FAMILY : Were Kids Really Scared by Fires?

Do children who watched the firestorms on TV really need much help with fire-related fears?

No, says Justin Aronfreed, University of Pennsylvania psychology professor. “Children are very resilient. They’re not as easily terrorized and paralyzed as many experts would like us to think,” he says.

Most of what parents hear about the effects of perceived disaster on children is opinion, he says. Studies during the Persian Gulf War that showed children feared bombs would drop on their own homes were based on leading questions, he contends.

Psychologists warning parents to watch for signs of post-traumatic stress are only feeding a “mythology of special expertise,” he says.

Not so, says Zena Polly, an Orange County psychologist who has been working with children since the fires. “I’ve talked with kids who were terrified and were having nightmares. They thought the wind might bring the embers to their house,” she says.

Depending on their circumstances before the fire, many children may do fine, Polly says. “Where there isn’t trauma, don’t force them to have one. But also don’t ignore signs of trauma for kids. Some kids are more prone to anxiety than others. And kids express it differently than parents.”