Klein Tovah P, Devoe Ellen R, Miranda-Julian Claudia, Linas Keri
Barnard College Center for Toddler Development and Department of Psychology.
Boston University School of Social Work.
Infant Ment Health J. 2009 Jan;30(1):1-22. doi: 10.1002/imhj.20200.
Although the knowledge base regarding very young children's responses to trauma has been expanding, descriptions of their responses to terrorism remain sparse. Yet, their vulnerability makes this an important group to study. Recent events in the United States (9/11, Hurricane Katrina) make this question highly relevant. This study aims to provide extensive descriptions of how children 5 years or younger on September 11th who were living in close proximity to Ground Zero responded that day and in the following months. Sixty-seven New York City parents (with 104 children) participated in focus groups between November 2001 and May 2002. Focus groups also provided a foundation for an in-depth study examining young children's adaptation following 9/11 and changes in parenting behaviors after the disaster. Findings on children's behavioral and emotional reactions on 9/11 and in the 8 months after as well as their need to return to normalcy are reported. Consistent with current understanding of trauma symptoms in young children, parents reported behaviors including chronic sleep disruptions, fearful reactions, development of new fears, and increased clinginess and separation anxiety following the disaster. On the actual day, children's responses were described as ranging from calm and cooperative to difficult and panicky. Implications for working with parents and young children affected by terrorism or community-level trauma and directions for future research are discussed.
尽管关于幼儿对创伤反应的知识库一直在扩大，但对他们对恐怖主义反应的描述仍然很少。然而，他们的脆弱性使这成为一个重要的研究群体。美国最近发生的事件（9·11事件、卡特里娜飓风）使这个问题极具相关性。本研究旨在广泛描述9月11日居住在世贸中心遗址附近的5岁及以下儿童在当天及随后几个月的反应。2001年11月至2002年5月期间，67位纽约市家长（带着104名儿童）参加了焦点小组。焦点小组也为一项深入研究提供了基础，该研究考察了9·11事件后幼儿的适应情况以及灾难后育儿行为的变化。报告了关于儿童在9月11日及之后8个月的行为和情绪反应以及他们恢复正常生活的需求的研究结果。与目前对幼儿创伤症状的理解一致，家长们报告了一些行为，包括灾难后长期睡眠中断、恐惧反应、产生新的恐惧以及更加黏人和分离焦虑。在事件发生当天，孩子们的反应被描述为从平静合作到困难恐慌不等。讨论了与受恐怖主义或社区层面创伤影响的家长和幼儿合作的意义以及未来研究的方向。
