Just like for adults, an earthquake is a frightening and difficult experience for children to deal with. Children are afraid of the changes, uncertainties and problems that this event will cause in their lives, as much as they are afraid of the earthquake itself. The culture the child lives in, his family's approach, reaction, losses he has experienced, his age, gender, and previous traumatic experiences as a whole affect and shape the child's trauma and its dimensions.
Parents' trust, sense of belonging, and reactions to the event. It significantly determines what meaning children will give to the event they experience and how they will cope with it. Children watch their parents' reactions in their daily lives and try to catch clues about the situation and event. Especially in a crisis situation, children become more sensitive. They watch the adult and get clues from his reaction, facial expression, and tone of voice as to whether the event is big or scary, and they act accordingly. If the parents are in panic, the child panics more. If the parents are pessimistic or depressed, the child is more affected by negativities.
In the pre-school period (up to the age of 6), children feel responsible for the earthquake, as for any negativities. can hold. “It happened because I was naughty, it happened because I upset my parents, etc.” While explaining the situation he experienced; School age children can understand that this event is a natural disaster and its causes. However, due to his age and development level, he may interpret this situation as punishment for something bad he, his family or society has done. Also, questions about the aftermath of the event such as “what will happen now, what will I do?, etc.” Questions and concerns such as these may manifest themselves.
There are some behaviors frequently observed in children after an earthquake. Some children may not show any of these behaviors listed below, and their distress may go unnoticed. In some children, behaviors related to these problems may occur weeks or months later.
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As an earthquake will occur again, they will be afraid of clues about what they experienced during the earthquake (shaking of the chair, bed, noise during sleep, etc.). .) a Being excessively afraid,
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Getting angry very easily and often, being restless, crying,
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Showing aggression,
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Doing behaviors and showing approaches that he has not done before; For example, a child who never fights fights, a child who is not afraid of rain becomes extremely afraid when it rains,
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Excessive mobility
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Deterioration in concentration, inability to pay attention,
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Disruption in sleep patterns or habits; not being able to sleep alone, having nightmares, not being able to sleep, waking up frequently, waking up early and not being able to sleep again, bedwetting
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Nursing during the day and night
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Fear of being alone, fear of the people around you moving away, fear of following you, fear of being alone in the toilet,
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Finger sucking, nail biting, etc. behaviors,
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Displaying more baby-like behavior compared to his age,
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Nausea, abdominal pain, vomiting, headache, without any physical cause, dizziness, nutritional disorders,
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Being quiet and withdrawn, avoiding talking about these events,
How to help children after an earthquake? Approaching is very important. Informing children about the events gives them confidence. The child should be helped to understand the situation that is happening to him. Children are afraid of things they don't understand. The child should be told what an earthquake is, how it occurs, and that it occurs very rarely, but that it is a natural event as common as lightning, thunder or a storm. Children must understand very well that this disaster is not related to any 'misdemeanor' they have committed, that they are not guilty of this, and that this situation is not a "punishment" given to them. Listen carefully to "what" the child says and "how" he says it; Attention should be paid to the gestures that reflect their emotions, such as the tone of their voice, facial expression, the expression in their eyes, and the trembling in their lips and hands. Repeating what the child says by the adult and sharing the adult's own feelings will enable the child to recognize his own senses and see that the adult understands his senses.
Speak to children in a language they can understand, without hiding anything about what happened or without giving false information. It is also important to meet the child's need for trust by coming to his eye level and holding his hands while talking. It is important to give correct and simple answers to their questions, to explain accurately what happened, what will happen next, and what will change in your life.
It is also very important not to explain this serious situation in a lighter or exaggerated way than it is. The child should be made to feel safe with his family and relatives. Frequently using and repeating reassuring phrases such as "don't be afraid, we are together", "I love you, I will protect you", and establishing physical contact will be comforting to the child.
Spending more time and talking with the child, especially before sleep; If possible, the place where the child sleeps should not be dark. If he has nightmares, nightmares are actually a very natural reaction of the child's brain. In this way, the child has the opportunity to release the intense emotions he experiences in his inner world. Without alarm, hugging the child and asking him to tell what he saw, and listening to him until the end without interrupting him, using expressions such as "You had a bad dream, it probably seemed real to you, you say you cried and ran away in your dream, I agree with you, I would have felt the same" will help the child relax. . However, one should not say "there is nothing to fear"; Because something has happened to the child that is scary and he should not feel guilty or ashamed about it. Playing games that will tire the child physically during the day, playing with toys or in safe and open areas will reduce the child's nightmares. To the extent possible, the child should be encouraged to continue his daily habits. The sudden disappearance of habits can create serious stress on its own, especially in older children.
You should try to set an example for the child with your behaviors such as patience, determination, cooperation, trying to solve problems and making an effort to cope with problems. This will help the child develop the ability to cope with what he is experiencing.
Expert help is necessary and important in coping with the difficulties that arise in the adaptation processes observed in children after a disaster such as an earthquake.
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