Below you will find resources designed to help those affected on any level to cope in the aftermath of a 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. 

• 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 NCFR member Norma J. Perez-Brena, 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.  

• 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.

• How to Talk to Your Child About the News — tips for parents by KidsHealth from the Nemours Foundation.

• Trauma Types: Terrorism — The National Child Traumatic Stress Network provides resources for professionals and the public to use in response to catastrophic mass violence; bombings; injuries to children and families; and media coverage of such events.

• 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.

• NCFR Resource Collection: How to Discuss Racial Discrimination in Society  — This list of scholarly articles from NCFR is provided to 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.