Parents can benefit from research that emphasizes their children's perspective. Increased awareness of children's knowledge of war, their sources of information about war, and developmental differences in their communication and understanding of war can help parents approach their children about this important and timely issue.
Dr. Kathleen Walker and Dr. Maureen Blankemeyer, Kent State professors in human development and family studies, have studied the understanding of war and peace among children in Ireland, the former Yugoslavia, Israel and the United States, where they also conducted a study to learn about children's awareness of the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks and what has influenced that knowledge.
For more information, Walker is available at kwalker1@kent.edu. Blankemeyer is available at mblankem@kent.edu.