Helping Kids During Crisis
• Try and keep routines as normal as possible. Kids gain security from the predictability of routine, including attending school. • Limit exposure to television and the news. • Be honest with kids and share with them as much information as they are developmentally able to handle. • Listen to kids’ fears and concerns. • Reassure kids that the world is a good place to be, but that there are people who do bad things. • Parents and adults need to first deal with and assess their own responses to crisis and stress. • Rebuild and reaffirm attachments and relationships.
ASCA Webinars on Crisis
Counseling Kids in Crisis
Speaker: Jeannie R. Studer
0.1 IACET-accredited CEUs available for $5
Learn more
View the webinar
Infusing a Caring Climate in Your School
Speaker: Sandy Austin
0.1 IACET-accredited CEUs available for $5
Learn more
View the webinar
Download PowerPoint
Handouts: BIONIC 12-12-12 Cards, BIONIC 12-12-12 Information Flyer, BIONIC What's Happening Handout,BIONIC team Website
Supporting Students After Crisis and Loss
Speaker: Robin Gurwitch
0.1 IACET-accredited CEUs available for $5
Learn more
View the webinar
Suggested Web Sites
Department of Education
Helping Youth and Children Recover From Traumatic Events
Creating and Updating School Emergency Management Plans
Readiness and Emergency Management for Schools Technical Assistance Center
FEMA
FEMA for Kids
Explosions
National PTA
Contains information about "Discussing Hate and Violence with Your Children."
American Psychological Association
Managing Traumatic Stress
Building Your Resilience
American Red Cross
Recovering Emotionally
PBS.org - Talking With Kids About the News
Develop strategies for discussing today's headlines with chlldren. Learn how to calm their fears and stimulate their minds.
Substance Abuse Mental Health Services Administration
Disaster Distress Hotline
The Child Mind Institute
How to Help Children Cope With Frightening News
Going Back to School After a Tragedy
American Academy of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry
Talking to Children about Community Violence
School Violence Resource Center
The goal of the School Violence Resource Center is to help reduce violence and violence-related behavior in American schools. Resources available include a fact sheet on school violence and prevention issues, training for school resource officers and flip charts designed to serve as a quick reference for school administrators and teachers on how to react to school emergencies, including student violence, student injuries, child abduction, fire and natural disasters.
Ready Campaign
The U.S. Department of Homeland Security's Ready Campaign helps the public be prepared in case of national emergency
National Child Traumatic Stress Network
DEALING WITH NATURAL & MAN-MADE DISASTERS
The National Center for Post Traumatic Stress Disorder
http://www.ptsd.va.gov/public/pages/common-reactions-after-trauma.asp
FEMA
http://www.fema.gov/pdf/library/children.pdf
US Department of Education
Advice on how to help students recover from traumatic events.
http://www2.ed.gov/parents/academic/help/recovering/recovering.pdf
Center for Mental Health in Schools at UCLA
http://smhp.psych.ucla.edu/pdfdocs/loss.pdf
The American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry
Information on how to help children deal with disasters.
http://www.aacap.org/cs/root/facts_for_families/helping_children_after_a_disaster
NATURAL DISASTERS
The American Psychological Association (APA) Health Center
“Managing Traumatic Stress: After the Tornadoes”
http://www.apa.org/helpcenter/tornadoes.aspx
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)
Earthquakes: http://www.bt.cdc.gov/disasters/earthquakes/during.asp
Floods: http://www.bt.cdc.gov/disasters/floods/readiness.asp
Hurricanes: http://www.bt.cdc.gov/disasters/hurricanes/readiness_factsheet.asp
Tornadoes: http://www.bt.cdc.gov/disasters/tornadoes/prepared.asp
Mental Health America (MHA)
http://www.mentalhealthamerica.net/go/information/coping-with-disaster
http://www.mentalhealthamerica.net/go/information/get-info/coping-with-disaster/coping-with-thestress-of-natural-diasters
The National Association of School Psychologists (NASP)
http://www.nasponline.org/resources/crisis_safety/naturaldisaster_ho.aspx
The National Child Traumatic Stress Network (NCTSN)
Tornadoes: http://www.nctsn.org/trauma-types/natural-disasters/tornadoes
Hurricanes: http://www.nctsn.org/trauma-types/natural-disasters/hurricanes
For Parents and Caregivers:
http://nctsn.org/trauma-types/natural-disasters/hurricane-tools-and-links
Earthquakes: http://www.nctsn.org/trauma-types/natural-disasters/earthquakes#tabset-tab-5
Floods: http://www.nctsn.org/trauma-types/natural-disasters/floods
Simple Activities for Children and Adolescents http://nctsn.org/sites/default/files/assets/pdfs/activities_for_children_and_adolescents.pdf
Sesame Street Hurricane Toolkit
http://www.sesamestreet.org/parents/topicsandactivities/toolkits/hurricane
MAN-MADE DISASTERS
The American Psychological Association (APA)
Terrorism and other disasters
http://www.apa.org/about/gr/issues/cyf/disaster.aspx
Managing distress after school shootings
http://www.apa.org/helpcenter/aftermath.aspx
The National Center for Post Traumatic Stress Disorder
http://www.ptsd.va.gov/public/pages/terrorist-attacks-children.asp
The Office for Victims of Crime
http://www.ojp.usdoj.gov/ovc/publications/infores/cat_hndbk/NCJ190249.pdf
Sample Documents and Publications
Guidelines for Responding to the Death of a Student or School Staff
Guidelines from the National Center for School Crisis and Bereavement designed to help school administrators, teachers and crisis team members respond to the needs of students and staff after a loss has affected the school enviroment.
