American Red Cross Facing Fear is a flexible

curriculum to help young people in grades K-2,

3-5, 6-8 and 9-12 be prepared for disasters

and deal with the aftermath of terrorism and

much as we would like to protect our children,

we cannot shield them from personal or community

tragedies.  We can, however, help them

to be prepared for unforeseen dangerous events

and to learn about facing and moving beyond

people may be particularly worried about issues

of safety, security and trust.  There are

many reactions that are common after a trauma

or disaster.  These include re-experiencing

the event (for example, flashbacks), avoidance

and numbing of feelings, increased arousal and

changes in functioning.  These reactions

may be manifested in clingy behaviors, mood

changes, increased anxieties, increased startle

responses (for example, more jumpy with noises),

somatic complaints and regressive behavior. 

Increased aggressive behaviors may also be seen. 

When the trauma or disaster is man-made, such

as a terrorist event, young people may react

with hurtful talk, behaviors or play. 

All of these reactions are normal responses

and will, in general, dissipate with time. 

However, should these persist or increase over

time, a referral to a mental health professional

should be considered.  Similarly, should

these reactions result in a danger to self or

others, an immediate referral may be warranted.

the aftermath of terrorism and tragic events,

very young children can feel overwhelmed with

concerns of safety, security and trust. 

They are often unsure where to turn for help. 

When the safety of their world is threatened,

they may feel insecure and fearful.  As

a result, they may be more anxious and fearful. 

Children may be more clingy with teachers as

well as with parents.  This may be due

to worry about their own safety as well as the

safety of those important to them.  Abandonment

is a major childhood fear, so children need

frequent reassurance they will be cared for

and will not be left behind. This message may

need to be repeated many times each day. 

By returning to a regular classroom routine,

teachers can help to reinforce a sense of security

in young children.  Children’s increased

fear may also encompass a worry that the trauma

will re-occur.  Because children this age

have not developed a complete sense of time,

exposure to replays of the trauma or disaster

via television may lead them to believe that

the event is happening again and again. 

This re-exposure can result in increasing worry

and fear. Limiting this exposure, as well as

exposure to adult conversations about the event,

children may have difficulty putting their thoughts

and feelings into words.  In order to express

these, they may act out ideas through play. 

Teachers may see play that attempts to recreate

the event.  Children may repeatedly erect

buildings with blocks only to knock them down. 

Children may pretend to be rescue workers or

to be rescued.  Children may also become

more aggressive or destructive in their play

as they act out feelings of anger about what

has happened.  Teachers may see a direct

link to the event (for example, buildings being

destroyed) or behaviors seemingly unrelated

to the event (such as a game of tag on the playground). 

Children this age may talk incessantly about

the event.  To these repetitions, children

may gradually add new bits of knowledge that

they gain from others.  At times, as young

children try to make the story “fit”

into their concept of the world around them,

the repetitions may come to include misinformation

or misperceptions of the event. Questions related

to the trauma may be equally repetitive. 

Teachers may answer a child’s question only

to have the same question repeated within a

few minutes.  Having the same answer will

increase the child’s sense of security and help

this age may have difficulty understanding the

results of the event.  For example, very

young children have magical thinking as well

as the belief in the reversibility of loss. 

Therefore, they may believe that those killed

in a disaster will return or that buildings

can be easily rebuilt.  Children may have

many questions and discussions about death and

dying.  They do not have a mature grasp

in behavior are likely after young children

experience a trauma or disaster.  One indicator

of increased distress may be more whining and

irritable behaviors.  Young children may

have more angry outbursts or temper tantrums,

even over seemingly minor events.  They

may also be more defiant in their behaviors. 

The opposite may also be seen; some children

will become more withdrawn and less engaged

children may show a change in functioning. 

They may have toileting accidents.  A return

to baby talk is not unusual.  Children

this age may be more demanding of help with

activities such as dressing, feeding, cleaning

up and fastening coats. They may have more trouble

with naps because they may be hyperalert as

well as hypersensitive to sounds.  Some

children may have nightmares during naptime. 

Sleep may be disrupted after a trauma, so children

may be less rested, which can also produce more

irritability.  Children may want more help

with schoolwork.  Not only does this demonstrate

increased stress, it also addresses the need

for an increased sense of safety and security

by having the teacher provide one-on-one attention. 

At times, children may have problems with attention

and concentration on new work presented, which

may require multiple presentations of the material. 

