Earthquakes can cause anxiety for both children and adults. Specialist Psychologist Ezgi Dokuzlu from Anadolu Medical Center stated that parents do not explain the concept of earthquake to their children at all, or that they may cause intense anxiety and stress in the child with erroneous expressions. Children should be explained as much as necessary and with the right words. Just like death and other natural disasters, the child’s developmental characteristics and age must be taken into account when making a statement about the earthquake.
Specialist Psychologist Ezgi Dokuzlu from Anadolu Health Center, emphasizing the need to be very careful in communicating with children, especially those affected by the earthquake, warned, “Care should be taken not to keep issues such as pity, blame, death and injury on the agenda.”
Specialist Psychologist Ezgi Dokuzlu, who said that children who are not directly affected by the earthquake should only know the subject in general terms, said, “Children exposed to disasters need to know that they are safe and that they can get support after the situation they experience. The presence of relatives, relatives and acquaintances of children who have lost their families makes them feel safe.
The subject should be explained to the child in a simple, clear and concise manner.
Children often ask “Why?” Specialist Psychologist Ezgi Dokuzlu emphasized that she can ask the question, “The subject should be explained to the child as simply, clearly and clearly as possible. Care should be taken not to elaborate on the subject unnecessarily. Children should never be lied to, and explanations should be made in a general, simple language and in an understandable way, on issues that are difficult to explain.
It may take time for children to understand what happened.
Ezgi Dokuzlu said that children’s abstract thinking skills may not be fully developed, therefore the subject should be explained to the child by giving concrete examples, adding, “Maybe most of the children had not experienced the earthquake before. The fact that they cannot make sense of this situation that they are strangers to, and that this situation, which they have never met, harms their lives, the environment they live in, their families, and their homes means that they struggle with serious traumas. It will take time for them to fully understand what they are experiencing. You have to be patient and compassionate.”
Children should be told they are safe
Expressing that it is normal to think that she does not understand or not listen after talking to the child, Ezgi Dokuzlu said, “At the end of your speech, what they want to hear from you is to find out whether they are safe or not. Children who lost their parents will tell where their parents are, when they will come, they are afraid. They may have persistent, violent crying, anger, intense anxiety and fear. As patiently as possible, explain that he is safe, that the danger is not over, that you are by his side and that you will not leave him. You must explain that the earthquake is not predictable. “Just as lightning strikes suddenly and sometimes frightens, it is normal for such events to occur suddenly in nature, but we humans should know that we can be protected by taking precautions before these events,” he said.
