How To Safely Introduce Children To Bad News & Current Affairs

While much attention is drawn to the detrimental impact of violent video games on children’s developing brains, there has been relatively little discussion regarding the negative effects of news and current affairs to which children are exposed.

- ELISE WAGHORN

When people consume news and current affairs, it’s hard to escape tragic events, from natural disasters, acts of terrorism, and events that include loss of human life.

But do we stop to consider what distressing media is doing to our kids?

How children are impacted

Research undertaken by the Audience Research Department of the Netherlands Broadcasting Corporation found young children who are exposed to violent news and current affair programs can be impacted so much that they start viewing the world as a scary place. Research was undertaken through random telephone interviews with 537 Dutch children, with 48.2 percent of respondents stating they fear watching adult news.

The study found children aged between 7-12 were most frightened by interpersonal violence and natural disasters such as fires, accidents and other disasters.

Researchers from the study even found children’s symptoms are like trauma response — including intruding thoughts (memories that pop into a child’s head, nightmares, repeated discussion around events), avoidance (refusal to talk about news events, or to participate in school activities) and changes to arousal and reactivity (increased irritability and anger outbursts, difficulties in concentrating).

Even subtle exposure needs to be monitored

Even when children are playing in the background, if adults have the news on, they could be listening in.