Early Education Guidelines in Emergency and Crisis Settings: Effective Strategies,
Curriculum and Education Support Resources for Children*
Compiled/Edited by: International Child Resource Institute
Contact: Lisa Ruth Shulman, Associate Executive Director
lisaruth@icrichild.org; 510-644-1000
(*adapted from: Guidelines for Education in Situations of Emergency and Crisis:
Division of Policies and Strategies of Education Support to Countries in Crisis
and Reconstruction, editor Kacem Bensalah, EFA Strategic Planning, UNESCO. 2002.
UNICEF School-in-a-Box and Recreation Curriculum; Safe and Healthy Kid Information
Pages, International Child Resource Institute ©2005)
Introduction
After experiencing a disaster children can react in ways that are difficult
to understand. Even if not physically injured, the emotional response of children
can be strong. They may act clingy, irritable or distant, and although they
are very young and do not seem to understand what is going on, they are affected
as much as adults are.
Education helps meet the psychosocial needs of children and adolescents affected
by conflict or disasters that have disrupted their lives, studies and social
networks. That is why it is important to reestablish some level of daily school
and child care settings which will provide a stabilizing and reassuring environment
for these children.
Children Ages 1-5
|
Children in this age group are particularly vulnerable to
changes in their routines or their environments.
Dependent on family members for comfort, they may be affected as much by
the reactions of family members as by the disaster. Focus on reestablishing
comforting routines, providing opportunity and
verbal expression of feelings, and reassurance. |
| Regressive Reactions |
Emotional/Behavioral Reactions |
- Bedwetting
- Thumb sucking
- Fear of darkness
- Fear of animals
- Fear of "monsters"
- Fear of strangers
|
- Nervousness
- Irritability
- Disobedience
- Hyperactivity
- Tics
- Speech difficulties
- Shorter attention span
- Aggressive behavior
- Anxiety about separation from parents
- Exaggeration or distortion of disaster experience
- Repetitive talking about experience
- Exaggeration of behavior problems
|
| Physiological Reactions |
How to Help |
- Loss of appetite
- Overeating
- Indigestion
- Vomiting
- Bowel or bladder problems
- Sleep disorders and nightmares
|
- Give additional verbal assurance and ample physical comforting.
- Provide comforting bedtime routines.
- Permit the child to sleep in the parents' room on a temporary basis.
- Encourage expression of emotions through play activities including
drawing, clay or play-doh, paper tearing, dramatic play, or telling
stories about the experience.
- Resume normal routines as soon as possible.
|
Children Ages 5-11
|
Regressive behaviors are especially common in this age group.
Children may become more withdrawn or
more aggressive. They might be particularly affected by the loss of prized
objects or pets. Encourage verbalization and play enactment of their experiences.
While routines might be temporarily relaxed,
the goal should be to resume normal routines as soon as possible. |
| Regressive Reactions |
Emotional/Behavioral Reactions |
- Increased competition with younger siblings
- Excessive clinging
- Crying or whimpering
- Wanting to be fed or dressed
- Engaging in habits they had previously given up
|
- School phobia
- Withdrawal from play group and friends
- Withdrawal from family contacts
- Irritability
- Disobedience
- Fear of wind, rain, etc.
- Inability to concentrate and drop in level of school achievement
- Aggressive behavior
- Repetitive talking about their experiences
- Sadness over losses
- Overreaction to crises or changes in the environment
|
| Physiological Reactions |
How to Help |
- Headaches
- Complaints of visual or hearing problems
- Persistent itching and scratching
- Nausea
- Sleep disturbance, nightmares, night terrors
|
- Give additional attention and ample physical comforting.
- Insist gently that the child accept more responsibility than younger
siblings; positively reinforce developmentally-appropriate behaviorbe
patient
- Reduce pressure on the child to perform at his or her best in school
and while doing chores at home.
- Reassure the child that his competence will return.
- Provide structured but not demanding chores and responsibilities.
- Encourage physical activity.
- Encourage verbal and written expression of thoughts and feelings about
the disaster.
- Encourage the child to grieve the loss of pets or toys.
- Schedule play sessions with adults and peers.
|
School Program Response to Natural Disasters
In the aftermath of a natural disaster, the school program should be adjusted
to meet the psychosocial needs of children and young people whose lives have
been disrupted; this includes children who have not been exposed to the primary
disaster trauma, but have become host communities to children that have become
displaced.
Meeting Psychosocial Needs
Teachers working with emergency-affected children should be trained to understand
the effects of trauma on children, how to cope with their needs in the classroom,
and how to recognize children who should be referred for more specialized help.
Assessing Transitional School and Child Care Setting Environments
- What shelter is available for existing classes and is it safe and healthy?
- What supplies and educational materials are on hand?
- What infrastructure, supplies and educational materials are needed for these
classes to meet minimal standards of provision (classroom construction or
repairs, tents, plastic sheeting, porto-sans, basic furniture, equipment,
stationery, educational materials?
