In the wake of the attacks in Israel and the Gaza Strip, psychiatrist Liat Jarkon, D.O., director of the Center for Behavioral Health at New York Institute of Technology, is sharing vital tips to help parents safeguard children’s mental health.
As violent images and videos circulate on social media and television, Jarkon urges parents to be wary of what their children see. Exposure to disaster news coverage is known to trigger post-traumatic stress in children thousands of miles away. Given this, she advises parents in the U.S. to keep explanations simple and reassure children that they are safe and that the war is not happening in their backyard.
“There’s absolutely no reason for them to be exposed to that. As a parent, take precautions, remove the phone, remove the apps, and explain to them in a language they would understand based on their age what’s going on – that there are countries at war, bad things happen, but we’re okay right now, that’s all they need to know,” she says.
Jarkon is available for interview/comment on the psychological impact of these current events. Contact mediarelations@nyit.edu.
