How To Help Our Children During Crisis by Charlotte Reznick,
Ph.D. The emotional effects of a crisis or disaster, such as
earthquakes, riots, and terrorist activities, on children can be
tremendous. One of the difficulties experienced by parents is
that they have not had adequate time to deal with their own
reactions when they are called upon to deal with the impact of
the disaster or crisis on their child. Emotional reactions vary
in nature and severity from child to child. Children’s reactions
to a disaster are determined by their age, previous experiences,
temperament and personality, and the immediacy of the disaster
to their own lives. Nonetheless, some commonalties exist in how
children feel when their lives are disrupted by a disaster.
General reactions include feelings of loss of control and
stability, self-centered concerns, and grief reactions (denial,
anger, depression, bargaining, and acceptance). Following a
crisis, some children may: Become more active and restless, or
have difficulty concentrat