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thoughts may also change, and thus create new con-
cerns and fears over time.
It will also be necessary to assess, throughout this
process, if the child remains excessively active, ner-
vous, has trouble eating, sleeping or concentrating
at school. We should also pay attention to see if they
go back to their usual state of mind, if they are able
to enjoy the activities that they formerly enjoyed,
and to whether there are things that they are no
longer interested in, or if they have fears that inter-
fere with their life. In such cases, it is possible that
we may need to resort to the help of a psychologist
specialized in this type of issues.
Who should talk to the child?
Close members of the family, parents, if possible, or
at least one of them. Should you require assistance
to do so, you may contact a psychologist, but do not
leave this responsibility to others.
What reactions can we expect in a child?
•
Many children, especially those under 7 years old,
and some teenagers, react without any emotional
response, for example asking if they can go play.
Sometimes they may not cry or show any feelings.
•
Quite often, little children may ask a “selfish” ques-
tion, such as “Who will help me now with my ho-
mework?”
•
It is quite common to see children, regardless of
their age, refuse to talk about what happened in
the following days, and even behave as if nothing
had happened.
•
Children may experience nightmares and night
terrors, and raise questions and concerns about
death; even in children who don't have victims in
their closest circle.
•
Children may have all the normal reactions that we
have described in the case of adults and, in addi-
tion, depending on their age, they may experience
fear of separation from their parents; typical be-
haviors of younger children, for example, thumb
sucking, or bed-wetting, or making games related
to the event, for example, re-enacting the attack,
with ambulances or the police.