Our current SEAL (Social and Emotional Aspects of Learning) has as its theme the 8 Rs for Learning, one of which is responding. This ‘R’ is around developing children’s ability to respond constructively and positively towards feedback about their learning. Similarly, responding constructively and positively is something we must do following events which feature from time to time in the news, such as the attacks in Paris on Friday. Children can’t avoid being aware of news stories such as this, and it’s important to support children appropriately. This website post is intended to help you support your child at home.
The terrible events in Paris on Friday highlights the very unsettled world in which we live. Deaths, explosions and violence are seen on 24-hour television, web and newspapers and children are often totally exposed to this media, often with no explanation. Some of our pupils may have visited Paris, played on a Tunisian beach or flown on a plane out of Sharm el-Sheikh. We don’t know what effect hearing about these events has on children, but we need to be sensitive to their needs, questions, concerns and fears.
There is very little information on the internet offering advice to help children understand terrorist events. Much of the information comes from America and dates from September 11 2001, or offers support after a school shooting. Below is some of the available material – do check them out before using them with your child.
- Helping Children Cope in Unsettling Times (Somerset County Council, 2010)
- Parent’s Guide to Talking to Their Children about War (City of New York)
- Tips for Parents on Media Coverage (National Child Traumatic Stress Network, USA)
- Talking to Children about Terrorism and War (American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry)
Books to help children explore world issues
After the Charlie Hebdo attack in January 2015, author Sita Brahmachari wrote in The Guardian about why it’s more important than ever to write stories for children that explore our differences and common humanity. The article includes a diverse list of contemporary authors whose books have helped children and young people understand and empathise with some of the most complicated situations faced in the world today. Download the list of books.