Talking with Children about War and Violence in the World by Educators for Social Responsibility 6:01pm 31st Mar, 2003   March 25, 2003    Talking With Children About War and Violence In the World by Sheldon Berman, Sam Diener, Larry Dieringer, and Linda Lantieri    Growing up has never been easy. It’s especially difficult for young people in times of war and crisis. We owe it to our children to listen to what is on their minds and in their hearts, and give them the best of our understanding and our guidance. Educators for Social Responsibility has prepared this guide for adults who are concerned about how to communicate with young people about difficult issues in the world.    This guide explores some of the questions that parents and teachers ask most frequently—in particular about ways to have discussions about events such as war, terrorism, and military involvement in distant lands. As we reach out to help the young people we serve, we’re also aware that we as adults are experiencing the same range of emotions our students are experiencing. In order to maintain our ability to effectively serve children, we need to remind ourselves to build periods of nourishment and renewal into our own lives. We hope this guide helps you listen and respond to the concerns of the children you care about.    Listening to Students    1. How much media coverage of tragedies and warfare is healthy for students to watch?    2. How can I judge if a child is ready to talk about difficult events?    3. How do I open up the subject with children?    4. Won’t it just scare children more if we talk about it?    5. What if children never bring up the subject?    6. It feels so passive just to listen. Is it appropriate to tell children how I feel?    7. How can I listen to children in the most effective and helpful way?    8. What if children don’t want to talk about these issues?    9. How do I deal with the different emotions that children may have about these issues?    Responding to Students’ Concerns    10. After I have listened to children’s concerns, how do I respond? Is it helpful to give them facts?    11. I have strong opinions about what is happening. Is it useful to share my beliefs with children?    12. How can I talk with children if I feel that my own grasp of the facts and issues is inadequate?    13. How can I reassure and comfort children when I honestly don’t feel hopeful myself?    14. What can I say that is both comforting and reassuring?    15. What if a child is fascinated or excited by a particular tragic event?    16. What if children seem to have excessive fears?    17. How can I reassure children and help allay their concerns?    18. How do I deal with the rage some young people express towards perpetrators of violence?    19. I’m concerned about the articulation of revenge and retaliation fantasies. How can I respond?    Teaching for Understanding and Promoting Positive Action    20. I am hearing an increase in prejudiced comments. How can I intervene?    21. How can I approach teaching about war and other violence in the world?    22. Should I teach elementary school children about the war, and if so, how should I approach it?    23. Are there moral and civic principles that I can use to help frame discussions with my students?    24. Are there some essential questions I can use to frame teaching and learning?    25. How do I best guide discussions of complex and controversial issues?    26. How can I deal with the wide range of opinions students may have?    27. In situations where students have parents or other loved ones involved in the war, how do I hold a respectful discussion that might include perspectives that are opposed to the war?    28. How do I address a situation in which a parent or loved one has been a casualty of the war, especially if I know there are differences of opinion about the war in my classroom?    29. If young people want to do something, is it appropriate to encourage them to act?    30. What should schools do if students wish to hold protests, vigils, and other types of demonstrations either in support of the troops or in opposition to the war?    31. What are goals to keep in mind when talking with students about the current world situation?    32. What can schools, together with families and community, do to help?    ESR is a national non-profit organization that was founded in 1982.Our mission is to make teaching social responsibility a core practice in education so that young people develop the convictions and skills to shape a safe, sustainable, democratic, and just world.    ESR is a leader in educational reform. Our work spans the fields of social and emotional learning, character education, conflict resolution, diversity education, civic engagement, prevention programming, youth development, and secondary school improvement. Visit the related web page
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