Terrorism and Children

Journal article:

Talking to Children About Terrorism and Armed Conflict

Multimedia:

Talking with children about terrorism (audio)

Helping children cope (audio and video)

Judith Myers-Walls (photo,956kb)

Purdue experts:

Terrorism Experts

Purdue Extension publications:

Helping Children Cope with Stress

Other resources for dealing with child stress

Preschool and grade school: Understanding Children's Fears

Recognizing Stress in Children

Strategies for Parents and Teachers

Helping Children Cope with Disaster

Purdue News:

Purdue takes steps to confront terrorist threat

Please feel free to link to, print off, redistribute or reprint any of these materials as long as the original credits remain intact.

Judith Myers-Walls, a Purdue University Extension Specialist in Child development and family studies, has researched children's reactions to wars and disasters and offers advice for helping children cope with the terrorist attacks, and their aftermath.

Sept. 11, One Year Later:
Age-appropriate responses for parents and others

For a year children and youth have been hearing stories about terrorism, collapsing buildings, war, and how the world has changed. Some have been paying attention more than others, and some have understood better than others. Some of those differences are related to children’s ages.

Talking with Children about Terrorism-One Year Later

It has been a year since the terrorist attack on the United States on Tuesday, Sept. 11, 2001. Some of the attention has decreased, but it still is difficult to see a TV news program, newspaper, or even sitcom that does not mention that date and explore its impact. At times like the one-year point, news footage is repeated and many people again discuss the events of that day and its aftermath. We are said to be at war, but it does not look like wars that children have learned about. They are not sure if Sept. 11 was a war, whether it started a war, or who was involved. Some feel vulnerable and at risk. They need the help of the adults around them. So what is a parent, teacher, or other caring adult to do when terrorist violence and international conflict fill the airwaves and the consciousness of America?

September 2001 Parenting in the Wake of Terrorism
September 2001 Talking with Children About Terrorism
September 2001 Judith Myers-Walls responds to questions.
September 2001 Talking to Children about Terrorism: By the Numbers