Parent Guide
The National Center for School Crisis and Bereavement and the New York Life Foundation have partnered to develop a booklet providing practical advice on how parents and other adults can support grieving children.
Practical Information on Crisis Planning: A Guide for Schools and Communities
Developed by the U.S. Department of Education, this publication helps schools understand the components of crisis planning and the crisis preparedness process and provides examples of best practices.
School Crisis Guide: Help and Healing in a Time of Crisis
This guide, published by the National Education Association Health Information Network incorporates lessons learned from Virgnia Tech, Hurricane Katrina, 9/11 and other tragic events. It provides guidance about preparing for, managing during and recovering from a wide variety of crises.
Guidelines for Helping College Students in the Aftermath of the Shooting at Virginia Tech
Published by the Crisis Management Institute
Scared or Prepared
This article from the March/April 2007 issue of ASCA School Counselor magazine, by noted school safety expert Kenneth Trump, provides information about proactively developing a school security and emergency plan.
By The Numbers
This article from the March/April 2007 issue of ASCA School Counselor magazine, breaks down crisis management in the schools into 10 important components, helping educators manage an otherwise overwhelming process. The author, Scott Poland, served on the national crisis teams following school shootings in Littleton, Colo.; Paducah, Ky.; and Red Lake, Minn.
Coping With the Sudden Death of a Student
A crisis handbook for schools and students dealing with death and grief. The development of this report comes from a belief that schools are a community of people who care for one another.
Culturally Competent Crisis Response: Information for Crisis Teams
This document talks about the importance of delivering culturally competent crisis responses in our changing society. Although written for school psychologists, this document provides and excellent resource for school counselors in giving strategies and tips for effective crisis response planning and implementing.
Lessons Learned from the Shootings at Columbine High School
This pamphlet talks about the immediate response and the long-term impact that took place in the wake of the Columbine shootings. It also discusses the human impact of both of these and how positive relationships can mediate the negative effects of this crisis.
National Education Association Crisis Handbook
Kid Peace
School shooting prevention tips
Responding to Natural Disasters: Helping Children and Families
Helping Children After a Natural Disaster: Information for Parents and Teachers
Suggested Publications
Books for Kids:
“A Terrible Thing Happened”
Margaret M. Holmes
ISBN # 1-57759-696-X
Dalmation Press
P.O. Box 682068
Franklin, TN 37068-2068
“Reactions” Allison Salloum 1998 Centering Corporation Chicago, Illinois
“Why Did it Happen?” Janice Cohen 1994 Morrow Junior Books New York, NY
Books for Parents:
“Children and Trauma: A Parent’s Guide to Helping Children Heal”
Josey-Bass
San Francisco, CA
“The Scared Child: Helping Kids Overcome Traumatic Events” John Wiley New York, New York
Professional Publications:
“About Traumatic Experiences” Joy Berry 1990 Children’s Press Chicago, IL
“Keeping Children Safe: A Program to Help Children Cope with Community Violence” Annette M. La Greca Lissette M. Perez Alissa Glickman This is a manual based on two years of research examining the effects of community violence on children. The manual can be downloaded free of charge at http://keepingchildrensafe.com.
“Safe From the Start: Taking Action on Children Exposed to Violence”
A summary from the U.S. Department of Justice.
Department of Justice publications may be ordered from
NCJ 182789
NCJRS Publication Orders
P.O. Box 6000
Rockville, MD 20849-6000
800-851-3420
www.ncjrs.org/puborder
“Terrorism, Trauma and Tragedies: A Counselor’s Guide to Preparing and Responding” Debra D. Bass Richard Yep ISBN# 1-55620-225-3 American Counseling Association Foundation 5999 Stevenson Ave. Alexandria, VA 22304
The Scared Child: Helping Kids Overcome Traumatic Events
Barbara Brooks, Paula M. Siegel, (1996), John Wiley, New York, NY.
Here are detailed instructions, based on professional techniques, to encourage kids of any age—from toddler to teenager—to reveal their feelings through words, drawings, and role playing with step-by-step advice for reassuring them and helping them let go of their fear.
