In light of the heartbreaking and very public news of the murder of Jill Meagher, it is more than likely that many children will have been exposed to the communal outpouring of shock and grief. This may occur through snippets of adult conversation, passing by a newsstand, listening to the car radio or television news.

Fear reactions to media are quite common for young children in particular, even from descriptions alone. A survey of 5-12 year olds indicated that 37% of the children surveyed, were scared by something they saw on the news, and they were most often affected by stories of stranger violence.

Emotional stress results in part when a child cannot give meaning to dangerous experiences.

How can I recognise whether my child is fearful?

Common reactions by young children

Common reactions by older children

(Adapted from www.betterhealth.vic.gov.au)

In light of this tragedy I have been asked by a number of parents, how they might talk about ‘stranger danger’, without scaring their children at the same time.

We know as parents, the manner in which we deal with our own fears and confidence in such situations, communicates far more powerfully than the words we say.

It has been shown to be highly effective when parents actively help their children understand what they are seeing and hearing. This is favourable over leaving children to process, or self-interpret messages they have heard.

Also expect the unexpected, as not every child will experience these events in the same way. Children’s knowledge will be determined by their age and their previous exposure to such events.

Younger children will depend largely on their parents to interpret events, while older children and teenagers will get information from a variety of sources, which may not be as reliable.

These ideas may help:

Keeping the above in mind, it is imperative that we continue to encourage our children to develop socially, without fear. So how do we foster opportunities for saying ‘hi’ to a new child at the park, or thanking the checkout attendant, while still maintaining safety?

One option is to make it clear to our children that it’s great to answer the door, chat to the store assistant or to smile at another person in line at the fair — but only with you hard at their heels.

“Your presence will communicate that you are confident in her social skills, but that you are also there to support her no matter who is at the door.” Dr. Michael Rich (Associate Professor of Pediatrics and Director of Centre on Media and Child Health in Boston)

Children may be vulnerable and in need of our protection however, we need to find ways in which we can nurture both IQ and EQ, without instilling fear and stifling their natural curiosity about life.

Collett Smart is both a psychologist and a qualified teacher, recognised for her work as a speaker, writer and parenting consultant. She has worked with families for almost 20 years in Africa, Australia and the UK. She also has 3 children that keep her real.

Follow Collett on: Twitter  @Family_Smart and her blog www.thefamilyfactor.com