NCCEV Press Releases

For immediate release: September 12, 2001

Help in the Aftermath of Violence: Tools to Deal with Trauma

NEW HAVEN, CONNECTICUT -- The catastrophic acts of terrorism this week have sent shock waves across the country, disrupting our sense of safety and personal security. As the smoke lifts and the rubble clears, the realization of the appalling injuries and the loss of thousands of lives leaves the survivors numb with grief and sadness. What of the children, the families – victims of this unspeakable violence?

We are left with many questions and a disbelief that such things can occur in our country. Recent generations have felt protected from acts of war and terrorism occurring on domestic soil. Experiencing this horror makes us question our sense of security and invulnerability. These events significantly alter the way we view ourselves, our families and our national identity.

Making sense out of these horrors is a seemingly impossible task. We must take comfort in knowing that feeling overwhelmed, frightened, angry and distraught are normal and appropriate reactions. We should also be outraged and deeply moved by these events. In addition, we also must come together as a nation, reaching out to the survivors, the families and friends of victims and to those who witnessed the mayhem. By utilizing our resources and coming together in a common response, we begin the slow process of healing.

The greatest psychological pain occurs when our children are among the casualties. Acts of terrorism victimize children both directly and indirectly. At the National Center for Children Exposed to Violence (NCCEV), based at Yale University’s Child Study Center, clinicians and researchers have learned from research and direct clinical experience that traumatic events cause children to manifest many symptoms in the days and weeks following. These symptoms are normal, but also serve as warning signs that affected children may need help. Symptoms include sleep disturbances, acute anxiety when separated from caregivers, hyper-vigilance, irritability, emotional upset, regression, withdrawal, distractibility and changes in their behavior and play. Parents observing these symptoms should contact their children’s pediatrician or qualified mental health care provider.

Parents may ask, “How can I help my child when I am not sure how to help myself?” They must remember that a child’s immediate family constitutes his whole world. Therefore, helping children feel safe and secure within family and home is the first step. Creating an atmosphere in which children feel free to talk about their thoughts and fears is essential. It is also important to understand the child’s perspective – not simply to assume that we as adults know what a child sees. The most important step any parent or caregiver can take is simply to listen to the child and appreciate his fears and concerns. Adults must recognize that the things that scare us the most may not be our children’s greatest fears and, conversely, things that we never considered may cause children the greatest fear. Yet when we listen to children’s hopes, dreams, fears and anxieties, they will feel heard and no longer be alone.

Parents don’t have to face these concerns alone. Our communities are rich with clergy, teachers, pediatricians, police and mental health professionals who can help. They can provide a thoughtful, well-coordinated collaborative response to children and families in need of help. These efforts work best when well organized community partnerships are created among individuals, schools, law enforcement agencies, medical and mental health providers, the juvenile justice system, faith-based institutions and other social service and community-based organizations.

An example of such a successful collaboration – assisting child and families exposed to violence and trauma-- is the Child Development-Community Policing Program (CD-CP) developed a decade ago in New Haven by the Yale Child Study Center, the New Haven Department of Police Service and other community groups. This model has been replicated around the country. Its success is so noteworthy that the U.S. Department of Justice chose to found the National Center For Children Exposed to Violence (NCCEV) at Yale in 1999.

Children are our most precious natural resource. As a nation, we must provide all that is necessary to meet the needs of children and families in the aftermath of these traumatic events.

For more information, please contact:

National Center for Children Exposed to Violence
1-877- 49-NCCEV
Email: nccev@info.med.yale.edu
Or visit the program’s websites at www.nccev.org and www.cd-cp.org.