How much exposure is too much?

With mass violence becoming more frequent television fare in the household, it’s hard for parents to know how best to inform but protect their children.

Rochelle F. Hanson, a professor and psychologist in the National Crime Victims Research and Treatment Center, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, is director of the center’s Family and Child Program.

Her top advice to parents: Watch how you react.

“Children and adults may experience a range of emotional, behavioral and physical reactions following a mass shooting. The most important factor for a child is how the adults in their lives are reacting. Also, parents should limit their child’s media exposure. Depending on the child’s age, this can include limiting what they see on TV as well as their use of the internet and social media, such as Facebook, Twitter and Instagram."

Media coverage can increase fear and anxiety in children. The more exposure, the more distress, she said. Graphic exposure is particularly disconcerting and age plays a role in what kids understand. For example, very young children may get confused by TV replays, thinking the event is happening again.

Hanson said the younger the child, the less exposure they should have to television coverage. It’s important to create opportunities for conversation with older children, but not let it dominate family moments.

According to the American Psychological Association, a study found that six months after Sept. 11, about 75,000 New York City public school children in grades four through 12 were suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder, including children who were not directly affected by the event. And a 2016 study in Frontiers in Pediatrics found that there can be cumulative and pervasive effects on children from watching extreme violence and terrorism on television and that some children are at higher risk than others to experience negative effects. 

Hanson said parents also should be supportive and reassure their children that they are safe. Most of the anxiety children and adults experience will decrease over time, but if problems persist, it is important to seek out professional assistance, she said.

She recommends the website: The National Child Traumatic Stress Network. It has several excellent and informative resources and tip sheets for parents. Some of the highlights:

• Parents or adults need to be cautious about what they say around children
• Reassure children that they are safe and that others are working to help the victims and their community
• Children’s reactions are strongly influenced by how the adults around them respond. So adults need to take care of themselves and look to each other for support. They also need to spend time talking with their children and help them to feel safe.

Hanson said it’s important to let kids know they are welcome to ask questions and express any of their concerns and feelings. “It’s good to remain open to answering new questions and providing helpful information and support. You might not know all the answers and it is OK to say that. At the same time, don’t push them to talk if they don’t want to. Let it be when they are ready.”

Parents should watch for any increases in fear, anxiety, worrying about the safety of self and others, as well as the following changes in behavior:

• Increase in activity level
• Decrease in concentration and attention
• Increase in irritability and anger
• Sadness, grief, and/or withdrawal
• Radical changes in attitudes and expectations for the future
• Increases or decreases in sleep and appetite
• Engaging in harmful habits like drinking, using drugs or doing things that are harmful to self or others
• Lack of interest in usual activities, including how they spend time with friends
• Physical complaints (headaches, stomachaches, aches and pains)
• Changes in school and work-related habits and behavior with peers and family
• Staying focused on the shooting (talking repeatedly about it)
• Strong reactions to reminders of the shooting (media images, smoke, police, memorials)
• Increased sensitivity to sounds (loud noises, screaming)

If the behaviors persist more than one to two months, it is recommended that the family seek professional help, she said.

One good idea is to focus on the good that is happening in the community and the ways people try to help one another. “Keep in mind that the vast majority of children will be OK – it’s up to us, the adults, to do everything we can to assure them that there’s a lot of incredible people in this world. And, the good news is that we do know how to help those who need it. No one has to do this alone.”