The international organization Aldeas Infantiles SOS has warned parents, caregivers and society in general of the responsibility they have to properly inform children of natural disasters that can happen at any time, such as the recent avalanche in Quetame, Cundinamarca, which left . dead and wounded.
According to the NGO that cares for children: Excessive information about natural disasters that have occurred or are likely to occur, and the lack of filters in terms of images of damage, victims, or injured.; It can cause insecurities, trauma and fears in children that affect their mental health and this is something parents and caregivers need to be very alert to.
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For Esteban Reyes, National Director of SOS Children’s Villages Colombia, “It is important to invite families, schools and educational centers to help children and adolescents understand the risks of natural disasters, taking into account their age and interests. Adults should be a filter of information that is shown in the media and social networks, So that children and teens do not have to interpret this information on their own and lose their sense of security. Our role as adults is to accompany them through all the situations we encounter in life, recognizing that their well-being depends on our ability as adults to provide them with a protective environment.”
Information about these natural disasters without context or explanation can be generated in children feelings of anxiety, fear, or sadness; or disturbed sleep, painful dreams, irritability, difficulty concentrating, and temper tantrums.
Similarly, the NGO emphasized that natural disasters can be particularly difficult for children who have experienced trauma in the past or who are already experiencing mental, emotional, behavioral or developmental distress prior to the event.
How is information about natural disasters handled with children?
SOS Children’s Villages Colombia made several recommendations so that information about natural hazards is handled responsibly by parents or responsible adults:
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