Helping Children Cope With Traumatic Events


As we wake up to this morning’s tragic news and look for resources, NEA wanted to share links we have up in nea.org/safeschools.

NEA Today has also provided this story and links: Mass Shooting in Las Vegas: How to Talk to Students

The page hasn’t been rebuilt or updated since Charlottesville so the links that most relevant are found here: http://www.nea.org/home/71339.htm

HELPING CHILDREN COPE WITH TRAUMATIC EVENTS

  • NEA Healthy Futures School Crisis Guide
    Knowing what to do in a crisis can be the difference between stability and upheaval. This step-by-step resource created by educators for educators can make it easier for union leaders, school district administrators, and principals to keep schools safe — before, during, and after a crisis.
  • National Child Traumatic Stress Network
    NCTSN has several pdfs and other resources for helping parents and children deal with catastrophic mass violence events, including parent tips for helping school-age children after disasters, which lists children’s reactions with examples of how parents should respond and what they should say.
  • Talking to Children About Tragedies and Other News Events 
    The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) encourages parents, teachers, child care providers, and others who work closely with children to filter information about the crisis and present it in a way that their child can accommodate, adjust to, and cope with.
  • How to Help Kids Feel Safe After Tragedy
    It’s normal for both adults and kids to feel anxious after such a publicly devastating event, but there are things you can do to minimize the stress and maintain a sense of normalcy.
  • Incidents of Mass Violence
    Learn about who is most at risk for emotional distress from incidents of mass violence and where to find disaster-related resources.