Michigan State University Extension's Children, Youth and Family Programs has compiled the following list of resources to help Michigan families and communities cope with the issues that accompany war, terrorism and other disasters.

• Helping Young People and Their Families Cope With War
• Helping Young People and Their Families Cope With Emotional Trauma
• Helping Young People and Their Families Deal With Issues of Prejudice and Discrimination
• Ways to Help
• Other Resources

Helping Young People and Their Families Cope With War

National Resources:

• Connect for Kids
  Helpful resources for children in challenging times
• How to talk to children about war
  Resources for parents, schools and communities
• On the Homefront
  USA Freedom Corps
  Note: You will need the free Adobe Acrobat Reader to view this PDF document.
• Talking About Terrorism and War
  The Learning Network
  
• Talking with Children about Terrorism and War
  The University of Illinois Extension Service
• Talking with Children about War - Pointers for Parents
  The Learning Network
  
• Talking to Kids About Terrorism or Acts of War AboutOurKids.org
  New York University Child Study Center
  
• Talking with Kids about the News
  Children Now
  
• Talking with Your Children about War
  Smarterkids.com
  
• A war in Iraq: Tackling Tough Issues with Kids
  About our kids
  
  

Helping Young People and Their Families Cope with Emotional Trauma

Michigan State University Resources:

• Children and Death - A Guide for Caring Adults, MSU Extension Bulletin E-1944 — located in the MSU Extension Disaster Response Notebook, Section III: Family Issues (http://www.msue.msu.edu/msue/iac/disasterresp/), provides parents, teachers and other caring adults with strategies for interacting with children who have experienced loss through the death of a family member or friend. (Adobe Acrobat document; requires the Adobe Acrobat Reader plug-in).
• Children, Stress and Natural Disasters: A Guide for Teachers (http://www.ag.uiuc.edu/~disaster/teacher/teacher.html) is a resource for teachers and other youth educators to help children who have been through a disaster. This site, which includes a teacher's guide and activities to do with children, is co-authored by former MSU Extension youth development specialist Lynne Borden and Aaron T. Ebata, Extension specialist and professor at the School of Human Resources and Family Studies, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.
• Parenting and Being Caring Adults in Times of War and Other Violent Tragedy. Joanne Keith, MSU Family and Child Ecology researcher, offers tips for parents and other adult caregivers to help children process and manage their reactions and feelings about war and terrorism.
• Parenting Children Following a Terrorist Attack. Tips for parents based on research and personal experience from MSU professor Tom Luster, Department of Family and Child Ecology, Michigan State University.
• Real Words to Help Children Cope with Tragedy. The MSU Extension Human Development Area of Expertise Team provides developmentally appropriate words and phrases adults can use to talk with children and teenagers about tragedy.
• Supporting Children During Armed Conflict and Its Aftermath. Media coverage of war and terrorist events often includes graphic stories and images. While all children are different, thoughts and images about violence, war and destruction often foster feelings of anxiety, confusion, uncertainty and fear. This article will help adults support children during these trying times. (Note: You will need the free Adobe Acrobat Reader to view this PDF document.)
• The Extension Disaster Education Network (EDEN) (http://www.agctr.lsu.edu/eden/default.asp) is a collaborative multi-state effort by Extension Services across the country, including MSU Extension, to reduce the impact of disasters. Look for keywords "coping," "distress," "emotions" and "helping" in the searchable database.
• What About Our Children? The MSU Extension Human Development Area of Expertise Team provides ways adults who care for and about children can help them talk about and deal with the recent catastrophies.

National Resources:

• Aftermath of Attack on America: The Healing Process (http://www.ca.uky.edu/fcs/terrorism/) Eight media articles from the University of Kentucky Cooperative Extension Service which include information on the grieving and healing process, talking and listening skills for parents and educators, dealing with issues of prejudice among other relevant topics.
• Children's Needs: Recognizing Stress in Children, September 2001 (http://www.preparerespondrecover.com/childrensneeds/), PrepareRespondRecover.org offers safety planning and disaster response and recovery. Information to help children recover from the stress and anxiety caused by disaster. This resource was created with the help of Karen Debord, North Carolina Cooperative Extension Service.
• Families Coping With Traumatic Events (http://www.familyinfoserv.com/crisis.html) The Family Information Service offers resources for professionals working with children, youth and families on stress and coping with trauma and a variety of other family issue areas.
• National Center for Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (http://www.ncptsd.org). Provides facts, research and treatment options related to post traumatic stress disorder with a special section for managing the traumatic stress of terrorism.
• Talking With Children About September 11th Tragedies in the United States (http://www.childrensdefense.org/resources_tragedy.htm) The Children's Defense Fund provides general tips and links to resources that can be used by parents, teachers, and other caregivers to help children cope with tragedy.
• Terrorism and Children: When War Is in the News (http://www.ces.purdue.edu/terrorism/children/) Judith Myers Walls, Purdue Cooperative Extension Service, gives tips to parents, teachers and caregivers on how to have meaningful conversations with children about terrorism and other disasters.
• The National Institute for Trauma and Loss in Children (TLC)
  (http://www.tlcinstitute.org) TLC is dedicated to help traumatized children, adolescents and families restore a sense of safety and reduce the effects of trauma.
  TLC's web site includes helpful information about trauma, trauma resources, and trauma training for professionals.

