As children are exposed to community and world events, they come to understand that large-scale accidents, natural disasters, armed conflict and terrorism are unfortunately common. Let them know that these kinds of troubling events do happen but governments and other authorities are working hard to protect peoples’ safety. Use specific details such as:

• That shooting in Ottawa was very rare. I’ve never heard of anything like that happening there before. I’m not worried about our safety when we go there for our vacation this summer.

• All concert halls will have more security now to try to prevent that from happening again.

• Security has been tightened throughout the city and the police have caught the people who did this.