A psychologist’s advice on talking to children about violence

WE’VE SEEN GRAPHIC VIDEOS THIS WEEK, INCLUDING THE ATTACK ON A NORTH CAROLINA SUBWAY AND THE ASSASSINATION OF CHARLIE KIRK. BOTH INCIDENTS CAUGHT ON CAMERA FOR THE WORLD TO SEE. BOTH VERY VIOLENT. BUT HOW DO WE PREVENT OUR KIDS FROM TAKING IN THESE IMAGES? EVEN US, IN DEALING WITH THE IMPACTS? JOINING US THIS MORNING TO DISCUSS ALL OF THIS IS PSYCHOLOGIST AT KENNEDY KRIEGER INSTITUTE, DOCTOR MATT EDELSTEIN. GOOD MORNING. SO I MEAN, ALL OF THESE IMAGES WE ARE AS A SOCIETY, I THINK, REALLY BECOMING DESENSITIZED TO SOME OF THIS. BUT IT. THESE AREN’T GAMES. THESE AREN’T MOVIES. THIS IS REAL LIFE. ABSOLUTELY. AND THEY ARE ABSOLUTELY SHOCKING. I THINK THAT EVEN AS ADULTS, WE SEE THESE THINGS AND WE WE SORT OF STRUGGLE WITH THE WORDS AND HOW TO COMPREHEND THEM, HOW TO FEEL ABOUT THEM. AND, AND IT AFFECTS US. AND THE MORE YOU KNOW, THESE VIDEOS MAKE THEIR CIRCULATION AROUND SOCIAL MEDIA, KIDS WILL SEE THEM. HOW DO YOU EVEN BEGIN TO HAVE THAT CONVERSATION? AND WHAT DO YOU SAY? YEAH, I THINK IT REALLY DEPENDS ON ON THE AGE OF THE CHILD. SO I TALK TO FAMILIES A LOT ABOUT PREVENTION. YOUNG KIDS REALLY SHOULDN’T BE ON THE INTERNET. IT’S OR AT LEAST NOT BE UNSUPERVISED IN THE INTERNET. THE INTERNET CAN BE A SEEMINGLY SAFE PLACE. BUT BUT AS YOU NOTED, THERE COULD BE CONTENT OUT THERE THAT’S REALLY INAPPROPRIATE FOR OLDER KIDS. YOU KNOW, WE TALK ABOUT CREATING A CULTURE OF CONVERSATION AND, AND OLDER KIDS REACT THE SAME WAY WE MIGHT IN TERMS OF FEELING CONFUSED AND PERHAPS AFRAID. HOW DO WE EVEN BEGIN TO PROCESS THESE THINGS THAT WE’RE SEEING? BECAUSE, I MEAN, ESPECIALLY WITH THESE TWO, THEY WERE VERY GORY, VERY GRAPHIC VIDEOS AND IT CAN HAVE AN EFFECT ON YOUR MENTAL, YOUR MENTAL HEALTH, YOUR EMOTIONAL HEALTH AS WELL. SURE. HUMAN BEINGS AREN’T MEANT TO SEE THIS KIND OF GRAPHIC VIOLENCE. AND SO, YOU KNOW, WE I TALK A LOT WITH CAREGIVERS ABOUT SORT OF CREATING A CULTURE OF CONVERSATION, MAKING SURE THAT THEY THEY HAVE EXPOSURE TO TALKING TO THEIR KIDS ABOUT THINGS THAT ARE HARD, THAT THAT SORT OF A FOUNDATION OF THE FAMILY EXPERIENCE. SO THAT AT LEAST KIDS SORT OF HAVE A STARTING POINT KNOWING THAT, THAT THEIR PARENTS MIGHT BE STRUGGLING TO UNDERSTAND WHAT THEY’RE SEEING ON THE INTERNET, THE SAME WAY THAT THIS ISN’T SOMETHING THAT’S NORMAL. AND OFTENTIMES KIDS DON’T TELL US WHEN THERE’S BEEN A PROBLEM, RIGHT? THEY MAY SEE IT