[/caption]by Carol Forsloff - Violent stories and images can upset children. These are the kinds of examples that appear daily on the news, but the recent killing of the terrorist Osama bin Laden, and the expressions of celebration, will require careful explanation to children, so they understand the ethics involved and don’t internalize problems.
As a journalist with credentials in behavioral sciences as well, like many people who have worked with children, I am concerned about how children face crises. This is especially true when there are traumatic events, an environment disaster, a terrorist threat, or a crime spree in the neighborhood where young people may even know some of the individuals involved.
Children need safety. It is one of the first rungs on the ladder of need, according to experts. Safety becomes part of the child’s fear. This may be demonstrated by crying, anger, and aggressive behaviors toward other children or withdrawal. But no matter how these problems are displayed, the fact remains children need special care to understand traumatic events.
So here are some useful tips for explaining to children what happened and the ethical issues involved, in the simple ways they might understand. They must recognize the separation of the deed from the life of the person, as a first step in that ethical consideration. Bin Laden killed people, a violation of human experience. The deed was an evil one with serious consequences. He also influenced others to kill for him. From this children learn not only are we responsible for what we do ourselves, but also our negative influences on others are wrong behaviors. Society punishes bad deeds in order to provide safety for everyone. But life is something we respect, so we are careful to look at how we can protect it and still punish the deed. That is usually what society does first. Then, if there is no recourse, then the person must be permanently placed in a situation where he or she can never produce harm again. This can be imprisonment for life or punishment by death, as occurred with the terrorist.
As part of ethics, children need to respect their life and the lives of others. While we know the deed and the person must be separated in examination of crime and punishment, it is important to reinforce this in simple ways for children, so the negative thoughts are directed towards the behavior and not a group of people that may have produced someone who is aberrant, for that is how prejudice and hatred develop and remain. By acknowledging the daily events that may cause confusion for children, we have an opportunity to educate our future generations for their safety and ours.
