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Fort Hood Shooting: Five tips to help parents talk to their kids about violence in the news
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Sgt. Anthony Sills comforts his wife outside Fort Hood, Texas where a shooter killed 12, wounded 31.
Families today watch a lot of TV, according to a 2005 Kaiser Family Foundation report. In a survey of third to twelfth graders:
• 63 percent said the TV is “usually” on during meals
• 51 percent said they live in homes where the TV is left on “most” or “all” of the time, whether anyone is watching it or not
Not everything our kids see on TV is rated “G”. Violence stalked across families’ television screens yet again on Thursday—and this was real life, not a movie.
A soldier opened fire on a military processing center at Fort Hood near Killeen, Texas, killing 12 people and wounding 31, according to officials at the Army base. The alleged gunman, identified as Maj. Nidal Malik Hasan, 39, was wounded by a police officer. He is in a civilian hospital, under around-the-clock guard.
How can parents help their children process what’s happening in the news—especially when reporters are constantly updating violent news stories like the shooting at Ft. Hood?
1. Consider your child’s age – Besides tailoring your conversations about news to your child’s age, remember to consider how sensitve or easily scared he is, recommends child development expert Adele M. Brodkin, PhD.
2. Watch the news with your child -- Find a program that isn't overly sensational—a local news or weekend show—and talk about what you see, recommends the article “Talking to Your Kids About Natural Disasters, War, and Violence.” Discussing the news together lets you evaluate how your child is feeling about what he just saw and heard.
3. Recognize your child’s fears – Violent news stories—the shooting in Ft. Hood, airplane crashes, murders, natural disasters—can frighten children. Reassure your child that you and others—friends, neighbors, police and fire fighters—are working to keep him safe.
4. Balance your child’s “news diet.” – Set clear limits with your child, recommends Talk withYour Kids. Establish what news shows your child can watch, as well as when he can watch them.
5. Look for signs of anxiety related to watching violent news – Signs that your child is struggling with fears and/or anxiety caused by exposure to violent news stories include: sleeplessness, bedwetting and crying, according to an American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry fact sheet.
More Information:
Report: U.S. children watching more television than ever before
Talking with kids about news:
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