ACF Banner
[NCCIC header image][NCCIC Header Image]

Helping Children Cope with Terrorism and War

The following organizations have resources that may be useful to parents, caregivers, and administrators as they help children and youth deal with stress related to war.

National Organizations

  • American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry (AACAP) has developed the Facts for Families series to provide concise and up-to-date information about issues that affect children, teenagers, and their families. Facts for Families No. 87: Talking to Children About Terrorism and War is available on the Web at www.aacap.org/cs/root/facts_for_families/facts_for_families.
  • American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) has prepared Children, Terrorism and Disasters. This resource and others are available on the Web at www.aap.org/terrorism/index.html.
  • American Psychological Association (APA) has created Reactions and Guidelines for Children Following Trauma/Disaster to help parents and teachers of kindergarten and elementary school children, which is available on the Web at www.apa.org/practice/ptguidelines.html.
  • Children’s National Medical Center: The International Center To Heal Our Children: Building Healthy Minds and Futures has prepared The Handbook of Frequently Asked Questions Following Traumatic Events: Violence, Disasters, and Terrorism (2002), which is available in English and Spanish. This resource and others are available on the Web at www.dcchildrens.com/dcchildrens/about/subclinical/subneuroscience/ichoc_resources.aspx.
  • Connect for Kids provides two compilations of resources: Helping Kids Cope With Trauma and Help with the Healing. Both are available on the Web at www.connectforkids.org/node/392.
  • The Department of Defense Educational Opportunities Directorate has produced three guides to assist parents, teachers, and other professionals who work with military children:
    • Parent’s Guide to the Military Child During Deployment and Reunion;
    • Educator’s Guide to the Military Child During Deployment; and
    • Caring for Kids After Trauma and Death.

    These resources are available on the Web at www.militarystudent.dod.mil/.

  • ERIC Clearinghouse on Elementary and Early Childhood Education (ERIC/EECE) prepared “Stress and Young Children” (December 2002), an ERIC Digest. This resource is available on the Web at http://ceep.crc.uiuc.edu/eecearchive/digests/2002/jewett02.pdf.
  • Family and Work Institute produced Coping and Contributing in the Aftermath of Crisis, Tragedy and Trauma: An Educator’s Guide (2002), which is available on the Web at www.familiesandwork.org/summary/ste.pdf. 
  • National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC) developed information about Supporting Young Children During War and Conflict, which is available on the Web at www.naeyc.org/ece/2003/06.asp.
  • National Black Child Development Institute (NBCDI) and the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD) have jointly prepared Helping Children Cope with Crisis: An Activity Book for African American Families, which is available on the Web at www.nichd.nih.gov/publications/pubs/cope_with_crisis_book/index.cfm.
  • National Center for Children Exposed to Violence (NCCEV) at the Yale Child Study Center prepared guides to help parents and teachers talk to children about war. Materials are available in English and Spanish. The resources are available on the Web at www.nccev.org.
  • National Children, Youth and Families at Risk Initiative has compiled Resources for Parents, Teachers and Family Support Professionals in Time of War, whichis available on the Web at www.cyfernet.org/warres.html.
  • National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) developed Fact Sheet: Helping Children and Adolescents Cope with Violence and Disasters (October 2001), which is available on the Web at the NIMH web site.
  • National Mental Health Association (NMHA) has prepared Coping with Disaster, which is available in English on the Web at www.mentalhealthamerica.net/go/information/coping-with-disaster. A Spanish version titled, Recursos para Cómo Enfrentar Un Desastre, is available on the Web at www.mentalhealthamerica.net/go/information/get-info/coping-with-disaster/coping-with-disaster-en-espanol.
  • National Network for Child Care (NNCC) has prepared Stressful Life Events, which includes articles in both English and Spanish. This resource is available on the Web at the NNCC web site.
  • Public Broadcasting System (PBS) has prepared Talking with Kids About the News for parents and child care providers. This resource is available on the Web at www.pbs.org/parents/issuesadvice/war/.
  • Purple Wagon is a Web site created by Purdue University Extension in response to the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks. Much of the content base for this site comes from research regarding children’s understanding of and parent-child communication about war and peace. This resource is available on the Web at www.ces.purdue.edu/purplewagon/index.htm.
  • U.S. Department of Education has prepared resources about how to help children understand terrorist attacks. Resources are available on the Web at www.ed.gov/about/offices/list/os/september11/index.html. A Spanish version, Ayuda Para Los Niños y Los Jóvenes en la Comprensión de los Ataques Terroristas is available on the Web at www.ed.gov/about/offices/list/os/september11/index-es.html.
  • U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, the Center for Mental Health Services has created Managing Anxiety in Times of Stress, which is available on the Web at www.mentalhealth.org/cmhs/childrenanxiety.
  • Virginia Joint Military Family Services Board has prepared Working with Military Children: A Primer for School Personnel (February 2003), which is available on the Web at www.nmfa.org/site/DocServer?docID=642.
  • ZERO TO THREE provides selected resources for parents and professionals on its Web page, Disaster Relief and Trauma, available on the Web at www.zerotothree.org/site/PageServer?pagename=key_disaster.

Additional Resources

  • National Advisory Committee on Children and Terrorism, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention presented the report, National Advisory Committee on Children and Terrorism: Recommendations to the Secretary (June 2003) to the Secretary of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. It is available on the Web at www.bt.cdc.gov/children/PDF/working/Recommend.pdf.
  • National Center for Posttraumatic Stress Disorder and National Child Traumatic Stress Network have produced Psychological First Aid: Field Operations Guide, 2nd Edition (July 2006), an evidence-informed modular approach for assisting people in the immediate aftermath of disaster and terrorism to reduce initial distress and foster short- and long-term adaptive functioning. It is for use by mental health specialists, including first responders, incident command systems, primary and emergency health care providers, school crisis response teams, faith-based organizations, disaster relief organizations, community emergency response teams, Medical Reserve Corps, and the Citizens Corps in diverse settings. This resource is available on the Web at www.ncptsd.va.gov/ncmain/ncdocs/manuals/nc_manual_psyfirstaid.html.

Updated September 2007