Talking with Children About War and Other Humanitarian Crises

 On November 20, 2023, we held a special session with Dr. David Schonfeld, Director of the National Center for School Crisis & Bereavement, to explore strategies for supporting children during humanitarian crises. We offered this session during a season in which many families are gathering for the holidays and bracing for discussions of charged issues.

Current and ongoing wars in the Middle East and Ukraine, coupled with a wide range of humanitarian and other major crises in the U.S. and abroad, pose numerous challenges to children and adults alike. Educators and caregivers may not feel prepared to explain such complex, evolving crises, especially when they are associated with strong emotions and differing opinions.

This session provided information on how children understand – and misunderstand – crises, and how best to promote their understanding and adjustment. Group discussions (such as those within classrooms) pose unique challenges; advice on how to address anger and blame in group settings was discussed at length in this session. 

View the webinar recording for this workshop that featured a 45 minute training by Dr. Schonfeld, followed by a 45 minute Q&A and discussion workshop in which participants debriefed, processed, and peer resourced each other. We offer the outcome of learnings and shared resources in the following compilation.