Pointers for Parents Regarding Boston Marathon Tragedy

Firefighters gather one block from Boylston Street following the explosion at the finish line of the marathon. (AP Photo/Michael Dwyer)
Firefighters gather one block from Boylston Street following the explosion at the finish line of the marathon. (AP Photo/Michael Dwyer)

While few if any of us were directly affected by the recent bombing in Boston, such horrific events can elicit adverse responses and fear in both our children and ourselves.

The following is some advice offered by OHEL’s trauma team to assist parents and teachers with their children.

Normalize any fear and concern. Assure your children that being frightened after such events is part of being human.

It is probably futile to try to hide or insulate your child from what happened. News today is readily accessible and disseminated even among children.

Despite the random and catastrophic nature of this attack, assure children that such assault and carnage is a rare occurrence in an otherwise safe and protected country.

Pre-school–aged children do not understand the concept of “rare” and should be told unequivocally that they are safe and that such horror will not happen to them.

Limit your children’s exposure to media coverage and viewing that is known to only exacerbate their horror and fear.

Do not be surprised if your child seems unfazed by this event but manifests or expresses fears at a later date. There is not uncommonly a dormant period following exposure to such potentially destabilizing occurrences.

Elementary-school–aged children are often preoccupied with the facts or details of such tragedy. This is age-typical. Withholding a tempered and accurate response leaves them open to believe more scary rumors and distortions.

Any child who demonstrates an unprecedented fear of engaging in public athletic activity should be rapidly and immediately encouraged to resume ball playing, jogging and the like with assurances of his or her safety. The longer anyone avoids an activity out of fear, the harder it will be to restart it.

The closer a child is to the event, the greater is the likelihood of an untoward response. For example, a child in the Boston area or whose parent or sibling runs marathons will be more prone to fear and concern.

Similarly, anyone who has experienced something comparable either personally or within his or her family or community may have a more profound response.

Children who are generally beset by anxiety or fears are also more at risk for an adverse response. All children deemed more at risk should be carefully observed for changes in their mood, behavior and even play.

We hope this advice is of assistance to you. Please feel free to call OHEL’s Rapid Response Team and/or OHEL’s Crisis Intervention Services at 1800-603-OHEL or email askohel@ohelfamily.org


 

Norman Blumenthal, Ph.D. is OHEL’s Director of Trauma, Bereavement & Rapid Response Team.

OHEL Children’s Home and Family Services is a specialist in trauma services. 

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