American Red Cross Facing Fear curriculum contains

lessons plans for teachers and includes hands-on

or interactive activities for the classroom

that will help students and their families prepare

for disastrous situations and equip them with

of this curriculum supplement the lessons in

core classroom subjects that teachers are already

teaching. Based on the abilities of your students,

their interests and their experiences, you can

choose which lesson plans to introduce and how

important goal is to engage families in this

curriculum.  To this end,  “Home

Connection” segments of the lesson plans

offer you opportunities to enhance parental

involvement in the curriculum experiences covered

each lesson, you will also find the objectives,

suggested readings, a list of key words and

concepts and suggestions for linking the activities

lesson plans are presented in a two-column format.

The wider, right column contains the lesson

descriptions; the estimated time required for

setting up, conducting and wrapping up; and

activities for students that reinforce the lesson

learning objectives. The left column contains

the materials needed for activities and symbols

that quickly alert you to activities, curriculum

links, wrap-ups and home connections. Teaching

American Red Cross Web site at www.redcross.org/disaster/masters

you lead the Facing Fear activities, it’s important

to emphasize that students must listen to and

respect each other.  Everyone can have

the opportunity to share and participate. 

No inappropriate laughter, teasing or denial

of any individual’s ideas should occur. 

Students may have similar as well as different

discussions, many students will want to talk.

When young people share feelings and thoughts,

they may have difficulty finding the right words.

You can help them communicate by locating the

emotions behind their statements. For example,

you could say something like, “It sounds

as if you don’t like to spend all your free

time cleaning up. I wonder if that makes you

feel angry sometimes.” Or, “Everything

is quiet at night. I wonder if that is a time

you feel most scared or worried.” Sometimes,

students may have difficulty talking about their

own thoughts and feelings.  In addition

to encouragement and support for sharing, you

may also phrase discussion questions in the

third person.  For example, rather than,

“How do you feel about?” you may also

try, “How do you think children may feel

people may also make negative or hateful remarks,

particularly when they have been affected by

a trauma or disaster that is human-caused. 

Acknowledge

the anger, but help them differentiate between

the perpetrator(s) and other people in the community

who may share, or appear to share, similar ethnic,

religious or cultural characteristics, but who

have no connection to the traumatic event. 

Discussion of how intolerance can lead to violence

children need to see the adults as in control

and as a strong support during a difficult time.

With older (middle and high school) students,

it’s okay to acknowledge that you may be experiencing

some of the same difficulties they are, but

also important that you be aware of your own

reactions and feelings.  Be conscious of

your own opinions, feelings and thoughts as

you guide the class. You may want to review

the lesson plan and the feelings it evokes in

you before presenting it to the class. Share

your own feelings with someone in your support

system. Young people take cues from the important

adults around them. Think about what you wish

them to hear from you. Be aware that you

student over another. When you model respect for and tolerance of all the views and feelings that your students

share, your students will try to do the same.

events, such as the terrorist attacks in the

United States on September 11, 2001, the Oklahoma

City bombing in 1995, earthquakes here and in

other countries, massive transportation accidents, war or armed conflict or other military action, impact

us all.  Events are caused by human beings

can be particularly frightening and raise unique

actions are designed to instill fear in individuals

and communities, if not countries.  Because

they happen without warning, there is no time

to prepare.  This unpredictability leaves

us with a heightened sense of vulnerability

and anxieties that the event could be repeated

again, anywhere.  With increased media

coverage, even those not directly impacted can

be significantly effected by the event.  

Images make us feel closer to the victims and

we may perceive ourselves as victims of the

actions as well.  The questions that arise

from disasters of human design are difficult,

if not impossible, to answer.  We want

answers to “why” and “how could

they” and are often left frustrated by

lack of satisfying responses.  This frustration

also gives rise to intense feelings of anger. 

The anger toward the perpetrators may be uncomfortable

and difficult to express in productive ways. 

Generalizing about the terrorists (for example,

all Muslims, all Arabs, or all people with strong

disagreement with the government) may lead to

an increase in hate, prejudice and violence

toward innocent people and groups, thus expanding

the victims of the initial attack.  As

adults struggle with reactions and feelings

in the aftermath of a terrorist action or tragic

event, children are similarly searching for

how to best handle their feelings.  At

all ages, they take cues from adults around

them (parents, teachers and community and national

people need to know that their reactions and

feelings to such events are normal.  They

need to recognize that others feel very similar. 

Most important, young people need to know that

they will begin to feel better with time and

that it is acceptable to enjoy friends, family

and activities.  They need to know that

there are things they can do to help themselves

move forward in a positive way.   

activities in the lesson plans in this curriculum

are designed to help you help your students

permission, parts of Background for the Teacher

above were adapted from Healing After Trauma

Skills, Robin H. Gurwitch and Anne K. Messenbaugh,

University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center,