NCFR and its members have gathered resources for coping in the wake of violence in Charlottesville on Saturday, Aug. 12, 2017. 

The members of the NCFR Board of Directors were shocked by the violent events that happened in Charlottesville over the weekend and share the concern that many of you have expressed. The events in Virginia are tragic reminders of our country’s history of systematic oppression and the persistence of both individual and institutional racism in our society (as evidenced by the disturbing activism of white supremacists). As educators, practitioners, and researchers, we must rededicate ourselves to continuing our dialogue about racism and hate - how it is created, spread, and expressed as well as how it can be eliminated - in our work and in our daily lives. Although it can be difficult to know how best to respond to acts of violence at home or abroad, we believe NCFR members, individually and collectively, can make a difference in the lives of those affected by such tragedies. We must continue to work together, and be faithful to our mission to understand and strengthen families through research, practice, and education.

Below you will find resources designed to help those affected on any level to cope in the aftermath of this tragic event. Topics include talking to children about tragedies; coping in the wake of mass violence; ways to fight hate; and finally, resources from the Inclusion & Diversity Committee (IDC) special session at the 2016 NCFR Annual Conference. 

• NCFR Resource Collection: Understanding Racism in Society — This list of resources from reputable organizations can help families, educators, researchers, and practitioners educate themselves and others on matters related to the systematic oppression and the persistence of both individual and institutional racism in our society.

• Talking with Children When the Talking Gets Tough (PDF) — This paper, written by member Judith Myers-Walls, Ph.D., CFLE, Purdue University, provides an overview of how parents and other adults can talk to children about tragic events in the media. Dr. Myers-Walls also curated the website Purple Wagon, through Purdue Extension, that provides further resources to help children understand the concepts of peace, conflict, and violence.

• After a Crisis: Helping Young Children Heal — This checklist from the National Child Traumatic Stress Network provides ways to help children cope in the wake of a traumatic event.

• Family Support in Times of Tragedy — Recommendations from the Tragedy Assistance Program for Survivors (TAPS). 

• Helping Children Cope with Terrorism — National Association of School Psychologists

• How to Talk to Children about Difficult News — American Psychological Association

• Incidents of Mass Violence — The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) website provides information about those at risk for emotional distress caused by mass violence, and provides resources for coping and getting help.

• Ten Ways to Fight Hate: A Community Response Guide — The Southern Poverty Law Center

• Tips for Effective Communication When Discussing Controversial Topics (PDF) — Developed by member Edna C. Alfaro, Ph.D., Texas State University, and shared at the IDC session at the 2016 NCFR Annual Conference.

• White Families & White Privilege: Intersectionality, Critical Self Reflexivity, and Shifting the Center (PDF) — Written by member Bethany L. Letiecq, Ph.D., George Mason University, and shared at the IDC session at the 2016 NCFR Annual Conference.  

• The American Sociological Association has curated a symposium titled, After Charlottesville, featuring essays on "how the public, politicians, and academics should process and understand the broader sociohistorical implications of the events in Charlottesville."

  • Part 1

  • Part 2