Mental aid organizations such as MIND are also busy. There an inventory is made of the topics that come up in conversations. The war in Ukraine is number 1 in the top-5, says manager Vincent Vis. Also at Everything OK? – a support line for young adults – more questions are coming in on the subject.
Not only adults are afraid, but children too. The Kindertelefoon sees a significant increase in the number of conversations about world news. Before this war it was two calls a day, now there are forty. “It makes children very restless,” says Roline de Wilde, director of the Kindertelefoon. “Their fears consist of fighting with nuclear weapons and that the war is moving to the Netherlands.”
How to deal with fear of war?
According to De Wilde, children mainly need reassurance and explanation. She advises parents to think for themselves first how they feel about the war. Children often experience more of this than is thought. Then it is good to ask what your child is struggling with and what he needs. “Does he or she want additional information? Then look for it together,” says De Wilde.
It may also be that there is less need for information. According to trauma psychologist De Jong, at such a moment it is good for all ages to watch the news or to look at violent images less.
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