Shine, March 2009, Vol. 02 - Department of Education and Early ...

Helping children
cope with trauma
As the devastating after-affects of the Victorian bushfires continue to
unfold, many teachers and early childcare professionals will face difficult
questions and tough explanations as distressed students struggle to come
to grips with why their worlds have been turned upside down.
By Rachel Skinner
PHOTO BY DAVID CAIRD, COURTESY OF THE HERALD-SUN
While there’s no easy way to explore the implications of Victoria’s
bushfire disaster, maintaining open communications and restoring
a sense of routine are the keys to helping children and young
people work through their emotions, says Dr Sharon Goldfeld, DEECD’s
senior medical advisor.
“Supporting children during this difficult time by keeping the lines of
communication open is vital,” Dr Goldfeld explains. “And fostering as many
links as possible with life before the bushfires can help encourage that allimportant
sense of normality. For young children, restoring a sense of routine
and familiarity is important, along with giving them constant reassurance,
lots of hugs, and the opportunity to express themselves verbally or through
play.”
Catherine Cini is Chief Executive Officer of Griefline. She says teachers can
provide a much-needed link to regular life and essential external support –
particularly to those whose parents are coping with their own personal family
crises. “If parents are grieving they can’t give as much to children as they
would normally, so their children can feel distant,” she says. “It’s important
children have adults they can talk to other than their parents, so they get that
additional support.”
When it comes to helping students cope with traumatic events such as the
Victorian bushfires, the experts agree on two things – there’s no “normal”
way to grieve the loss of loved ones, homes, pets and possessions, and every
youngster will react differently to their own unique situation.
Australian Centre for Grief and Bereavement Kids Grieve Too facilitator
Colin Charles says children cope with trauma and grief differently to adults
– and they may not always seem visibly upset. “Adults tend to experience
their grief on an ongoing basis but children don’t do it like that,” he says.
“Grief in children is intermittent. It’s not constant, and often children won’t
look like they’re grieving.”
And children can experience bursts of grief at the most unexpected of
moments, when they think about the people, possessions, animals or homes
they’ve lost. “Grief can come out at the most extraordinary times. It might
happen in the middle of class, or while they’re playing,” he says.
Ms Cini agrees there’s no obvious pattern to children’s response to trauma.
“Children have a very low attention span when it comes to grief – that’s their
survival instinct kicking in,” she says. “And their grief may not always be
obvious. Even though they may be playing and kicking a ball around, they
can often feel quite alone.”
Ms Cini says strong emotions can often manifest themselves in physical
symptoms in children, including headaches, nausea and general aches and
pains. “Where adults talk about confusion, children talk about headaches.
One girl I’ve been speaking to talks about how she feels sick in her tummy,
‘just like when her grandma died’.”
Grief can come out at the most extraordinary
times. It might happen in the middle of class,
or while they’re playing.
Colin Charles
Australian Centre for Grief and
Bereavement Kids Grieve Too facilitator
And that confusion can lead to some baffling behaviour – especially in
children and young people living in areas where schools have closed and
homes have been reduced to ash. The disruption in routine can initially
seem almost like a game to them, Ms Cini explains – but the reality of the
situation will hit home before long.
“There’s definitely a sense of adventure when this sort of thing happens.
Not having to go to school is a wonderful game for a little while,” she says.
“But then they begin to miss the routine – particularly when they head back
to their tent and have none of their possessions around them. That’s when
they’ll go through all their emotions over and over again.”
The ramifications of the disaster can seem relentless and inescapable to
children – particular those who are in the presence of grieving adults, she