Helping children cope with fears: using children's literature in classroom guidance

Professional School Counseling, Oct, 2003 by Janice I. Nicholson, Quinn M. Pearson

Many children are dealing with adult fears such as death, crime, and war at early ages. School counselors can help children cope with these fears using stories from children's literature. The role that children's literature can play in teaching these coping skills is discussed along with strategies for choosing books. Several books and recommended counseling activities are described for use in the primary grades.

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Recent events such as the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, and the subsequent war on terrorism have heightened our fears and sense of vulnerability to future attacks. Although typically considered adult concerns, the constant media coverage in the immediate aftermath of these events and the continuing emphasis on terrorism have heightened our children's fears about death. As a result, parents, teachers, and school counselors are faced with the task of identifying and implementing strategies that will enable children to cope with these fears. The purpose of this article is to discuss the role that children's literature can play in teaching these coping skills. Specifically, strategies for choosing books and for activities to accompany selected books will be presented.

NATURE OF CHILDREN'S FEARS

It is well established that fears are a natural part of children's development and occur in a fairly predictable pattern. Normative data on children's fears suggest that the focus of their fears shifts as children grow older (e.g., Akande et al., 1999; Crosser, 1995; Smith, Davidson, White, & Poppen, 1990). Robinson and Rotter (1991) suggested that in infancy and early childhood fears initially reflect a fear of strangers and separation from parents and later focus on dark rooms, sudden changes in appearances, large animals, and mystical creatures. Although children continue to be afraid of large animals, in the early school years, these fears are gradually replaced by fears of dangerous people such as robbers, muggers, and kidnappers, and a subsequent fear of being alone (Eme & Schmidt, 1978; Robinson & Rotter).

While earlier studies indicate that real-life fears (i.e., fears of real world violence such as drive-by shootings, drugs, gangs, and nuclear war) do not begin to emerge until early adolescence, more recent evidence now suggests that these fears are occurring at earlier ages, in the elementary school years (Owen, 1998). In a study of Hispanic and Anglo children ages 7 to 9, Owen found that danger, physical injury, and death were the children's most frequently cited fears. Owen reported that regardless of gender, socioeconomic status, or ethnicity, fears of death and personal danger were preeminent at this age. Given these findings, Owen concluded that "With their high fear ratings of social violence ... 7-, 8-, and 9-year-old children resemble older children from past research. Fears of drive-by shootings, nuclear weapons, and street drugs have supplanted fears of bad dreams, animals, and monsters in this 1990s cohort."

Widespread media coverage of violent events and constant social and cultural changes appear to have a profound effect on what children fear (Hostetler, 1991; Robinson, Robinson, & Whetsell, 1988; Tarifa & Kloep, 1996). In a review of recent studies, Tarifa and Kloep concluded that children respond strongly to world events. For example, such events as the nuclear arms race (Duncan, Kraus, & Parks, 1986; Kanet, 1983) and the war in the Persian Gulf (Hostetler; Knoll, 1991) led to an increase in children's fears as well as their anxieties about the inability to make the world a safer place. Looking at children's fears in different countries, it was found not only that children across societies have a common fear of war but also that fears are shaped by local events (Tarifa & Kloep). As the United States will likely continue to deal with the uncertainty of the war on terrorism, school counselors can anticipate that our children's fears are likely to be heightened during this national crisis. Among other effects of heightened fears, loss of sleep and diminished confidence can make children too tired and too insecure to focus on learning (Robinson & Rotter, 1991).

Unfortunately, adults tend to underestimate the degree to which children experience adult-like fears. Jones and Borgers (1988) found that children reported more fears than those predicted by parents, and the greatest disparities occurred with fears of accidents and being hurt, nuclear war, and death of a loved one. Yet, denying children's fears often increases them (Duncan et al., 1986; Protinsky, 1985). Moreover, collective threats such as war or acts of terror can "give rise to doubts as to whether they [children] can be successful in other areas of their lives and meet the challenges of daily threats" (Robinson & Rotter, 1991). This new threat should prompt counselors to explore ways that will enable our children to cope with the pervasive fears that terrorism has created.

COPING STRATEGIES

According to Smith et al. (1990), knowledge of four basic variables associated with fear (i.e., latency, intensity, duration, and situational context) leads to a better understanding of how children cope with fear. When faced with fear, children will engage in overt or covert strategies based on a combination of internal and external resources (Smith et al.). Overt strategies include such observable behaviors as clinging, withdrawal, distraction, and direct confrontation. Covert strategies refer to cognitive attempts to reappraise the fear-provoking situation, problem solve, or boost confidence (Robinson & Rotter, 1991; Smith et al.). The choice of these strategies depends on children's perceptions of their internal and external resources. External resources include potential allies such as family members, peers, teachers, other adults, or even inanimate objects (e.g., stuffed animals, security blankets). Internal resources refer to a positive self-concept, a feeling of independence, the ability to problem solve, and a sense of control over some aspect of the fear (Smith et al.).