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Some 87 per cent of children think the world suffers from more and more terrorist attacks and a part of them sometimes lies awake worrying. These are some of the conclusions of a small-scale study by the (Utrecht ľ¹Ï¸£ÀûÓ°ÊÓ) and the children’s newspaper Kidsweek. How much do primary school pupils really hear about terrorism and political violence? And what is the impact?

While children hear all kinds of things about terrorism and political violence, they seem unable to put these matters in context, the researchers write in an article published by Didactief Online. They compiled a survey on pupils’ knowledge, attitudes, and feelings about terrorism. A total of 224 pupils from group 7 and 8 completed the questionnaire and twenty of them then participated in a supplementary interview.

Associations and feelings

The survey shows, for example, that 87 per cent of primary school pupils think there are increasing numbers of terrorist attacks, while in the Western world this number is actually falling. 34 per cent overestimate the likelihood of an attack and some occasionally cannot sleep because of this or avoid the news.

40 per cent of children do not know what terrorism is and cannot cite examples. Many group 7 and 8 children also do not know how to distinguish terrorism from crime and cite robberies or stabbings in their neighbourhood as examples of terrorism.

In addition to fear, this can lead to misconceptions and stereotyping.

Despite 27 per cent saying they do not know what a terrorist looks like, most have associations with it. Words mentioned by pupils range from external features such as ‘balaclavas’, ‘black clothes’, and ‘weapons’ to more individual characteristics such as ‘Islamic’, ‘angry people’, and ‘psychological problems’.

Misconceptions and stereotypes

While terrorism thus evokes associations and feelings among pupils, they have little factual knowledge. The information they receive, whether at home, online, or at school, is fragmented. In addition to fear, this can lead to misconceptions and stereotypes, such as that terrorists are always Muslims.

The researchers stress the importance of discussing terrorism and other (political) violence in the classroom. By opening the conversation on these topics in a thoughtful way, pupils seem to grow less fearful. They can put terrorism in a broader perspective and relate historical examples to it.

In the event of a possible future attack or terrorist threat, this gives guidance: it is not just something frightening that happens to us, but something we as a society can influence.