2023-11-12 05:00:00
Bomb threats are increasing in schools in Wallonia. Although they are, fortunately, false, these alerts are not without consequences for children and adolescents. This can sometimes cause trauma, as in Jay, 3 years old, who has nightmares. What are the signs not to be overlooked, how to manage them and what responses can we provide?
Bomb threats have been increasing in schools for three weeks. In Charleroi, Brussels and Tournai, the same scenario occurs once more: a hasty evacuation, a stress factor for children who lose their bearings. That’s what happened with Jed. The 3-year-old boy has felt unsafe since his school was evacuated.
Christelle is a therapist, she helps him overcome this trauma. “They left school, but without dad, without mom, and for him, there was this ‘thief’ who wanted to take his parents. So he has nightmares, he doesn’t sleep at night, he doesn’t trust anyone, he only wants to be with mom and dad“, she explains. The evening of the alert, Jed was unable to sleep, he had a temperature,… His mother immediately saw the signs.
Through images, drawings and games, the therapist gradually helps the little boy to release his discomfort: “It can take time, but you have to reassure him a lot, talk to him. Even though it looks like we’re playing, there’s a lot of stuff that’s built into it.“The sessions with Christelle help create a climate of trust and security.
Parents play a vital role
For Bruno Humbeeck, educational psychologist, managing emotions is essential. We must neither minimize nor dramatize: “Generally speaking, we see that very often, children tend to transform what might be a manifestation of anxiety into something playful and it ultimately becomes a game because they see an event taking place. The vast majority get over it without the slightest difficulty, but we cannot deny that a minority of them will make it something much more difficult to live with.“
In a society where information circulates, parents have an essential role to play. “Obviously if you convey your own adult anxiety or your anguish to children, it will amplify that of those who are the most fragile in relation to these anxieties.“, says the specialist.
As for Jed, he continues to progress. The little boy still needs time to regain his balance.
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