Keeping children and families in mind when reporting on disaster and community trauma events

Margaret Nixon and Jessica Masters, Australia, 2019

Related to Bereavement, loss and grief, Disasters, Responding to traumatic events, Trauma

This fact sheet assists journalists and media staff to keeping children and families in mind when reporting on disaster and community trauma events. The content is taken from Keeping children and families in mind: Guidelines for media professionals reporting on disaster or community trauma events and is designed to sit alongside the existing Australian media ethics guidelines.

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Practice paper

Keeping children and families in mind: Guidelines for media professionals reporting on disaster or community trauma events

Margaret Nixon and Jessica Masters

These guidelines for journalists and media professionals highlight the need to keep children and families in mind when reporting on traumatic events. They are intended to showcase best practice and to help protect not only the children, families, and communities who have experienced disaster and/or trauma, but also media staff and their families who may experience secondary traumatic stress from exposure to these events.
Fact sheet

Journalists and media staff as parents and carers

Margaret Nixon and Jessica Masters

This fact sheet recognises the role journalists and media staff have as parents and carers and the impact of disaster or community trauma events.
Video

Children in the immediate aftermath of a disaster or traumatic event

Emerging Minds

This video discusses some of the ways children might feel and behave in the immediate time period after a disaster.
Webinar

A whole child approach to disaster recovery

Emerging Minds and Mental Health Professionals' Network (MHPN)

This webinar, co-produced by the Mental Health Professionals Network (MHPN), our panel of experts explore ways to support infants and children following a disaster.
Research summary

Highlights in child mental health research: October 2024

Prepared by AIFS

This October 2024 research summary provides a selection of recently released papers, systematic reviews, and meta-analyses related to infant and child mental health. Each summary includes an introductory overview of the content for the month, followed by a list of selected articles. Each article is accompanied by a brief synopsis which presents the key messages and highlights. Links to abstracts, full-text articles and related resources, where available, are provided.
Webinar

Relationships matter: Walking alongside Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander parents

Child Family Community Australia & Emerging Minds

This webinar with Child Family Community Australia (CFCA) explores ways that practitioners can build a deeper connection with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children and families.
Research summary

Highlights in child mental health research: September 2024

Prepared by AIFS

This September 2024 research summary provides a selection of recently released papers, systematic reviews, and meta-analyses related to infant and child mental health. Each summary includes an introductory overview of the content for the month, followed by a list of selected articles. Each article is accompanied by a brief synopsis which presents the key messages and highlights. Links to abstracts, full-text articles and related resources, where available, are provided.
Practice paper

Why we need to support infants and children before, during and after disasters

Emerging Minds

Infants and children rely on the adults around them to meet their needs, keep them safe and help them to make sense of their world. This puts them at greater risk of adverse impacts when a disaster occurs. This practice paper introduces the foundational knowledge and skills needed to support children and families at all stages of a disaster (preparedness, response and recovery).
Practice paper

Disaster preparedness with a focus on infants, children and families

Emerging Minds

This practice paper is designed to help you understand the importance of disaster preparedness for not only increasing safety and protecting lives when a disaster occurs, but facilitating the recovery of individuals, families and communities. It also offers practical advice for supporting the disaster preparedness of the children and families you work with.
Practice paper

Understanding how disasters influence infants and children

Emerging Minds

This practice paper aims to equip practitioners with knowledge about the ways disasters can influence a child’s ecology and the importance of targeted support for children’s resilience and recovery in the short and long term.
Practice paper

Supporting infants, children and families in an evacuation

Emerging Minds

This practice paper explains why it’s important to consider pregnant people, infants, children and families in evacuation planning and management. It provides practical considerations and strategies for ensuring evacuation procedures and centres meet the needs of infants, children and families and enhance their safety, wellbeing and recovery.
Practice paper

How psychological first aid can support infants, children and families who experience a disaster (part one)

Emerging Minds

This paper is the first of two and introduces psychological first aid (PFA), a psychosocial support approach that can reduce distress and support the mental health of infants, children and families who have experienced a disaster.

This resource is part of the following toolkits

Community Trauma Toolkit

304 Resources
Toolkit Sections:

Keeping children and families in mind when reporting on disaster and community trauma events

Margaret Nixon and Jessica Masters, Australia, 2019

Discover more resources

Keeping children and families in mind: Guidelines for media professionals reporting on disaster or community trauma events

Journalists and media staff as parents and carers

Children in the immediate aftermath of a disaster or traumatic event

A whole child approach to disaster recovery

Highlights in child mental health research: October 2024

Relationships matter: Walking alongside Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander parents

Highlights in child mental health research: September 2024

Why we need to support infants and children before, during and after disasters

Disaster preparedness with a focus on infants, children and families

Understanding how disasters influence infants and children

Supporting infants, children and families in an evacuation

How psychological first aid can support infants, children and families who experience a disaster (part one)

This resource is part of the following toolkits

Community Trauma Toolkit

Toolkit Sections:

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