Helping Your Child Cope with Media Coverage of Community Racial Trauma: Tips for Parents

Media coverage of community racial trauma and civil unrest can cause children to experience fear, worry, sadness, confusion, and anger. Your child can be exposed through a variety of media such as TV, radio, newspapers, the internet and social media. Community racial trauma and civil unrest may include; law enforcement shootings of -- and violence towards -- African Americans and people of other minority ethnic groups, or community protests responding to these incidents of violence. Protests may be peaceful and orderly or may include violence towards police officers and protesters alike, weapons, tear gas, and military-type vehicles; damaged buildings and burning cars. While all children can be distressed by this media coverage, children of minority racial groups may be even more impacted. This is because children of minority or racial groups may identify with the people hurt by police, may wonder if they will also be hurt, and may have seen or heard about similar experiences in their own lives. As a parent, you can help reduce distress caused by media coverage through three main strategies:

1. Encourage Dialogue.
2. Establish a Sense of Safety.
3. Promote Positive Coping Skills.

And finally... Know when and how to get help. If you or your child are feeling overwhelmed or isolated help is available. Contact the Disaster Distress Helpline to talk with a trained crisis counselor: 1-800-985-5990 or text TalkWithUs to 66746.

This video was developed through a collaboration with the following organizations: University of Missouri Disaster and Community Crisscross Center http://dcc.missouri.edu

Center for Child and Family Traumatic Stress at Kennedy Krieger Institute https://www.kennedykrieger.org/patien...

Children's Advocacy Services of Greater St. Louis http://www.stlouiscac.org/

Family-Informed Trauma Treatment Center - University of Maryland http://fittcenter.umaryland.edu/