ABSTRACT
Bloody images of a school shooting flashed across national news as parents, families, and friends grieved over the tragedy at Virginia Tech in 2007. Adults and children alike are probably more affected by traumatic events today than they were a generation ago. Numerous studies show that children who are exposed to too much violence at an early age can become desensitized to it. Most children’s movies have a theme along the lines, which can be used as a starting point for discussion. Most aware and caring parents the days struggle with the balance between vigilantly protecting our children from harm versus not wanting to be overprotective or discourage kids from experiencing the world. Bright children have strengths that can be used to help them cope. Therapists found, for example, that young children who watched media images of the twin towers falling on September 11 believed that every time they saw it again, it was happening again.
