Every generation has real dangers to worry about. But it seems that our children have it unusually rough. While the dangers might not be any worse, the graphic sights on television are vivid and immediate, making them seem closer to home. A recent report from the American Psychological Association estimated that the average child sees 8,000 murder depictions and 100,000 other violent acts on TV by age 13. That's a lot to live with.
Adults do too.
But we can all learn to handle them. Fears are rooted in a sense of helplessness, a lack of control over what goes on in life, from getting sick to being a crime victim. Children are starting from scratch, working through each fear, one at a time. They must determine their own power to deal with what happens in life. Once they feel they have some control, the fears lessen.