The death in the last 24 hours makes September the deadliest month in almost four years. At the same time, the age of both the perpetrators – and those who risk being affected – is falling. Child psychologist Sofia Bidö gives advice on how worried parents can act.
– I think that there are far too many children who have been exposed to this violence and have not been caught by adults in the way that would be needed.
More and more children are affected in one way or another by the wave of violence. Most recently on Wednesday, several young people had to be locked up in the changing rooms at the Mälarhöjden sports ground in connection with a shooting in which a man in his early teens died.
– What easily happens when you have been in the vicinity of violence is that you suffer from crisis reactions, these are completely normal reactions to abnormal events, but it can be frightening and upsetting, says Sofia Bidö, psychologist and director of operations for the Save the Children Center for support and treatment.
In order to both support and inform children in the right way – she emphasizes the importance of finding out relevant information and getting support from other parents.
– On occasions like this, there is a lot of misinformation and rumor spreading. It is important to think about which sources you read and perhaps even limit your media intake if it becomes too much.
“Find out what they feel”
Despite the fact that there may be grounds for concern – Sofia Bidö does not believe that it benefits anyone to isolate themselves. In connection with acts of violence, there are often crisis centers and telephone lines set up for both information and support.
– Now the violence has really escalated, at the same time the police do not advise us to move outdoors and it is still very unusual for people who are not connected to the gangs to be affected. It is important that we help create trust that society is doing what it can to deal with the problems.
Recently, there have been reports of several shootings where the victim was not the intended target. According to information to TV4 Nyheterna, the woman who died in the night’s explosion outside Uppsala was one of them.
– Even if it wasn’t nearby, the children hear about what happened in the media or on social media, and children have the right to information. Find out what they’re feeling, and help sort out their concerns. It is important that several adults act.