Schoolchildren in our part of the world were so long perceived to be living under acute stress that came from the compulsion to perform and succeed. This stress was compounded by sporadic spurts of violence in the real world and a daily diet of it in the print and electronic media. The whole scenario has changed suddenly and radically after the recent serial bomb blasts in Jaipur, Bangalore and Ahmedabad, the discovery of several unexploded bombs in Surat and the widespread panic in Calcutta in the wake of e-mail messages of warning — subsequently discovered to be a hoax. Although the affair is still shrouded in mystery, it appears that our children must be prepared to live in an age of fear.

In the past week, their cars and buses have been searched, suspicious packets examined, certain areas evacuated, sniffer dogs let loose and general security ‘beefed up’. Bombs are being discovered and deactivated and people being questioned and arrested on a daily basis. In other words, terror is now at their doorstep.

At this juncture, it is crucial that we make our children feel safe. An efficient emergency management plan is expected to be in place in every school in the event of a crisis in the form of fire, cyclone, flood, earthquake, epidemic and, yes, now bombs. At the same time, it does no good to generate anxiety by overdoing the drill. Children are extremely sensitive to the responses and reactions of adults around them. It has been found that even children who have been far removed from natural and man-made disasters geographically have still been strongly affected by gruesome images and descriptions of them in the media. As such, it is important to monitor exposure to the media, especially of very young or sensitive children.

How should we prepare our children for these uncertain times? Do ‘alerts’ caution, protect or merely terrorize? Substantial research studies are available on symptoms exhibited by children subsequent to catastrophic events but perhaps not much has been published with regard to children’s reaction to living in a state of constant fear. Children who have been diagnosed with post traumatic stress disorder display a range of symptoms depending on their own resilience and the level of their parents’ fear and distress. Some of them may just be momentarily disturbed, others may be confused or mildly nervous, while a few may enter an indefinite phase of panic.

In these circumstances, schools should be looked upon as safe havens as opposed to mini fortresses with warnings and cautionary alerts posted all over. Children can be taught to adhere to an emergency plan that would require them to remain calm and follow specific instructions to avoid a stampede. But these are to be taken as safety measures rather than as preparation for an imminent catastrophe. Children must lead normal lives and be optimistic. There should be no room for sadness, anxiety or hopelessness, or else the terrorists’ purpose of spreading panic and instilling fear would be fulfilled.

It is important to ensure, above all, that our children are not infected with the poison of prejudice. We need to show much more tolerance to different cultures and communities and no tolerance for those who spread fear and distrust in the name of counter-terrorism. All children should be taught lessons of friendship and peace and be helped to identify and combat bigotry. They must be given ample opportunities to interact and work on common projects with young people from different cultures and communities. In this way we can help them make way for a less violent world.