Children, like adults, have all sorts of strong feelings about what is happening to them. At times, the world around them can seem frightening or uncertain. It is normal for kids and teens to feel worried, confused, sad, nervous, or frightened in these situations. 

Parents and other family members, caregivers, and teachers can help them understand their reactions.

What causes these worries and anxieties?

Fears and phobias
Very young children often develop fears and phobias. These usually happen in particular situations, such as going to nursery or settling down at night, and can result from the fear of separation from parents or familiar adults. Sometimes, the anxieties are set off by particular things such as dogs, spiders or snakes. Fears like this are very common in early childhood, but with some encouragement and support, most children learn to overcome their anxiety.

General anxiety
Some youngsters feel anxious most of the time for no apparent reason. It may be part of their temperament, or it may be part of a pattern of behaviour that is shared with other members of the family. If the anxiety becomes very severe, it can interfere with the child's ability to go to school, to concentrate and learn, and to be confident with others.

School-related anxiety
Refusing to go to school can also be caused by anxiety. However, worries about going to school can be caused by a number of things. It is always worth trying to find out what could be causing the problem. Anxiety about separation from their parents is common in young children transferring to secondary school. Fear of bullying, or problems with friendships, are also common. Trouble with school work or with teachers may also play a part.

Family problems
Young children feel insecure when they hear their parents arguing or fighting. They may hear or see things that they don't understand or that make them feel unsafe.

Divorce or separation
This is usually painful for children and they often have divided loyalties. 

Death or illness of a parent or close relative
Losing someone close makes a child feel insecure and upset, especially if they are too young to understand. Illness or death may upset the child's normal daily life.

Discipline that is harsh, inconsistent or overprotective
This leaves children feeling unsupported, insecure and lacking in confidence.

Traumatic experiences
Children who have experienced a household fire or burglary, a road traffic accident or some other frightening or traumatic event might suffer from anxiety afterwards. They might also develop post-traumatic stress disorder 

General Signs
• Feeling fearful or panicky 
• Feeling breathless, sweaty, or complaining of `butterflies' or pains in the chest or stomach 
• Feeling tense, fidgety, using the toilet often. 

YOUNG CHILD (1-6) 
Young children are not as verbal as older children. They express themselves through conversations with adults and each other, self-talk, play, songs and drawings. Take time to listen to and observe your child. These activities are a window into their thoughts and feelings. 

Here are some other ways they can show you how they feel:

• Whining 
• Bed wetting 
• Thumb sucking 
• Wanting to be held, clinging to caregivers 
• Problems sleeping and eating 
• Tantrums 
• Being more agitated 
• Fear of the dark 
• Headaches and stomach aches  
These are common stress reactions for this age group. Watch to see if these behaviours are more frequent than usual. 

OLDER CHILDREN (7-11)  
Older children are more able to tell you what they are thinking and feeling. They will have some understanding of the events and the possible danger to themselves, their family and friends. There will also be much they don’t understand. 

Children in this age group may have some of the same reactions as younger children, such as fear of the dark, bed wetting, thumb sucking and so on. They can also become more agitated, not want to go to school, get into trouble at home and school, pick fights and not want to do as they are told. 

TEENAGERS
Like children, teens are strong and can generally cope. They tend to respond in positive and creative ways to upsetting and tragic events. Nevertheless, they can also have doubts and fears that need to be dealt with. 

Teens may pretend not to be affected or concerned in an effort to be cool. Don’t let this fool you. Talk to them to see how they are doing.

Teens can become moodier, less patient, argumentative, defiant, sad, have difficulties sleeping, changes in appetite, stomach aches or headaches. They may want to be alone or with others more than before. They may feel uncertain towards the world and the future.

Most teens can understand the events very well. However, they may not be able to understand what caused this to happen and they may ask tough questions. They may not be able to understand the many different sides to a situation. 

Do children grow out of it?
Most do, but a few children continue being anxious as adults. However, anxiety can limit a youngster's activities, which can affect them in the long-term. Not going to school, for example, means missing out on education and on making friends. Loneliness and lack of confidence can be long-term problems. The emotional effects of traumatic experience can also be long-lasting.

How adults can help 
A lot can be done to stop children being anxious. Parents and teachers can help by remembering that children, like adults, may get anxious about sudden change:
 
It helps if you can prepare them in advance and explain what is going to happen and why. 
• Regular routines around bedtime and getting ready for school can help very young children with separation anxiety. 
• There may be books or games that can help children to understand upsetting things, such as serious illness, separation or bereavement. 
• Children over the age of five often find it helpful to talk about their worries to an understanding adult. 
•They may need comfort, reassurance and practical help with how to cope. 
 
If your child is showing signs of anxiety, it is important that you can show them that you care and want to understand the reason why:
 
• Think about whether there is something going on in the family that could be causing worry. 
• Are they picking up on your own worry? 
• Is something happening at school or with friends? 

Other Things you can help by:
• Take their concerns seriously. 
• Respect their thoughts and feelings. 
•  It doesn’t help to argue or ridicule them by telling them they are silly. It is important for them to know that it is normal to be upset. 
• Check in with them to see how they are doing.  
•  Give them lots of chances to tell you their thoughts and feelings about what has happened. 
• Don’t wait for them to bring it up. 
• Brainstorm, as a family, how you can help people affected by world events.  
• Tell kids and teens how you feel. Be honest. They feel better knowing that they are not the only ones concerned. 
• Tell kids and teens what you think. They need you to put the events in context. 
• Talk to your children about racism. 
• Reassurance. Children and teens need to know people are doing all they can to make their community and the world safe. 
• Limiting their exposure to TV coverage can help. 
• Spend family time together. This can help kids feel more secure. 
• Be patient. The added stress of world events can be hard on you. 

When to Seek Professional Help        
Children and teens are amazingly flexible and able to cope. Parents and other adults are capable of helping them. There are many normal reactions following a disaster or other stressful situations. Most of these reactions can be dealt with at home and at school. 

However, it is important to remember that current world events can make it harder to deal with other difficult or traumatic situations such as a death in the family, divorce, a move to a new town or school, etc.  

Getting professional help is a good idea if a child or teen shows significant changes over two to three weeks in their behaviour. Some of these changes are:  

• Behaviour problems at home or school  
• Learning problems  
• Angry outbursts or tantrums  
• Changes in usual social activities or play with other children  
• Frequent nightmares or problems sleeping  
• Ongoing physical problems such as upset stomach, headaches  
• Ongoing eating problems, weight gain or loss  
• Feeling very anxious or afraid  
• Sadness or depression  
• Hopelessness about life or the future  
• Increased risk taking  
• Increased use of alcohol, street drugs or medicines  
• Suicidal thinking or behaviour  

Seeing a professional does not mean that you or your child or teen have failed. Many people find it can help to talk with a health professional such a psychologist, psychiatrist, doctor, social worker or nurse. 
 

Source/Reference: 
Resources on terrorism from the American Academy of Pediatrics: www.aap.org/terrorism/index.html 
Canadian Mental Health Support Network: http://mdm.ca/cmhsn 
www.aboutourkids.org/aboutour/articles/stress.html
www.nctsn.org/nctsn_assets/pdfs/reports/parents_package1-15-04.pdf
www.rcpsych.ac.uk/mentalhealthinformation/mentalhealthandgrowingup/ 13worriesandanxieties.aspx
www.childanxiety.net 
www.social-anxiety.org 
www.phobics-society.org.uk 
 
 

This information should not be used as a substitute for the medical care and advice of your physician. There may be variations in treatment that your physician may recommend based on individual facts and circumstances.