Media Exposure and Traumatic Events: How Much is Too Much?

Media coverage of natural disasters and other traumatic events is often exhaustive. Parents need to ask themselves how they want to regulate their children’s consumption of this coverage, whether it is via television, the internet, radio or other media.

Media coverage can provide children and parents with valuable information. It can keep people informed and connected.Yet, exposure to repeated media coverage of traumatic events and natural disasters can result in trauma-related effects for some children. Children with a history of traumatic stress could be re-traumatized as a result of repeated exposure to media coverage. It is critical that parents and school professionals be aware of the possibility of re-traumatizing children and be prepared to act on the stress and trauma-related effects that may follo  exposure to media coverage about disasters or terrorism.

Age guide to children's reactions to news about war, terrorism and natural disasters

It is not always possible to judge if or when children are scared or worried about news they hear. Children may be reluctant to talk about their fears or may not be aware of how long they are being affected by the news. Parents can look for clues as to how their child is reacting. Please refer to Chapter 1 for more information on common reactions to traumatic events. Children’s age influences their reactions to stories they hear and images they see about violent acts or traumatic events in the media.Younger children may be most upset by the sights and sounds they see and hear regarding terrorism or natural disasters. It is important to consider children’s maturity level when making decisions about how much information to share about acts of war and
terrorism.

Preschool-age children:

• Can be easily overwhelmed by news about war, terrorism or natural disasters
• May confuse reality and facts with their fantasies
• Do not have the ability to keep events in perspective
• May be unable to block out troubling thoughts
• May personalize the news they hear, relating it to events or issues in their lives
• Are concerned about separation from parents
• May ask questions about children in the news who are alone or lost a parent
• Focus on good and bad behavior, and may bring up topics related to their own good and bad behaviors

Elementary school-age children:

• Understand the difference between fantasy and reality, however, they may have trouble keeping them separate at certain times, particularly times of heightened stress and fear
• May equate a scene from a scary movie with news footage and think that the news events are worse than they really are
• May not realize that the same incident is rebroadcast and may think that more people are involved than is the case n May have difficulty recognizing that the conflict or natural disaster is not close to home; the graphic and immediate nature of the news makes it seem as if the events and threats are nearby
• May personalize the news they hear, relating it to events or issues in their lives
• Are usually concerned about separation from parents
• Are concerned about fairness and punishment Middle and high school-age adolescents:
• May be able to recognize the proximity of a threat of war
• May be interested and intrigued by the politics of a situation and feel a need to take a stand or action
• May show a desire to be involved in political or charitable activities related to violent acts or stressful events

Consider larger issues related to ethics, politics and even their own involvement in a potential response through the armed forces (teenagers, like adults, become reflective about life and re-examine priorities and interests) In addition to age and maturity, children’s individual personality style and temperament play a significant role in their response  to terrorism, war and natural disasters. Some children are more naturally prone to be fearful and the news of a dangerous situation may heighten their feelings of anxiety. Additionally, children who know someone directly exposed to or affected by the traumatic event may be especially affected. At the other extreme, however, some children become immune to, or ignore, the suffering they see in the news.They can become numb and overloaded due to the repetitive nature of the reports or the events that they directly experienced.