A large-scale tragedy like Hurricane Katrina can cause strong and deeply-felt reactions in children and adults. Emotional expressions by adults will influence the reactions of children and youth. Teachers can help children deal with their feelings by closely monitoring their own emotional situation and the children in their care as well as modeling healthy coping strategies.
Common Reactions to Disasters
It is not unusual for adults and children to feel any or all of the following:
- Shock/disbelief
- Fear
- Guilt
- Grief
- Confusion
- Loss
- Anger
These reactions are often strongly related and can be difficult to separate. Children, in particular, may have trouble understanding and talking about their feelings. Our behavior, our ability to function and our overall sense of well-being are affected by our emotions. Emotional reactions occur over time and may not take place in any particular order. The ways we express our reactions and the intensity of the reactions will vary depending on our temperament, personal experience, general mental health, our coping style, our ability to self-monitor our emotional state, our support network and other stress factors in our lives. This is true for children and adults. Children of all ages may need guidance and support from the significant adults in their lives (parents, teachers, coaches, etc.) as they work through their feelings and emotional reactions to the hurricane.
Anger: A Natural Reaction
For many people, child and adult alike, anger will be a natural extension of other emotions because it is a defensive mechanism that makes us feel more in control. The desire to “retaliate” can be strong—but quite harmful if not redirected to a positive outlet. In a situation like a catastrophic hurricane, a significant factor in the expression of anger is the lack of a concrete “enemy” on which to focus our feelings. When the trauma is a natural disaster, anger and other strong emotions have no specific target. Such situations can lead to more inappropriate expressions of anger. Adults must ensure that children do not “take out” their anger in unsuitable ways, such as lashing out at classmates or adults at school. The key is to direct anger and other strong emotions in socially and psychologically healthy ways.
Recognizing Anger
The first step in helping children manage their anger is getting your own anger under control. Be aware of cues in your own behavior. If necessary, ask someone you trust (a family member, friend or colleague) to give you feedback on your anger reaction. Observe the behavior of other adults around you and your child(ren) and be supportive if they show signs of increased anger.
Signs of Anger in Adults
- Short temper/impatience.
- Sleep problems.
- Eating problems.
- Restlessness and agitation.
- Hitting and slamming objects, pets, or people.
- Desire to inflict harm.
- Verbal outbursts toward family, friends, or fellow workers.
- A sense of losing control over your life.
- Poor concentration or attention span.
- Obsessing about the event.
- Physical health affected; increase in blood pressure, headaches, heart rate elevated, etc.
- You feel life should be fair, but it is not; and things are not how you want them to be.
Signs of Anger in Children
- Behavioral outbursts, many times without an obvious cause.
- Sleep problems.
- Fights at school or home.
- Physical attacks on others or animals, even among preschoolers.
- Disobedience from otherwise well behaved child(ren).
- Child states he/she is really sad and does not know why.
- Complaints of stomachaches and headaches; vague aches and pains.
- Other reactions similar to those of adults.
Dealing with Anger
Some people have more difficulty than others dealing with their anger. They might deny or ignore their feelings and keep them inside, or overreact and “explode.” These negative coping strategies can be emotionally and physically harmful. Pretending we don’t feel bad can have long-term affects that may eventually cause us to “lose it.” Conversely, psychological research shows that acting out your anger will not ease it, but will make it more intense. Adults and children can learn to direct or diffuse anger by how we think about the event and by finding other ways to regain our sense of control and security. Anger can also disguise other emotions, such as grief, loss, or fear. It is important to address these related emotions as a way to deal with angry feelings.
Controlling Your Anger
- Admit you are angry.
- Recognize this is a common reaction to an overwhelming event. It is how you manage your reaction that makes the difference.
- Try to identify the related emotions that may be fueling your anger, (e.g., sorrow, fear.)
- Find appropriate outlets for your anger, (e.g., talk with family members or friends, seek counseling, get involved in activities to help other victims, etc.)
- Understand that it not just the actual event that drives your anger, but how you think about it.
- Develop a “positive” outlook and look for what can be done to help rather than harm.
- Stop, take a deep breath, visualize something peaceful or enjoyable, and try to relax for a few minutes.
- Avoid/decrease negative ways to cope, such as misuse of alcohol or drugs, or lashing out.
- Find an acceptable outlet, such as a hobby, exercise or sports.
- Distract yourself from continuing to think about the event -- call a friend, go to a movie.
- Keep a sense of humor.
- Turn off the TV and radio; play your favorite music.
- Keep to your daily routines as much as possible.
- Consult your doctor or a mental health specialist if your reactions continue to intensify, or you feel like doing harm to yourself or others.
- If you are seeing a mental health professional, be sure to share your angry feelings with him or her.
Helping Children Control Anger
- Realize they will imitate your responses and reactions.
- Let them understand anger is a normal emotion under these circumstances. However, acting out anger, hurting others, and uncontrolled anger is not okay.
- Answer their questions honestly and openly; but always consider their developmental age.
- Have child(ren) come up with ideas on how to help those who have been injured, left homeless, or otherwise effected by the hurricane.
- Teach them to stop, take a deep breath, and imagine a restful scene or enjoyable activity for a few minutes as a way to relax.
- Try to understand and encourage children to talk about their fears/sense of loss.
- Try to help them see how they would feel if someone hurt, yelled at, or hit them.
- Physical activity like sports and exercise can be helpful.
- Be flexible in discipline and monitor your reactions to their misbehaviors.
- Seek mental health or physician consultation if these reactions do not clear up after 30 days.
- Keep familiar school routines to help children get back a sense of a normal life schedule.
- If age permits, get the child involved in helping other victims like volunteer work or community service. This helps a child can feel that he/she is making a difference.
Warning Signs of Serious Emotional Trauma
While strong emotional reactions to tragic events are normal, most will fade over the following weeks and most children soon will be able to resume normal activities with minimal displays of anger or anxiety. However, in the case of Hurricane Katrina and with so many families having to be relocated, you may find a greater incidence of prolonged strong emotion reactions by children. If the following symptoms or behaviors continue beyond a few weeks, or if any of these symptoms are exhibited to such a degree that it severely impacts the child’s ability to participate in school or home activities, parents and teachers should seek mental health services for evaluation and possible treatment for the child.
- Disruption in peer relationships (little or no interactions with friends, significant increase in conflict with classmates or friend).
- Strained family relationships (high degree of misbehavior, lashing out against family members, refusal to participate in normal family routines).
- Significant decrease in school performance.
- Ongoing physical complaints with no apparent cause.
- Use of chemicals, alcohol (or increase in comparison to previous behavior).
- Repeated nightmares and reporting strong fears of death, violence, etc.
- Repetitive play re-enacting the traumatic events.
- Low self esteem, negative talk about self (if this was not apparent prior to the trauma).
- General lack of energy and lack of interest in previously enjoyed activities.
Teachers can play a vital role in helping children overcome traumatic effects of a disaster and use the process as an opportunity to teach them how to cope more effectively and deal with new challenges. Depending on the severity of their experience with Hurricane Katrina, the process may take time and patience and the willingness to reach out to children to lend them support.