children and war

i found this in medicalnews today:

How Do Children Understand The Phenomenon Of War?

All over the world children are exposed to war, some first-hand, others through media images. However, little is known about how children understand the phenomenon of war, and many parents are unsure how to approach the subjects of war and terrorism with their children.

Parents can benefit from research that emphasizes their children's perspective. Increased awareness of children's knowledge of war, their sources of information about war, and developmental differences in their communication and understanding of war can help parents approach their children about this important and timely issue.

Dr. Kathleen Walker and Dr. Maureen Blankemeyer, Kent State professors in human development and family studies, have studied the understanding of war and peace among children in Ireland, the former Yugoslavia, Israel and the United States, where they also conducted a study to learn about children's awareness of the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks and what has influenced that knowledge.

of course i was quite intrigued, so i looked around to see what these researchers found - but there's nothing there.

it all sounds pretty bland.

and war is such a horrific experience for adults - how much more intense is it for children! just yesterday i spent time talking to two friends of mine, both of whom were affected by WWII in eastern europe. there is nothing bland about their stories. i, too, born not long after the war, am deeply influenced by the stories of the holocaust and WWII that my parents told me.

here are some web sites that deal with the same topic:

http://www.scils.rutgers.edu/~kvander/911/childwar2.html
http://www.colorado.edu/journals/cye/13_1/Vol13_1Articles/CYE_CurrentIssue_Article_ChildrenUnderFire_Boyden.htm
http://www.nd.edu/~krocinst/colloquy/issue%203/feature_childrenwar.shtml

it is our children for whom we want peace; for some reason, we always think of the future when we think of our children. but our children today, they need peace now.

i don't know whether it's a coincidence that i, as well as the two friends i just mentioned, feel passionate about peace.

isabella mori
counselling in vancouver
www.moritherapy.com