Children and the News (continued)
Topics: Preteen Years (9-13), How to Raise an Educated Consumer, more...
- Almost 4 in 10 (37%) parents report that their children have been frightened or upset by something they have seen in the news and concerned that it can happen to them or their family.
- While children tend to be less frightened by violent images in TV shows and movies as they grow older, this is not true for news. Older children are more likely to think that TV news is scary, say it makes them feel anxious, worried or afraid, and express concern over their personal safety when describing a news story.
- In a national poll of 11-16 year olds, 50% said that they felt angry, afraid, sad or depressed after watching, reading or hearing about the news. Girls tend to be more emotionally affected by news stories than boys,and generally find TV news to be more frightening regardless of their age.
- Children who watch a lot of TV news tend to overestimate the prevalence of crime and may perceive the world to be a more dangerous place than it actually is.
Which types of news stories are most upsetting to children?
- Children are most frightened by news about violence between strangers such as shootings, killings, kidnappings and sexual assaults, particularly ones involving a child or teenage victim, followed by stories about war and famine in a foreign place, and natural disasters such as earthquakes and tornadoes.
- The types of news stories that frighten children differ with age. Younger children ages 3-7 are more frightened by stories of natural disasters and accidents, whereas older children ages 8-12 are more scared by stories about crime and violence.
Guidelines for Parents
Following are suggestions for helping children cope with news coverage of traumatic events, from the 'recommended resources' listed below:
- Limit children's exposure to graphic news images, especially replays of traumatic events. Consider not allowing young children to watch news, and monitoring older children's exposure to news.
- When kids watch news, watch with them and talk about what they see and how it makes them feel.
- Reassure children of their safety and let them know that everything possible is being done to protect them.
- Maintain daily routines and rituals to provide a sense of security.
- Take positive action: volunteer and participate in community events, make a donation, write letters in support of eff orts that share your values.
Recommended Resources
(Those with an asterisk * are available in English and Spanish or other languages)
American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry*
http://www.aacap.org/publications/disasterresponse/ index.htm
Talking to Children about Terrorism and War; Children and the News
American Academy of Pediatrics
http://www.aap.org/terrorism/topics/parents.pdf
Children, Terrorism & Disasters Toolkit
American Psychiatric Association
http://www.psych.org/disaster/20tipsparents11801.cfm
Talking to Children about War and Terrorism: 20 Tips for Parents
Children Now
http://www.childrennow.org/television/twk-news.htm
Talking with Kids about the News
National Association of School Psychologists
http://www.nasponline.org/NEAT/children_war_ general.html
Children and Fear of War and Terrorism: Tips for Parents and Teachers
National Center for Children Exposed to Violence at the Yale Child Study Center* http://www.nccev.org/violence/children_terrorism.htm
Children and Terrorism
Nemours Foundation Center for Health Media - KidsHealth*
http://www.kidshealth.org
Worrying about War: Parents, Kids and Teens
Reprinted with the permission of the Kaiser Family Foundation. © 2008 The Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation.
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