Posted on 05/01/2002 1:30:49 PM PDT by areafiftyone
(New York-AP) -- According to a study released today, nearly 90 percent of New York City schoolchildren were suffering at least one symptom of post-traumatic stress six months after September 11th, and 10 percent likely have the disorder.
The board of education study showed that in the 1-point-1 million pupil school system, an estimated 75,000 children likely showed six or more symptoms of post-traumatic stress enough to be diagnosed with the disorder. Mental health researchers participating in the report, which studied more than 8 thousand children at 94 schools, were particularly surprised to find that children throughout the city not just near ground zero showed symptoms of several psychiatric problems.
Researchers surveyed children in grades 4-through-12 in late February and early March, finding that 76 percent often thought about the terrorist attack, 24 percent had problems sleeping and 17 percent had nightmares. Schools Chancellor Harold Levy said the study was a ``wakeup call.''
A wakeup call to properly profile airport travelers, a call to stop doing body cavity searches on Japanese grandmothers, a call to stop being PC about finding terrorists.
The children that witnessed this and experienced the direct effects of terrorism will grow up to be stronger, more decisive people than the wimpy leaders that we now have running law enforcement around this country. Unless some gaia worshipping psychiatrist gets a hold of them to give them a good victim-complex for the rest of their lives.
/cynical_hat_off_now
JMHO, of course......
No offense, but these people can't teach these kids to read and write, what makes them so capable at analyzing their mental health? I'd be willing to bet that if the results are legitimate, then a significant portion of the children would have tested that way BEFORE 9/11.
I'm no wimp and I had nightmares where I literally jumped out of bed thinking myself and my family were being nuked in NYC in the weeks after 9/11. Maybe if I had not watched the towers collapse with my own eyes from my roof or maybe if I had not seen people jump with my own eyes I would not have had any nightmares.
I have another friend who was in the World Financial Center and saw dozens jump to their death and he also knew almost 30 people who died downtown. He has had hours and hours of therapy with a shrink dealing with what he saw and experienced.
Both of us favor obliterating Osama and any of the other Allah Akbar types who want martyrdom. Both of us also blame Clinton for most of the complacency and dereliction of duty that led to the 9/11 attacks.
So don't call us wimps when you don't have a friggin clue what you are talking about.
We were not saying that the children are wimps for having PTSD, but that some schools of psychiatry would turn them into blubbering victims filled with self-pity...in the name of counseling.
When times get rough, there is a natural God-given ability for a society to adjust and become tougher, with the next generations ready to fight back against evil. Lately we are told by schools, government, and the purveyors of psycho-babble that we must never hit back, that all war is bad, and that passivity in the face of aggression is the proper way to behave. Just look at the portrayal of the "Jenin Massacre (c)CNNAOLTIMEWARNERABCCBSNBCADNAUSEUM".
There is a legitimate concern about how these children will be counseled/brainwashed to deal with this truly traumatic situation. I too was watching live TV when it was interrupted by the initial plane attack and when the next plane hit. I have suffered PTSD with the suicide of my mother at 12 years old. I know that traumatic death affects children in many different ways. I am just worried about the psycological practitioners and how they can do damage in the name of science with these very fragile minds.
...again, that was not the intended implication here. However I am cynical about pshyciatric counseling in general because I have seen some real loonies mess people up in the name of "therapy". I am not lumping all therapists into this group, just looking with a skeptical eye.
This world has certainly become a more apparently harsh place to raise my kids, and this article highlights that fact. When I was growing up, I saw glimpses of the horrors of war on TV with the Vietnam "Conflict". But in my mind, that was "over there", not on our own soil, in our own cities. I have heard people talk about how the 9-11 attacks should not concern us Californians because that was "over there"....that irks me, because it really is here now and we need to take action.
A wake up call to what?
First of all, why is this news? There's a horrible incident, it's replayed all over the media until it's burned into our memories forever, and people (not just children) are in shock. Gee, what a surprise! I would have never guessed it, had it not been for this enlightening Board of Ed study (performed with our tax money, of course.)
Of course the children are in shock! Sh*%, I'M still in shock, and I'm an adult, and I was miles from ground zero.
The Board of Ed will no doubt use the results of this study to explain why they can't teach the kids squat. In my opinion, THAT's the real reason for the study. To use it as another excuse why Johnny can't read, and to extort more money from the taxpayers.
Oh please go with her. New York is suffering right now. We need you guys to come over and spend money or just be there to make us feel like things are getting back to normal. New York is still the same (a little jumpy - but still the same.) We still have the same tough spirit. You should come. New York City has so much to offer. There is so much to see and do here. If you happen to go downtown - go to Ellis Island and Statue of Liberty.
Wow. Gotta give credit to someone who doesn't even try to pretend to be a little sensitive. Or is this sarcasm, and I missed it?
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