A Terrible Thing Happened: A Story for Children Who Have Witnessed Violence or Trauma By Margaret M. Holmes

With an afterword by Sasha J. Mudlaff written for parents and other caregivers offering extensive suggestions for helping traumatized children and a list of other sources that focus on specific events.

Published by Magination Press: Books for Kids from the American Psychological Association, A Terrible Thing Happened is a gently told and tenderly illustrated story for children who have witnessed any kind of traumatic event

Children who have witnessed violence or other traumatic incidents are at surprisingly greater risk for committing violence in the future than are children who have actually been involved in such events. Regardless of the type of incident, child witnesses often react by trying to forget or ignore the experience. When their feelings are pushed underground in this manner, these children may begin to feel bad in ways they don’t understand, and become angry as a result of feeling bad. This anger can give way to violence.

Using this thoughtful book as a tool, caring adults can help children talk about and understand their own terrible or scary experiences.