School Violence and the News

School violence is in the headlines again, 6 years after Columbine, the tragic Colorado school shooting in which many students died. Now, sadly, 2 school officials and 6 students have been killed in a shooting at Red Lake High School in Minnesota.

As horrible and frightening as incidents like these are, they are rare. Although it may not seem that way, the rate of crime involving physical harm has been declining at U.S. schools since the early 1990s. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), fewer than 1% of all homicides among school-age children happen on school grounds or on the way to and from school. The vast majority of students will never experience violence at school.

Still, it's natural for kids and teens - no matter where they go to school - to worry about whether this type of incident may someday affect them. How can you deal with these fears? Talking to your child about the tragedy, and what he or she watches or hears about it, will help your child put frightening information into a more balanced context.

Reaching Out to Your Children
After an incident like this, it's important for kids to feel like they can share their feelings, and to know that their fears and anxieties are understandable.

Rather than wait for your child to approach you about his or her feelings, you may want to start the conversation. You can ask about what your child understands about the incident and how it makes him or her feel.

It's a good idea to share your own feelings with your child. During a tragedy, kids may look to adults for their reactions. It helps kids to know that they are not alone in their anxieties. Knowing that their parents have similar feelings will help legitimize their own.

At the same time, your child may need you to help him or her feel safe. It may help your child to discuss in concrete terms what you have done and what the school is doing to help protect him or her.

What Schools Are Doing
Many schools are taking extra precautions to keep students safe.

Some schools have focused on keeping weapons out, by conducting random locker and bag checks, limiting entry and exit points at the school, and keeping the entryways under teacher supervision. Other schools use metal detectors, such as those used in airport security.

Lessons on conflict resolution have also been added to many schools' courses, to help prevent troubled students from resorting to violence. Peer counseling and active peer programs have also helped students become more aware of the signs that a fellow student may be becoming more troubled or violent.

Another thing that helps make schools safer is greater awareness of problems like bullying and discrimination. Many schools now have programs to fight these problems, and teachers and administrators know more about protecting students from violence.

How Kids Perceive the News
Of course, you are not your child's only source of information about the recent school shooting or other tragic events that receive media attention. Your child is likely to repeatedly encounter news stories or graphic images on television, radio, or the Internet, and such reports can teach kids to view the world as a confusing, threatening, or unfriendly place.

Unlike movies or entertainment programs, news is real. But depending on your child's age or maturity level, he or she may not yet understand the distinctions between fact and fantasy. By the time a child reaches 7 or 8, however, what he or she watches on TV can seem all too real. For some youngsters, the vividness of a sensational news story can be internalized and transformed into something that might happen to them. A child watching a news story about a school shooting might worry, "Could I be next? Could that happen to me?" TV has an effect of shrinking the world and bringing it into your own living room.

By concentrating on violent stories, television news can also promote a "mean-world" syndrome, which can give children a misrepresentation of what the world and society is actually like.

Talking About the News
To calm children's fears about the news, parents should be prepared to deliver what psychologists call "calm, unequivocal, but limited information." This means delivering the truth, but in a way that fits the emotional level of your child. The key is to be truthful, but not go into more details than your child is interested in or can handle.

Although it's true that some things can't be controlled, parents should still give children space to share their fears. Encourage your child to talk openly about what scares him or her.

Older children are less likely to accept an explanation at face value. Their budding skepticism about the news and how it's produced and sold might mask anxieties they have about the stories it covers. If an older child is bothered about a story, help him or her cope with these fears. An adult's willingness to listen will send a powerful message.

Teens can also be encouraged to consider why a frightening or disturbing story was on the air: Was it to increase the program's ratings because of its sensational value or because it was truly newsworthy? In this way, a scary story can be turned into a worthwhile discussion about the role and mission of the news.

Tips for Parents
Keeping an eye on your child's TV news habits can go a long way toward monitoring the content of what he or she hears and sees about events like the recent school shooting. Here are some additional tips:

• Recognize that news doesn't have to be driven by disturbing pictures. Public television programs, newspapers, or newsmagazines specifically designed for children can be less sensational - and less upsetting - ways of getting information to children.
• Discuss current events with your child on a regular basis. It's important to help kids think through stories they hear about. Ask questions: What do you think about these events? How do you think these things happen? These questions can encourage conversation about non-news topics as well.
• Put news stories in proper context. Showing that certain events are isolated or explaining how one event relates to another helps a child make better sense of what he or she hears.
• Watch the news with your child to filter stories as he or she watches them.
• Anticipate when guidance will be necessary and avoid shows that aren't appropriate for your child's age or level of development.
• If you're uncomfortable with the content of the news or it's inappropriate for your child's age, turn off the TV or radio.

 

 

Source: Kids Health