As outpourings of support from as far as Australia and India continue to flow into the Newtown, CT, community where 26 people, including 20 children, were killed Friday in the second deadliest school massacre in American history, the Parent-Teacher Association of Eagle Rock Elementary School & Magnet Center has put together a list of valuable resources to help students, families and schools cope with such disasters.
"Our ♥’s go out to all of the families & community of #Newtown," the Eagle Rock Elementary PTA said in a social media-savvy communiqué on its website Sunday, which the PTA linked to a message on Twitter. “At this time of tragedy, children throughout our country may be struggling with their thoughts and feelings about the stories and images and they may turn to adults for help and guidance.”
Titled “Thoughts and Prayers,” the message lists a number of resources designed to help people cope with school violence, including tips on how to handle exposure to media news about traumatic events. (CNN and NBC attracted criticism for interviewing Sandy Hook Elementary students.)
Here are the resources the PTA at Eagle Rock Elementary suggests:
The Child Study Center at New York University’s Institute for Trauma and Resilience at the NYU Child Study Center:
• Talking to Kids about School Violence
• Media Exposure and Traumatic Events: How Much Media Coverage is Too Much?
American Psychological Association:
• Helping Your Children Manage Distress in the Aftermath of a Shooting
Tips for talking about hate, violence and other sensitive issues with children:
• Discussing Hate and Violence With Your Children
Ten tips to prevent violence in school communities:
