Social learning and fear: Descriptive case studies of media exposure, parental modeling, and children's post-traumatic stress reactions to the events of September 11, 2001

Few studies thus far have explored the impact of media exposure in comparison with the impact of parent modeling on the child's fear and traumatic reactions to disasters. The case of September 11, 2001 was a tragedy of intense magnitude, coupled with exposure not possible during comparable tragedies. Due to the circumstances of the event, television viewing increased, and uncertainty about the future and the safety of the United States was apparent. According to Bandura's social learning theory children learn behaviors from television and from real life models such as parents.; The basic purpose of this investigation was to ascertain the degree of Post Traumatic Stress symptoms present over one year after the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, for children in California. The parent participants completed the Trauma Symptom Inventory Scale (TSI-A) (Briere, 1996), The Parents Report of the Child's Reaction to Stress (Fletcher, 1996) Scale, and the demographic questionnaire (Designed for this study). The child participants completed the When Bad Things Happen Scale (WBTH) (Fletcher, 1996) and the Demographic Questionnaire (Designed for this study).; Of the six cases that were examined in this study it was found in two of the six cases that children with a higher exposure rate through media had more PTSD symptoms than those who had less exposure. Overall, it was found that media exposure did not have a high impact on Post Traumatic Stress symptoms within the six cases. Hypothesis two; children with a higher exposure rate through modeling will have more Post Traumatic Stress symptoms than those who had less exposure; was supported by three of the six cases. Hypothesis three, children who had previous traumatic experiences will have higher Post Traumatic Stress symptoms, was supported in five of the six cases. Hypothesis four, there will be a discrepancy between the parent's report of the child's level of stress and the child's report, was supported strongly by four of the six cases and slightly by one of the six cases, with a total of five of the six cases supporting this hypothesis.