- Are there sufficient resources for education in the transitional housing
for children and families?
- Are administrative mechanisms adjusted to meet the transitional school and
child care setting needs, including distribution of supplies, teacher deployment,
payment and training, administration of national examinations?
- Are there administrative barriers to school and child care access for displaced
citizens?
- Are there financial or language barriers that directly or indirectly exclude
children from school or child care settings, and how can these barriers be
overcome?
Transitional School and Child Care Setting Supplies and Materials
UNICEF created a "School-in-a-Box" kit to ease the continuation of
children's education in the first 72 hours of an emergency. This kit includes
basic materials and supplies for a teacher and up to 80 students. You can contact
UNICEF at www.unicef.org, (http://www.unicef.org/supply/index_cpe_education.html)
or create your own kits with contributions from neighborhood businesses and
other donors.
In addition to the basic school supplies, such as exercise books, pencils,
erasers and scissors, the kit also includes a wooden teaching clock, plastic
cubes for counting and a set of three laminated posters (alphabet, multiplication
and number tables). The kit is supplied in a locked aluminum box, the lid of
which can double as a blackboard when coated with the special paint included
in the kit. Another version of the kit, without the lockable box, the School-in-a-Carton,
is also available, as is a replenishment kit.
Using a locally developed teaching guide and curriculum, teachers can establish
makeshift classrooms almost anywhere. The contents of the kit are not culturally
specific and should be supplemented by locally purchased products, such as books
in local languages, toys, games and musical instruments. Components of the School-in-a-Box
kit have been adapted so that they can be used anywhere in the world. Exercise
books for example are printed without margins, so that children who write from
left to right or from right to left can use them. The poster set was created
to meet UNICEF's special requirement of adaptability. The three posters are
printed with spaces, in which the teacher can either draw, or write the numbers
and letters in the local language. Feedback from teachers and children enables
Supply Division and partners to review the kit contents and update it as appropriate.
Importance of Recreation for Children
Sport is an effective trauma therapy for children displaced by war and natural
disasters. Help create recreational opportunities for children. UNICEF has developed
a kit of materials for children who can participate in team sports and games
under the guidance of a teacher. It includes balls for several types of games,
colored tunics for different teams, chalk and a measuring tape for marking play
areas and a whistle and scoring slate. Contact www.unicef.org,
(http://www.unicef.org/supply/index_cpe_education.html)
or create your own kits with contributions from neighborhood businesses and
other donors.
CURRICULUM RESOURCES
Mourning Child Grief Support Group Curriculum: Early Childhood Edition,
Kindergarten-Grade 2. 2001. 137 pp. Brunner-Routledge 2000.
Mourning Child Grief Support Group Curriculum: Preschool Edition. Denny
the Duck Stories. Brunner-Routledge 2001. 179 pp. Linda Lehmann, Shane R. Jimerson,
& Ann Gaasch. Each of these Mourning Child grief support curriculum editions
is intended to help children who have experienced the death of someone special,
and is designed for professionals who work in settings that serve bereaved children.
Each curriculum contains 10-session lesson plans that include age-appropriate
activities to ease the way for discussion of painful topics. Each session contains
instructions and learning objectives that guide the user through the curriculum.
The introduction to each book discusses how the entire family must work through
the grief process, and presents instructions on how group facilitators should
handle the sessions.
Play Therapy With Children In Crisis: Individual, Group, and Family Treatment.
Second Edition. Nancy Boyd Webb, Ed. 1999. 506 pp. Guilford Press, 72 Spring
St., New York, NY 10012. This casebook focuses on treatment of children who
have experienced or witnessed violent or terrorist acts. Managed care counselors
are more frequently called on to provide short-term, intermittent, and group
therapy to help these children. Although traditional one-on-one interventions
continue to be appropriate for some children, many children can benefit from
these briefer methods. The book presents case studies that give readers a glimpse
into the content of therapy sessions, along with the clinician's accompanying
rationale for intervention. A variety of play therapy methods are demonstrated.
Helping Children And Adolescents Cope With Violence And Disasters. Fact
Sheet. National Institute of Mental Health. 1999. 9pp. This fact sheet shares
information about the impact of violence and disasters on children and suggests
steps to minimize long-term emotional harm. It notes that even secondhand exposure
to violence can be traumatic; therefore, all children exposed to violence or
disaster, even if only through media, should be watched for signs of distress.
Many children who have been exposed to traumatic events exhibit loss of trust
and fear of the event's recurrence. After violence or a disaster occurs, the
family is the first-line resource for helping. Among the things that parents
can do are explain the episode, encourage children to express their feelings,
let children know that it is normal to feel upset, and allow time for the youngsters
to talk about their feelings. The fact sheet concludes with a discussion of
post-traumatic stress disorder.
Working With Traumatized Children: A Handbook for Healing. Kathryn Brohl.
