What do we do with children who have experienced earthquakes?

In the evening of August 8 to the early morning of August 9, 2017, Sichuan Jiuzhaigou and Xinjiang Jinghe County were hit by 7.0 and 6.6 magnitude earthquakes, respectively. Strong earthquakes struck back-to-back in one day, and the children who were rescued were not only injured but also traumatized by their hearts and souls in the disasters. We should do something for those children so that they can get rid of the shadow of disaster and return to normal. In modern society, children are protected by their parents, grandparents, and grandparents, and suddenly experiencing the trauma of the Jiuzhaigou earthquake can be very traumatizing if there is a big change in the family. Children may be in a state of “mental shock”, not speaking or moving, not eating, not shedding tears, with a dull expression and slow reaction, which is a sign of severe psychological trauma, and this situation requires professional medical help. In addition, there are some children who experience the earthquake will have a sense of insecurity, helplessness, some children will be afraid of the dark, fear, bedwetting and other degenerative changes, some older children will not want to do anything, exclusion of school and other manifestations. The resulting psychological problems may only gradually appear months or even years later. Younger children cannot understand that death is irreversible, so they may ask the same question over and over again, indicating that they expect everything to go back to the way it was. This is where an adult can say something like, “Well, it’s over, and now we’ll do everything we can to be safe, and we can work together to get things back to normal.” Those who have access to children in earthquake-affected areas should create opportunities to talk to the children, listen to their feelings, and give sincere and brief answers to the questions they ask. Be sure to use appropriate words or phrases that don’t confuse children or make them feel that the world has become a scary place, minimizing the impact of the earthquake on their minds.