Acts of violence call for Unitarian Universalist responses.
Review resources, curated by the Unitarian Universalist Association (UUA) Faith Development Office, to help children, families, and communities process trauma, disaster, and acts of violence.
And here are more helpful tools:
- Helping children and adolescents cope with violence and disasters: What community members can do.
A guide by the National Institute for Mental Health, for teachers, parents, clergy and community. Download the 20-page PDF, which is well presented and accessible. - Helping Young Children Deal with Violence in the News
PBS Parents series about talking to your kids about the news. See "How to Help Kids Feel Safe After Tragedy," by Grace Hwang Lynch. - Coalition to Support Grieving Students
The National Center for School Crisis and Bereavement, with the New York Life Foundation, initiated this collaboration of professional organizations and abundant online resource.
Recommended Titles
- Trauma in the Lives of Children: Crisis and Stress Management Techniques, by Kendall Johnson
- Children and Trauma: A Guide for Parents and Professionals, by Cynthia Monahon
- A Terrible Thing Happened, a story for children who have witnessed violence or trauma, by Margaret M. Holmes, addresses the need for children to find a place to speak about their experiences.
Promote Congregational Safety
- Protecting Your Church from Crime and Violence. Published by Christianity Today. Particularly recommended: "A Shooter in the House: A Police Officer's Advice on How to Prevent and React to a Gunman at Church."
More Information
- The Unitarian Universalist Trauma Response Ministry offers a toll-free emergency number, 1-888-760-3332.