Teachers Helping
Children after
a Critical Incident
This
resource was designed to help teachers assist children and
is useful for general disasters as well as emergencies that
occur in the lives of individual children.
Emergencies are very traumatic events for children. It’s
difficult for them to understand and accept that there are
events in their lives that can’t be controlled or
predicted. Worst of all, we adults can’t “fix” a disaster,
can’t solve it, and can’t keep it from happening again.
Ways Teachers Can Assist
Students:
1. Cope with your own natural
feelings of helplessness, fear, anger, until you do this,
you won't be able
to effectively help the children
2. Learn to recognize the signs
and symptoms of distress and post traumatic stress
reactions
3. Put the emergency or critical
incident in context; provide a perspective
4. Communicate a positive “I’m not
helpless” attitude
5. Start the healing process; help
children to feel relieved and soothed
6. Identify children who may need
intervention -- refer to the appropriate mental health care
professionals.