Helping Young People and Their Families Deal with Issues of Prejudice and Discrimination

Michigan State University Resources:

• Stopping Hateful Language: It Begins With Us. The MSU Extension Diversity Committee offers guidelines and skill-building ideas to help people speak out against hateful language, slurs and comments that hurt and demean people and communities.
• The Character of a Nation is Tested. The MSU Extension Diversity Committee and the Youth Development Area of Expertise Team offer tips to help communities avoid the perpetuation of stereotypes and racism that could fuel hate-based reactions to people of color and test the character of our nation.

National Resources:

• Beyond Blame: Reacting to the Terrorist Attack. (http://www.edc.org/spotlight/schools/beyondblame.htm) New 30-page curriculum provides information and lesson plans focusing on issues of justice, fairness and mislaid blame for use with middle and high school students. Appropriate for in school and out-of-school programs. Available through the Education Development Center, Inc. (http://www.edc.org) Free copies of the curriculum may be printed directly from their website.
• Promoting Cultural Understanding in the Classroom and Community (National Clearinghouse for Bilingual Education) Resources to assist teachers and others in talking to students about the recent tragedy and to prevent cross cultural misunderstanding and persecution within schools and communities as well as promote healing and respect for differences. Includes links to resources on: The Middle East, Islam, and Arab Americans and challenging stereotypes, intolerance, and racism, including lesson plans on community building and respect for cultural diversity.
  
• Helping Children Cope with Tragedy (The National PTA) Information on talking with children about hatred and prejudice, in both English and Spanish.

Other Helpful National Sites with Additional Information on Cultural Understanding:

• Amnesty International
• Arab American Institute
• Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR)
• Detroit Free Press Journalist's Guide: 100 Questions and Answers About Arab Americans
• Religious Tolerance
• Southern Poverty Law Center
• Teaching Tolerance

Ways to Help

National Resources:

• American Red Cross (http://www.redcross.org/). The Red Cross is the central agency for information on disaster relief and recovery, as well as on ways to help both in blood donations and volunteer efforts. From this site, you can also find a list of Michigan chapters (http://www.redcross.org/where/chapts.html) of the American Red Cross.
• Network for Good Network for Good is a nonprofit organization dedicated to using the web to help people get more involved in their communities - from volunteering and donating money, to speaking out on issues you care about.

Other Resources

Michigan State University Resources:

• Financial Impacts from the September 11th, 2001 Tragedy. Financial tips useful during this difficult time or any other financial emergency.

Contact:

Sheila Urban Smith, M.A., Associate Program Leader
4-H Youth Development
Michigan State University
160 Agriculture Hall
East Lansing, MI 48824-1039
USA
Phone: 517-432-9612
Fax: 517-355-6748
E-mail: smiths20@msu.edu

Dawn Contreras, Ph.D., Program Leader
Family and Consumer Sciences
Michigan State University Extension
240 Agriculture Hall
East Lansing, MI 48824-1039
USA
Phone: 517-353-3886
Fax: 517-353-4846
E-mail: contrera@msue.msu.edu

Dawn Koger, Ph.D., Program Leader
Oakland County MSU Extension
1200 N. Telegraph Rd., Dept. 416
Pontiac, MI 48341
USA
Phone: 248-858-0898
Fax: 248-858-1477
E-mail: kogerd@msue.msu.edu

Cyndi Mark, Ph.D., Program Leader
4-H Youth Development
Michigan State University Extension
160 Agriculture Hall
East Lansing, MI 48824-1039
USA
Phone: 517-432-7602
Fax: 517-355-6748
E-mail: markc@msu.edu

Theresa Silm, B.A., 4-H Youth Agent
Clinton County MSU Extension
100 E. State St., Suite G100
St. Johns, MI 48879
USA
Phone: 989-224-5240
Fax: 989-224-5244
E-mail: silm@msue.msu.edu

Jodi Spicer, B.S., Associate Program Leader
Family and Consumer Sciences
Michigan State University Extension
240 Agriculture Hall
East Lansing, MI 48824-1039
USA
Phone: 517-353-9359
Fax: 517-353-9359
E-mail: spicerj@msue.msu.edu

Copyright © 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004 Michigan State University
Last Updated: April 30, 2004
Last Reviewed: April 4, 2003