How should children and young people affected by the disaster be approached?
During the ESOGÜ Agenda program prepared by the ESOGÜ Corporate Communication Application and Research Center, Eyüboğlu said that it is very important to help children express their feelings and answer their questions in order to pass this process. Assoc. states that regardless of their age, children and adolescents are also adversely affected by disasters. Dr Eyüboğlu said: “Families can evaluate the news they see on social media or on television, and they can create a conversation environment about what their children think and feel about the topic. It really helps to minimize the impact on children. In this process, which puts everyone under pressure, sleep can be disturbed, appetite can change, daily life and education can be interrupted. They also realize that something is not right. They may not be able to ask questions, shut themselves down or listen and watch from the sidelines.”
Children’s body language should be properly judged.
Eyüboğlu stressed that children’s body language should be properly judged, saying: “Sometimes we can see that they are stuck on a subject or a scene. Families may notice this and say, “You may have wondered, is there something you want to ask about this?” or “What’s going on now, what do you know?” We can help them express themselves by asking questions that help them speak, such as This approach helps them deal with the problem and share their stress. In solidarity, the process becomes more manageable.” Assoc. argues that adolescents should be approached in a similar way. Dr. Eyüboğlu stressed the importance of checking what is known about the process and participating in solidarity activities.
When should professional help be sought?
associate Dr. Eyüboğlu said that it is very important for parents to return to their routine, and that it is not possible for children and young people to feel good without the parents feeling good. Excessive fright, overreaction to some events, excessive fear, anxiety, excessive tantrums, unexpected emotional changes in routine, playing traumatic games, sleep disturbances, unable to sleep without parents, waking up screaming from sleep, etc. Assoc. states that professional help should be sought in case of symptoms. Dr Eyüboğlu said: “The schedule is very busy and we may not be able to look at ourselves and our loved ones from this perspective. We may have priorities regarding safety and survival, but let’s not forget that this process will pass and after a while we will be alone with the psychological consequences of children and young people,” he said, emphasizing the importance of is to be careful with the symptoms.