Helping Children Cope With Tragedy Related Anxiety

Children sense the anxiety and tension in adults around them and, like adults, experience the same feelings of helplessness and lack of control that tragedy-related stress can bring about. Unlike adults, however, children have little experience to help them place their current situation into perspective.

Each child responds differently to tragedy, depending on his or her understanding and maturity. It's easy to see how an event like this can create a great deal of anxiety in children of all ages. They will often interpret the tragedy as a personal danger to themselves and those they care about. This resource, developed by Mental Health America, provides age-appropriate resources and quick tips specific to the age of the student or child.