AND FEEL GROSS OR OH MY GOODNESS. BUT IN WHAT WAYS? WHAT THINGS SHOULD WE BE LOOKING OUT FOR THAT REALLY CLUE US IN THAT THEY’VE BEEN AFFECTED AND MAY NEED TO BE SEEKING A LITTLE BIT OF EXTRA HELP? SURE, THE RANGE OF EMOTIONS THAT WE SEE IN KIDS REALLY VARIES, AND SO SOMETIMES WE’LL SEE KIDS WHO ARE TRYING TO SHOW THEIR CAREGIVERS WHAT THEY’VE SEEN IN AN EFFORT TO KIND OF SHARE THAT EXPERIENCE, EVEN IF THEY, YOU KNOW, ARE DOING SO IN SORT OF AN ODD WAY. THE CAREGIVERS SHOULD SHOULD REACT, FEEL COMFORTABLE BEING HUMAN IN THAT MOMENT AND REACTING. BUT SOME KIDS MIGHT DO THINGS VERY DIFFERENTLY, AND OTHER BEHAVIORS MIGHT LOOK LIKE WITHDRAWAL OR OR EVEN LIKE AN OBSESSION OVER WATCHING DIFFERENT, DIFFERENT TYPES OF CLIPS, EXPLORING KIND OF INFORMATION. AND GOSH, THE RABBIT HOLE CAN BE REALLY, REALLY DEEP IN TERMS OF WHAT’S OUT THERE. AND SO TO THE EXTENT THAT, YOU KNOW, CAREGIVERS CAN MONITOR AND SUPERVISE WHAT THEIR KIDS ARE DOING ON THE INTERNET, THAT’S REALLY AN IMPORTANT FIRST STEP. AND I KNOW WE’RE PRIMARILY TALKING ABOUT KIDS, BUT, I MEAN, EVEN WITH OURSELVES, IT’S JUST SOMETIMES I THINK SOMETIMES JUST TAKING THE PHONE, REALIZING THAT THESE THINGS ARE GOING AND STEPPING AWAY. ABSOLUTELY. THE BEST THING TO DO. ABSOLUTELY. THAT, AS I MENTIONED, THESE ARE NOT THINGS THAT ARE NORMAL TO SEE. AND OUR BODIES AND OUR BRAINS DON’T KNOW HOW TO REACT TO SUCH VIOLENCE. SO, YOU KNOW, SEEKING TO UNDERSTAND WHAT’S HAPPENING SOMETIMES ISN’T ISN’T POSSIBLE. AND ABSTINENCE OR JUST PUTTING THE PHONE DOWN MIGHT BE THE BEST. IT’S BEAUTIFUL OUT, YOU KNOW, SORT OF ENJOYING THE ENJOYING THE OUTDOORS AND SORT OF SHIFTING OUR ATTENTION AWAY FROM THIS STUFF. IS IS PROBABLY THE HEALTHIEST WAY TO TRY TO DEAL WITH WHAT’S HAPPENING IN THE WORLD SOMETIMES. LOOK, AND IT’S GOING TO BE A BEAUTIFUL WEEKEND TO GET OUT. JUST GET AWAY FROM THE PHONE, GET AWAY FROM THE SCREENS, GO DOWN TO THE BANK AND GO TO THE RAVENS GAME TODAY. THANKS.

A psychologist’s advice on talking to children about violent images online

Updated: 5:39 PM EDT Sep 14, 2025

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Psychologist Matt Edelstein from Kennedy Kreiger Institue joins Jenyne Donaldson for a conversation about how to emotionally process violent images online.

Psychologist Matt Edelstein from Kennedy Kreiger Institue joins Jenyne Donaldson for a conversation about how to emotionally process violent images online.