Dealing with Fears Arising from the Terrorist Attacks

September 07, 2008

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Dealing with Fears Arising from the Terrorist Attacks

by Robert Needlman, M.D., F.A.A.P.
reviewed by Laura Jana, M.D., F.A.A.P.

Children exposed to graphic images of the planes crashing into the World Trade Center and the Pentagon may well develop a variety of fears and anxieties. They may worry about a plane crashing into their own home or school, or into their parents' office buildings. They may fear that a building will fall on them. Or, if they or someone they know has planned an airplane flight, they may be afraid that the plane will be hijacked or might crash. Children of all ages can be prey to these fears; here are some pointers on how to help in age-appropriate ways:

Infants and toddlers
Picking up cues from their angry, scared, or worried parents, even infants and toddlers may be aware that something upsetting has happened. They may cry more often and act fussier than normal, and you should be sure to soothe them with loving attention and patience. However, it's not until children are three or four years of age that they are likely to have specific fears or worries, such as those connected to airplanes and tall buildings.

Preschoolers
Up until age five or six, children still have a relatively underdeveloped sense of cause and effect. They also have a hard time focusing on more than one aspect of a situation. They have seen that buildings can fall down and that airplanes can crash. Those images may absorb their whole attention, not allowing them to think of all the work being done to make sure that the events of September 11 never happen again.

Therefore, instead of lengthy, logical explanations, preschool children need simple reassurance: First, that their parents love them and will always keep them safe; and, second, that people in authority (teachers, police officers, firefighters, soldiers, and the President) all are making sure that buildings and airplanes will be safe from now on.

Although we adults know that we cannot realistically offer a complete guarantee that no more terrorist acts will occur, it is truthful to act hopeful and confident and to tell your children that you and the other powerful, protecting adults are working to ensure that they are safe.

School-age children
Children in elementary school may have taken in a lot of facts about the terrorist hijackings and the events that followed in their wake. Still, they may have a hard time (as many adults do!) making sense of the facts, and how they affect their lives. That is, their cognitive (intellectual) grasp of the situation is likely to be stronger than their emotional grasp.

Under stress, children and adults tend to regress in their thinking and behavior, so that a nine-year-old who has been exposed to some of the more traumatic aspects of the violence--seeing the cloud over Manhattan, for example, or watching the television reports over and over--may respond more like a five- or six-year-old, with a narrow focus and limited ability to understand that there are many forces at work, not just the terrorists.

Nonetheless, many school-age children will take comfort in learning about all the safety precautions being put in place. Specific information about how airport security is much, much tighter now, may help, for instance. You can point out that the government will not let planes fly unless they are surely safe. You also can mention that much stricter security measures are being taken in many office and government buildings across the country now (including Mom's or Dad's building, if that's the case).

In addition, you can:

Let your child play. Children cope with difficult or stressful ideas through play. They may draw pictures of scary monsters, airplanes attacking, or falling buildings. Or they may play out these scenes using blocks and dolls. Pay attention to how your child's play scripts end. Does everyone die, or does you child arrange to rescue the people?

Join in, but don't take over. If you join in the play, you may be able to steer things in a more hopeful direction. However, it's important that you allow your child to be in control of how the play goes. So, if he insists on making his plane crash, perhaps you could let your plane land safely, or have your bad guys get caught or stopped.

Reassure over and over. If a child insists that an airplane is going to crash or a building fall, you'll need to offer simple reassurance, and you may need to offer it many times. The basic message is, "I love you, and I won't let you get hurt."

Teenage children
Teens who have been exposed to very stressful images also are likely to regress, and they, too, need assurances of your love and protection right now. Still, they take in things quite differently than younger children, and you can offer comfort to them on a different level as well. By age 12 or 13, and increasingly as they get older, teens are able to grasp more abstract concepts, such as probability. They can understand that even though the terrorist attacks were huge and devastating, the probability of a person being injured in such an attack--even now!--is still very, very small.

When reassurance fails
Not every child or teen will be reassured. Some will persist in having worries and fears. Children who had anxiety problems, or a tendency to worry obsessively before the terrorist events--or who have parents or siblings with these types of psychological problems--are at higher risk for anxiety related to the recent traumas. Many anxious children will improve with repeated reassurances over time. You can help by being patient, and by not insisting that they confront their fears all at once (for example, by seeking out tall buildings to go up in, or boarding an airplane for a previously planned trip). Signs that a child is having a more severe reaction that may require the help of a mental health professional, include:

fears that interfere with normal activities (for example, leaving the house or walking to school)

fears or worries that take over a child's conscious thoughts, so that he is unable to become involved in school or play

fears that result in a panic-like response, with difficulty breathing or the feeling of being about to die

Whether it occurs now or even months from now, it is always appropriate to seek professional help if you feel uncomfortable with how your child is handling the emotional fallout from the September 11 tragedy. While these events are certain to be very hard for many, many children, you are the best judge of whether your child is coping adequately with the stress, or if some additional help is necessary.

More information:

Times of Crisis

Understanding Post-traumatic Stress in Children

Teaching Your Children Tolerance in the Face of Violence

Talk about:

Talking to Young Children About a Violent World

Discussing World Violence with Older Children

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RELATED INFORMATION

			Fears
			Times of Crisis

Created September 14, 2001
Reviewed September 14, 2001

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