Psychological Effects of Terrorism on Our Children: An Expert Perspective

The recent terrorist attacks shocked all of us in the United States beyond our wildest nightmares. It is not difficult to imagine the helplessness, fear, sense of loss, and distress experienced by a child after a direct trauma such as the death of a parent. Even indirect exposure to a trauma, however, such as hearing about the terrorist attack in a far away city, can evoke intense emotional responses in children.

For those of you who are parents, teachers, and clinicians, the big questions in your minds probably include: