Helping someone who has experienced a traumatic event is never an easy process. It is important to encourage, talk to, and help heal a child. If children do not feel safe, or thinks that someone won't listen, then he may not tell you, or potentially anyone, about his fears. However, if a child feels like you are listening, she is more likely to be open with you and share her concerns. Children gain trust in themselves from being respected as human beings. Children learn to value themselves through the eyes (and words) of others. What you say (or don't say) to a child has tremendous impact. The transition from parent to teacher is an important one. A warm smile or hug as a child walks in the door can go a long way to help a child feel accepted and wanted.

Reactions to trauma may appear immediately after the traumatic event or days and even weeks later. Loss of trust in adults and fear of the event occurring again are responses seen in many children and adolescents who have been exposed to traumatic events. Other reactions vary according to age:

Children 5 years of age and younger reactions may include

• Fear of being separated from the parent,
• Crying, whimpering, screaming,
• Immobility and/or aimless motion, trembling,
• Frightened facial expressions and excessive clinging
• Returning to behaviors exhibited at earlier ages (regressive behaviors), thumb-sucking, bedwetting, fear of darkness.

Children 6 to 11 years old may experience

• Extreme withdrawal,
• Disruptive behavior, and/or inability to pay attention.
• Regressive behaviors,
• Nightmares, sleep problems,
• Irrational fears,
• Irritability,
• Refusal to attend school,
• Outbursts of anger and fighting
• Complain of stomachaches or other bodily symptoms
• Depress

Adolescents 12 to 17 years old may exhibit

• Flashbacks, nightmares,
• Emotional numbing,
• Avoidance of any reminders of the traumatic event,
• Depression,
• Substance abuse,
• Problems with peers, anti-social behavior.
• Withdrawal and isolation,
• Physical complaints,
• Suicidal thoughts,
• School avoidance, academic decline,
• Sleep disturbances, and confusion.
• Extreme guilt over his or her failure to prevent injury or loss of life
• Revenge fantasies that interfere with recovery from the trauma.

• Greet each child warmly each day
• Spend time with each child every day
• Value each child
• Eliminate stressful situations from your classroom and routines
• Make it a priority to spend some time every day listening to each child, communicating openly and listening fully
• Set appropriate classroom boundaries and rules and be consistent in both rewards and punishments
• Talk to each child's parents and other teachers, and where appropriate physicians, and other service providers to know what is happening
• Ask school counselors, teachers, and doctors for suggestions of practical ways you can help promote healing