Extreme violence and terrorism harm children's mental and emotional health, whether they witness it firsthand or learn about it through the media. Some children are more vulnerable than others. Indirect media exposure to terrorist acts and threats has long-term and short-term consequences on children's mental health that are fundamentally different from the effects on adults. Children's susceptibility, immaturity, and developmental stage alter their perspective, and the strategies employed to address these difficulties have different effects on different children. Furthermore, emotional issues may not manifest themselves right away; instead, they may remain dormant until they manifest themselves. How and when this happens is largely determined by the additive impacts of the child's surroundings, as well as extra inequities that the child faces.
For years, the deleterious effects of media violence on children have been widely debated, with many controversial and inconsistent data and conclusions. While some have identified extremely detrimental impacts from media exposure, others have rejected any such effects. Nonetheless, the research about the effects of media exposure to terrorism and violent acts on youngsters should not be neglected or dismissed. The purpose of this discussion is to evaluate the need to support solutions that lessen the negative impacts of unsupervised media viewing of terrorist activities and threats. While it may not be able to stop the media from portraying this violence, there are plenty of areas to consider solutions that can help minimize and better understand the effects of violence on children's mental health at home, in school, and the health care system. The media can also assist by raising the amount of attention paid to these strategies.
Unrestricted Media's Availability and Repetition
Through the news, the Internet, or social media, youngsters are brought extremely close to global events, and often in a very crude way. It can include intrusive, unfiltered photographs showing horrible acts of brutality. Children lack a sense of spatially and rarely comprehend that these events took place far away from their current location. Instead, these almost-live occurrences might elicit feelings of insecurity, pessimism, and helplessness, which are frequently externalized through behavioral issues.
Younger children are more affected by indirect exposure to violence than older children, and research shows that true exposure to war events in children under the age of ten increases their likelihood of developing internalizing illnesses later in life. Two studies evaluated exposure to drug cartel terrorism (collective violence) among children on both sides of the US–Mexican border, demonstrating this. These studies looked at the impact of poverty and collective violence on children of various ages (1.5–5 and 6–16 years old) (terrorism).
Multiple channels in Mexico, including radio stations, newspapers, and television networks, carry news of mass murders of men, women, and children on a daily, weekly, and monthly basis. The media portrayed the deaths of activists and onlookers in the most horrific manner possible, including mutilations, bombings, kidnappings, tortured bodies, and decapitations.
When researchers compared the psychosocial and behavioral difficulties of children aged 6 to 16 on both sides of the border, they discovered that on the Mexican side, the externalization of problems caused by collective aggression increased. Furthermore, given the abundance of news in the city regarding generalized violence, it was presumed that families were indirectly victimized for this research, even though they could be both direct and indirect victims of violence. There were no specifics concerning this additional influence on the families in the available information.
Child Development and Chronic Stress 
Excessive or sustained activation of a child's stress response systems can have long-term negative consequences for learning, behavior, and health. Constant exposure to scary images and acts of violence causes a child's heart rate and blood pressure to rise, as well as the generation of stress hormones. Children do not have the resources to cope with stress because of their age, which might affect the development of brain architecture and other organ systems, with long-term effects. Elevated stress levels may linger longer in children than in adults, disrupting the natural development process and creating physical, cognitive, and emotional difficulties.
Conclusion
Exposure to terrorism violence through the media, video games, movies, or news about catastrophes and/or specific instances has diverse consequences for children, and several studies have found a correlation between terrorist violence and negative mental health impacts in children. These findings highlight the need for primary care clinicians to get training to better diagnose and refer children who require therapy to address and manage these emotional impacts. The long-term impacts of terrorism violence on children might take days, months, or even years to manifest. Existing psychological difficulties, adversity, and/or prior victimization dosage and activate the consequences.
Early intervention programs to enhance children's outcomes have a huge influence on the lives of children, their families, and society as a whole. Treatment for people at increased risk is a known difficulty, particularly for those from lower socioeconomic backgrounds or minorities. Due to economic, cultural, health literacy, language competence, and educational gaps, referrals for follow-up may not be made in many circumstances. As a result, extra counseling is necessary to educate parents and kids about the advantages of continuing therapy.
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