Jan Richter
All of us who care for children work hard to help them make sense of their world. Now, as adults and kids struggle to come to terms with the seemingly senseless attacks in New York and Washington, D.C., we need to find other ways to help them feel safe. Outreach specialist Jan Richter and managing editor Susan Phillips share some thoughts.

How Are We Now?
This booklet from Mercy Corps helps adults understand how children often react to trauma, grief and anniversaries, and how they can support the children in their care in the ongoing work of healing.

Resources for Helping Children Cope with Trauma and Loss
AboutOurKids.org provides information and offers advice for parents, educators, and mental health and medical professions to help children cope with the September 11th attack.

Will They Fly A Plane Into Our House?
In response to the 9-11 terrorist attacks, Childswork/Childsplay and The Guidance Channel are offering a free downloadable book (in pdf format) to help children deal with their fears and anxiety. The book, for parents and adults who work with children ages 5-12, includes a answers to kids' questions and activities for kids. They also have Crisis Resources.

National Center for Children Exposed to Violence
The National Center for Children Exposed to Violence exists to increase public and professional awareness of the effects of violence on children and to build the capacity of individuals and communities to reduce the impact of violence.

Coping With a National Tragedy
The National Association of School Psychologists has provided parents and teachers with a variety of resources, including how to identify anxious children and how to talk to them, links and articles available in English, Spanish, Urdu, Korean, Arabic, Farsi, Vietnamese and Turkish.

Zero to Three: How to Discuss Terrorism with Young Children
In response to the tragic events on September 11, 2001, Zero to Three has ideas in addressing death and terrorism with toddlers.

Strategies for Parents and Teachers
During disasters, many families suffer from the onset of sudden stress. Informed intervention can help families and children cope with this stress in a healthy, effective manner. North Carolina State Universities offers strategies to help.

Helping Kids With Special Needs
Children with a learning disability or ADHD may feel especially vulnerable in the wake of this tragedy. LDOnline has guidelines for age-appropriate help.

Talking to Children About Violence and Other Sensitive and Complex Issues
Educators for Social Responsibility has developed an in-depth document that attempts to answer tough questions about the role of media and anxiety and emotions?both the adult and the child's?about a tragic event.? It also discusses how to talk about a young person's possible desire to 'retaliate' with violence.

Disaster Manual
The District of Columbia Public Schools has a comprehensive online resource for parents, educators and caring adults to help children cope with disasters that is useful beyond the District's school system. Much of the information is age-specific.

Identifying and Lessening Trauma in Children
This American Psychological Association site includes descriptions of signs of trauma in elementary, middle and high school age children, and guidance for parents of children, by age.



Helping?Adults Cope With Trauma

Coping With Terrorism
The American Psychological Association's Help Center has online resources to help adults manage traumatic stress, with specific sections on family.

Coping With Disaster: Tips for Adults
The National Mental Health Association offers resources for adults on how to handle disaster-related anxiety, as well a section that helps adults talk to children about their own anxiety.

Preparing to Handle Disaster?
The American Academy of Pediatrics Family Readiness Kit offers concrete advice for what families can do in advance to prepare for the disruptions and possible dangers presented by a tornado hurricane, or terrorist attack.

Crisis Communication Guide
The National Education Association has posted resources and tools from its guide, which addresses parent and community concerns, as well as those of teachers in the classroom.

Q & A on Anthrax
Having good information is one of the best ways to protect your family against bioterrorism. The American Academy of Pediatrics offers guidelines.



Anti-Discrimination Resources

Teaching Tolerance
Tolerance.org is a project of the Southern Poverty Law Center, a national non-profit civil rights organization that promotes tolerance and diversity and combats hate and discrimination through education, investigation and litigation. This online resource is designed for easy access to news and engaging exercises that promote personal soul-searching.

Arab American Anti-discrimination Committee
"Advice to Educators" offers teachers and youth workers information about teaching tolerance and suggestions in how to create a safe environment for potentially targeted students. "How to Respond to Incidents of Discrimination in Schools?Advice to Parents" details a step-by-step course of action.

Childhood Trauma and Conflict Resolution
In tense times it is too easy to use hatred and blame to try to feel more in control. The Ohio Commission on on Dispute Resolution and Conflict Management provides conflict management skills that can help families and schools address outbreaks of scapegoating.?



Lesson Plans for Teachers

Remember September 11
The National Education Association has launched a complete resource site for educators to use in the respectful commemoration of September 11 with more than 100 lesson plans and over 60 links to support materials, resources and information.

9-11 as History
Family and Work Institute has put together lesson plans and other items available on a new website to help adults help children remember and mark September 11 this year.

Helping Educators Address the Aftermath of 9/11
Educators for Social Responsibility has more than 50 free lesson plans customized to help educators and students discuss, analyze and respond to the events of the past year, as well as a range of divergent points of view; a guide for talking to children about violence and other sensitive and complex issues, a follow-up guide on responding to violent events by building community, and a special newsletter dedicated to the crisis.

National Council for the Social Studies Articles and Resources
The National Council for the Social Studies provides articles and resources designed to create a forum for issues regarding the teaching of social studies relating to September 11.

PBS Plans
PBS has a variety of lesson plans?"A World at Peace" for elementary grades and "Tolerance" and "Emergency Preparedness" for older students.?

Tools from MindOH!
As we approach the anniversary of the September 11 terrorist attacks, many young people may experience what is called the "anniversary effect." The MindOH! Foundation Web site has a number of "Thinking it Through" worksheets developed by mental health and education professionals, in addition to other resources.

Voices from the Classroom?
Youth Communication has posted its stories on tolerance, stereotyping, war, loss and friendship, each followed by several questions to spark discussion and reflection on those themes.?

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Ideas from the Field

Remembering September 11 Through Wreaths of Remembrance
In November 2001, PTAs, students, families, and communities across the country honored the victims of September 11 through making and displaying memorial wreaths. A year later, children can continue to make wreaths of their own through the materials on National PTA's Remembering September 11 site. The site includes resources for helping your child cope with tragedy, understand empathy, and deal with hatred, prejudice and discrimination.