Tuesday, March 22, 2022

The War in Ukraine and Afterschool

Source: How to Talk to Kids About the War in Ukraine:
4 Answers & Tools Parents Need, From a Parenting Educator
By Sam Piha
The coverage of the Russian invasion of Ukraine has dominated TV and social media, resulting in horrific images of buildings exploding in fire, families bloodied and injured from missile attacks, and fearful children and parents attempting to flee to safety. This is being viewed by children and teenagers as well as adults. 

Foundation to every afterschool program is promoting a sense of emotional safety and reliable information. We believe this includes how to talk to kids about war and how to decipher real vs. fake news. Below we offer some thoughts and resources to assist afterschool leaders. 

Speaking With Kids About the Ukraine War

Below are some tips on how to discuss the Ukraine war:
  • First and foremost, educate yourself on Ukraine’s history and the war itself (there are good articles and videos on the internet- be sure they are reliable) and process your emotions first.
  • Consider the developmental and age levels of your youth.
  • Ask what your children have heard already?  How did that make them feel?
  • Where did they get this info?
  • Validate feelings while stressing safety.
  • Ask them if they have any questions about what is going on. 
  • Respond with honest reassurance & don't discount fears. 
  • Encourage youth to feel a sense of agency about how they can make a difference. 
  • Avoid exposure to graphic images & repetitive media coverage. 
  • Recognize that some children may be at greater risk of distress (especially true of youth who have experienced trauma or a family history of fleeing danger).
Additional Resources: 
(Note: Some of these resources are written for family members and would serve as a good handout.)

Source: New York Times
Social Media

The Russian invasion of Ukraine has also brought with it a deluge of disinformation and misinformation, and fabricated news, images, and video, via social media platforms. 

“One big difference with the war in Ukraine is how prominent TikTok has suddenly become in spreading information via video—both real and fake. TikTok is a major source for news for teens and young adults.” - Eisha Buch, Common Sense Media 


Addressing Disinformation

“If the Russia-Ukraine conflict is the world’s first TikTok war, then your youth may be unwittingly taking in a lot of mis- and disinformation. This article, “TikTok Is Gripped by the Violence and Misinformation of Ukraine War,” might be a useful starting point for raising the topic with them, perhaps after first asking students to share some of what they know — or think they know — about the war from their social media feeds.” - New York Times

Abigail Gewirtz, author of How to Talk with Kids About Scary News, advises, “You start by talking about social media. In times of war and threat, social media can be an incredibly valuable tool for people who don’t have access to regular news, like those in Ukraine, to be able to communicate with others. However, as we all know, social media can be a very dangerous source of misinformation, and our kids are vulnerable to that misinformation because they don’t know what’s fact and what’s fiction...and sometimes we don’t either. It’s really important for parents of kids of all ages to help children understand that there is fact and there is hearsay—and for them always to come to you to check the facts.”

Additional Resources:
One way to support kids to help them feel part of the solution is by offering opportunities to express support or “help”. Obviously, any activities should be aligned with the age of the participants. For example, youth could:
  • Create pictures or posters to express support or educate others. 
  • Look for age-appropriate information together.
  • Do projects to raise money for charities supporting Ukraine.
  • Send pictures or letters to refugee families.
  • Middle- and high-schoolers might participate in a peaceful demonstration of support for Ukraine.
  • Families can also join together to attend a local Ukrainian vigil or send money to charitable organizations.
“A lot of children want to help—and it’s important to provide ways for them to do so in an age-appropriate way…Turn the problems into ‘what can I do?’ The healthiest thing that helps people cope is action.”- Mary Alvord, PhD, Founder of Resilience Across Borders

Additional Resources:
Source: #KidsDrawPeace4Ukraine


Bias, Race and Discrimination 

Source: www.cnn.com

“Some have criticized certain reporting on Ukraine as racist and called attention to story framing and word choices that portray 'the invasion as the sort of thing that happens in poor countries, but not in Europe.' Even just the sheer amount of coverage, critics say, reveals a double standard in how Western media has covered this war compared to conflicts in other parts of the world.” - The Sift: An educator's guide to the week in news literacy, March 21, 2022

It is important to know that reaction to the war in Ukraine is not without controversy. Many feel that the crisis and war in Syria did not attract the same worldwide support. Also, there were reports that people of color did not receive the same treatment while attempting to flee the violence in Ukraine. 

“If we decide to help Ukrainians in their desperate time of need because they happen to look like 'us' or dress like 'us' or pray like 'us,' or if we reserve our help exclusively for them while denying the same help to others, then we have not only chosen the wrong reasons to support another human being. We have also, and I’m choosing these words carefully, shown ourselves as giving up on civilization and opting for barbarism instead ... The BBC interviewed a former deputy prosecutor general of Ukraine, who told the network: “It’s very emotional for me because I see European people with blue eyes and blond hair … being killed every day.” - Moustafa Bayoumi, The Guardian

Additional Resources:
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