As much as we might want to, we can’t always protect children from witnessing violence and tragedy in the world, whether it’s mass shootings, terrorist attacks, or war. As parents, teachers, and other supportive adults, what we can do is comfort and communicate with children in the most healing way possible. Read more ›
The entire community is responsible for protecting and supporting children, especially in times of crisis. In empathizing with families, educators and community members who must respond to the needs of children as a traumatizing event unfolds, Learning for Justice gathered recommendations and resources to help guide conversations with young people and to manage potential subsequent actions and reactions. Read more ›
A Trusted Space is a 60-minute mini professional development program designed to help teachers and other youth-serving adults work together with students to create trusted atmospheres where healing and learning happen naturally.
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People can experience different types of mental health problems. These problems can affect your thinking, mood, and behavior. Many symptoms of mental health disorders are common. The symptoms can add up to the level of a disorder if these symptoms are more severe and/or long-lasting and affect your functioning. Read more ›
After a tragic event, you may find yourself struggling with how to talk to your child about their feelings and fears. Read more ›
Almost every day it seems that we are exposed to various acts of violence — school shootings, war, terrorism and more. As a result, our kids can end up feeling confused, frightened and unsafe. How can we validate those feelings while providing comfort to our kids? How do we encourage them to ask questions, even if we may not have all the answers? Should we wait until they come to us or bring it up ourselves? Read more ›
With gun violence, war and other tragedies in the news, children are often exposed to scary images and information. Read more ›
The news can be devastating. Events such as a mass shooting at an elementary school can be incomprehensible to adults — so how do we talk about them with kids? Read more ›
The National Child Traumatic Stress Network has developed a collection of resources to help youth heal after a school shooting.
Downloadable resources include fact sheets, tip sheets, tool kits and more. Read more ›
It’s an understatement to say we live in an age of anxiety. Political polarization, school shootings, income inequality, climate issues, sexual harassment, and more—whether it’s on the news or hitting closer to home, it’s impossible to tune out. The problem is, most children can’t put these issues in perspective, and parents, often anxious themselves, can have a hard time talking to their kids without making it worse. Read more ›
