This week Dr. J is back! I asked her “How will parents or teachers know if a child is having a bad response to the Harry Potter series, The Hunger Games, The Graveyard Book or any other book with potentially upsetting content?”
Here’s what she had to say:
So, how can you tell if a young person is struggling with a book due to content? What are some signs that the book may not be appropriate for them or that it may be triggering a possible traumatic response?
What to look for:
- the young person begins to experience sleep disturbances such as nightmares, insomnia or a fear of the dark
- increased discussion about the content of the book and questions about it that persist longer than would be usual for that young person, particularly if they connect to “real life” or their own experience. For example: “Could the Hunger Games happen now?”, “Why doesn’t Harry’s aunt like him? Do people really do that?”, “Why didn’t anyone save the family from the man Jack? Is the man Jack going to get me?,” “Why didn’t anyone save me from (fill in the blank, based on the young person’s experience)?”
- increased irritability, emotional instability, anger, or sadness
- increased somatic responses, i.e. aches, pains, headaches, stomachaches
- repetitive re-reading, watching or listening to the media. In younger children, repetitive play focused on the content, i.e. playing Harry Potter and his aunt over and over.
What to do:
- let the young person know that you’ve noticed a change in their behavior and you’re wondering how you might be able to help
- offer resources: if you are in a school, direct the young person to a trusted adult such as a counselor, social worker, psychologist, etc. If it is your child, ask if they would like to talk with a mental health professional (for young children we sometimes say a “talking and feelings doctor” to differentiate between the pediatrician and a counselor).
- let the young person know it is ok to not finish the book or that you’d be happy to read the book with them. You could offer to tell the rest of the story so that they get closure in terms of the ending but don’t have to be surrounded by the potentially triggering details.
- allow the young person to talk at his/her own pace and in his/her own time. Meet them where they are and don’t push them to talk about things they do not want to mention.
- validate and normalize their response, which will be based on your knowledge of the child. “Lots of kids who read Harry Potter get really upset as the series goes on and the actions of the characters become more violent and dark. Sometimes kids stop reading them and go back to the books in a few years. Lots of those kids really like these books as well and find them easier to tolerate.” (Of course, you’d need to have recommendations at the ready for this last part.
Dr. J. is a clinical and school psychologist with more than ten years of experience working with children, teens and families who have experienced psychological trauma. She has worked in numerous settings including schools, residential treatment centers and hospitals. She is an avid reader of all kinds of books and uses them liberally in her practice and treatment of children, teens and families.