1996. 112 pp. Child Welfare League of America, 440 First St., N.W., Suite 310,
Washington, DC 20001-2085. Practical suggestions for professionals or others
who work with traumatized children are offered in this handbook. It also explains
such treatment methods as panic attack intervention and metaphorical storytelling,
and describes the stages from trauma to recovery. Some resilience traits exhibited
by children also are discussed. Other topics addressed include the impact of
trauma on society, ways to recognize symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder,
and healing interventions. One chapter offers suggestions for the self-care
of child advocates, as well.
When Nothing Makes Sense: Disaster, Crisis, and Their Effects on Children.
Gerald Deskin & Greg Steckler. 1996. 224 pp. Fairview Press, 2450 Riverside
Avenue South, Minneapolis, MN 55454. This book helps adults prepare for children's
reactions to a disaster, natural or otherwise. The introductory chapter examines
the nature of disasters, and defines and details the symptoms of stress. Factors
that influence how a person handles a disaster are explored. The remaining chapters
address children's reactions to a crisis, what to do before and after a disaster,
family problems after a disaster, cultural differences in handling stress, the
impact of the media, and the aftereffects of a disaster years later.
When Disaster Strikes: Helping Young Children Cope. Jane M. Farish.
1995. 11 pp. National Association for the Education of Young Children, 1509
16th St., N. W., Washington, DC 20036-1426. This brochure presents a number
of strategies for teachers to use in helping children cope with stress from
natural and other disasters. These strategies include: 1) providing reassurance
and physical comfort; 2) being aware of separation anxiety; 3) maintaining familiar
daily patterns; 4) encouraging children to discuss, write, draw, or act out
their feelings; 5) reading aloud from books with characters who cope with stress;
6) using play therapy; 7) helping children to learn conflict resolution; and
8) creating emergency plans. Family programs and personal coping strategies
for teachers are discussed. Typical symptoms of stress in young children are
delineated.
JOURNAL ARTICLES
Childhood Trauma. Tony Falasca &Thomas J. Caulfield. Journal of
Humanistic Counseling, Education and Development, Vol. 37, No. 4 (June 1999):
212-223. This article describes classic causes and symptoms of trauma, factors
that relate to how a child is affected by trauma, and considerations for providing
treatment to traumatized children. It also categorizes a range of disaster victim
behaviors into three groups: affect, memories, and behaviors.
Treating Post-traumatic Stress Disorder In Children And Families: Basic
Principles and Clinical Applications. Lawrence Miller. American Journal
of Family Therapy, Vol. 27, No. 1 (January-March 1999): 21-34. This article
details the Posttraumatic Child Therapy Program's approach for working with
children exposed to catastrophic violence. The program's phases are: pre-therapy,
stabilization of response, returning to the psychogeographic scene, and moving
toward integration.
How A School Coped With The Oklahoma City Bombing. David N. Aspy &
Cheryl B. Aspy. Educational Leadership, Vol. 54, No. 2 (October 1996): 82-84.
Following the Oklahoma City bombing, the 5th-graders at a nearby school coped
with the ensuing uncertainty by writing letters to rescue workers, sharing personal
stories with classmates, compiling an anthology of stories, attending an assembly
to honor parents who participated in rescue efforts, and planting trees in memory
of the victims.
We Can Help Children Grieve: A Child-Oriented Model for Memorializing.
Linda Ellen Goldman. Young Children, Vol. 51, No. 6 (September 1996): 69-73.
This article presents grief counseling guidelines for the school, community,
and parents. Memorializing the deceased helps children understand death and
creates a foundation for the grief process. Age-oriented concepts of death,
ideas for memorializing victims, and resources are listed.
Children Of The Heartland. Kathryn Castle, Lori Beasley, & Linda
Skinner. Childhood Education, Vol. 72, No. 4 (Summer 1996): 226-231. This article
describes the reaction of a 2nd-grade class in Oklahoma to the Oklahoma City
bombing. The children found ways to ask questions and express their feelings
during class discussions. Tips are provided for teachers to help children who
are going through trauma.
The Resolution Scrapbook As An Aid In The Treatment Of Traumatized Children.
Liana B. Lowenstein. Child Welfare, Vol. 74, No. 4 (July-August 1995): 889-904.
This therapeutic technique encourages traumatized children to complete treatment
activities and compile them in a "resolution scrapbook." Scrapbook
activities have been found to facilitate children's resolution of trauma, and
their progress through the phases of treatment becomes a lasting record.
Overview Of Diagnosis And Treatment Of Psychological Trauma In Children.
Carlton E. Munson. Early Child Development and Care, Vol. 106 (February 1995):
149-166. This article defines psychological trauma and offers guidance to practitioners
who are increasingly needed to treat traumatized children. Key therapy considerations
are organized around the role of dissociation and repetition compulsion. Treatment
addresses the feeling of solitude that can overwhelm those who are traumatized,
the use of therapeutic animals, and parent-child interventions.