Newspapers / Winston-Salem State University Student … / Oct. 22, 2007, edition 1 / Page 4
Part of Winston-Salem State University Student Newspaper / About this page
This page has errors
The date, title, or page description is wrong
This page has harmful content
This page contains sensitive or offensive material
4 The News Argus Oct. 22, 2007 about mm ■ ■■'f ■ k m ctnK)l violcncc. which was little heard of until the 1999 C\)lunibinc. Colo., school shtx)l~ ing*; in which 12 students and a leather were killed, is in the headlines again. Now the nation is dealing with the shix)lings at Virginia Tech that have left 33 students ani faculty members deiid. As teiTible and frightening as incidents like these are, they are rare. Although it may not seem that way. the rate of crime involving physical hami has been declin ing at I’.S. schools since the early 1990s. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CFXT). fewer than 1 percent of all homicides aimmg school- age children happen on school grounds or on the way to and from schiK)l. 'I'he vast majority of students will never experience violence at school or in college. Still. It's natural for kids and teens — no matter where they go to school — to worry about whether this tyjx’ of incident may someday affect them. How can you help them deal with these fears? The experts ai KidsHealth.org offer advice on talking with kids about these tragedies, and what they watch or hear about them, to help put frightening infonnation into a more balanced context. REACHING OUT TO YOUR KIDS It's imjTonant for kids to feel like they can share tJieir feelings and know that their fears and anxieties are understandable. Rather than wait for your child to approach you. consider starting the con versation. You can ask what your child understands about these incidents and how they make him or her feel. Share youi own feelings tcx) a tragedy, kids may look to adults for their reactions. It helps kids to know that they are not alone in their anxieties. Knowing that ihcir parciws have similar feelings will help kids legitimize their own. .At the same time, kids often need par ents to help them feel safe, it may help to discuss in concrete terms what you have done and what the school is doing to help protect its students. WHAT SCHOOLS ARE DOING Many schcxils are taking extra precau tions to keep students safe. Some scIkkiIs have focused on keeping weapons out by eoiKliicting random locker and bag checks, limiting entry and exit points at the school, and keepiitg the entr\ ways under tcaehei' supen ision. Other schools use metal detectors, such as those used in airpoil security. I.essons on conflict resolution have Parents can help children deal with their fears in the wake of the tragedy at Virginia Tech TFO RlCHAnnSON/MCClATCHV SFWePAPFRS Kenny Thompson (center), a sophomore at Virginia Tech, bows his head during a memorial service at Lane Stadium, a day after 33 people were shot to death on the campus in Blacksburg, Va. - during also been added to many schcxils' courses to help prevent troubled students from resorting to violence. Peer counseling and active peer programs have also heliied stu dents lx’eimc more aware of tiic signs that a fellow student may be becoming moix» troubled or violent. Anodier thing that helps make schools safer is greater awareness of pi'oblems such as tallying and discrimination. Many schtxjls now have programs to fight these problems, and teachers and administrators know more about protecting students from violence. HOW KIDS PERCEIVE THE NEWS Of course, you are not your child's only source of infonnation about school shix)tings or other tragic events that receive luedia attention. Kids are likely to repeatedly encounter news stories or graphic images on television, radio or the Internet, and such reptn ts can teach them to view the world as a confusing, threaten ing or unfriendly place. Unlike movies or enteitainment pro grams. news is real. But depending on your child's age or maturity level, he or she may not yet understand the distinctions tetween fad and faniasy. By the time kids reach 7 or 8. however, what they watch on TV can seem all too real. For some children, the vividness of a sensatitinal news story can te internalized and trisnsfomied into sonte- thing that might happen to them. A child watching a news stoiy about a schcx)! sho.)ting might worry, "‘Could I be next? Could that happen to me?" TV has the en’ect of shrinking the world and bringing it into your own living rcxim. By concentrating on violent stories. TV news can also promote a “mean-w’orld syndrome, which cat! give kids a misrepre sentation of what the workl and s(x.'iety are actually like. TALKING ABOUT THE NEWS al level of your child. I'hc key is to be truthful, but not go into motie detail than your child is interested in or can handle. Although it's taie that some things can't be controlled, parents should still give kids the space to share their fears. Encouragc them to talk openly about what scares them. Older kids are less likely to acce]3t an explanatit>n at face value. Their budding skepticism about the news and how it's produced and sold might mask anxieties they have about the stories covered. If an older child is bothered about a story, help him or her cope with these fears. An adult's willingness to listen will send a powerful message, ADDITIONAL TIPS FOR PARENTS Keeping an eye on what TV news kids watch can go a long way toward monitor ing the content of what they hear and see about events like school shootings. Here are some additional tips; ■ Recognize that news doesn’t have to be driven by disturbing pictures. I\iblic television programs, newspapers or news- magiizines specifically designed for kids can be less sensational — aitd less upset ting — ways for them to get information. ■ Mscuss current events witli your child on a regular basis. It's impt)nant to help kids think through stories they hear about. Ask questions: What do you think about these events',’ How do you think these things happen? Such questions ctut encourage conversation about non-news topics its well, ■ Put news stories in proper context. Showing that certain events iirc isolated or explaining how one event I'elates to anoth er helps kids make Ix'ttcr sense of what they hear. ■ Watch thcncws with your child to filter Stories together, ■ Anticipate when guidance will be necessary and avoid show's that aren’t appropriate for your child’s age or level of development. ■ If you're uncomfortable with the content of the new-s or it’s inappropriate for your child’s age, turn it oil. For more health infonnation for par ents. kida and teens, visit kidshealth.org. KidsHealth is from the health experts of Nemours, a nonprofit devoted to children's health. © 2007. The Nemours Foundation/ s il ft - »!• J ■ ■* j To calm fears about the news, patents should be prepared to deliver what ps> chologists call “calm, unequivocal, but lim ited infomiation.’’ This means delivering the truth, hut in a way that tits the emotion i i
Winston-Salem State University Student Newspaper
Standardized title groups preceding, succeeding, and alternate titles together.
Oct. 22, 2007, edition 1
4
Click "Submit" to request a review of this page. NCDHC staff will check .
0 / 75