December 19, 2012 WASHINGTON (AP) -- They might not want to talk
about the gunshots or the screams. But their toys might start
getting into imaginary shootouts. Last week's school shooting in
Connecticut raises the question: What will be the psychological
fallout for the children who survived? For people of any age,
regaining a sense of security after surviving violence can take
a long time. They're at risk for lingering anxiety, depression,
post-traumatic stress disorder. But after the grief and fear
fades, psychiatrists say most of Newtown's young survivors
probably will cope without long-term emotional problems. "Kids
do tend to be highly resilient," said Dr. Matthew Biel, chief of
child and adolescent psychiatry at MedStar Georgetown University
Hospital. And one way that younger children try to make sense of
trauma is through play. Youngsters may pull out action figures
or stuffed animals and re-enact what they witnessed, perhaps
multiple times. "That's the way they gain mastery over a
situation that's ov