Threats to education in Pakistan have escalated after the horrific attack on the Army Public School in Peshawar in December 2014 when Taliban militants killed 135 school children. Since then schools and colleges across the country have staged mock lock-down drills — and students have been instructed to leave classrooms for safe rooms or hide under the desks, remaining calm to practice what they would do in an emergency situation. Although these drills strengthen the preparedness of schools for combating terror attacks and could save lives, they also leave children emotionally shattered — especially in a country where attacks targeting educational institutions are frequent and well-executed.

While it is important that children understand the need to be prepared in an emergency, it is equally essential that they are informed about the exercise beforehand when it involves security personnel staging real-time rescue operations. When students are not used to witnessing armed police and other security forces on school premises they will feel unsafe. “Children require structure and a sense of predictability to feel secure,” says Nirmal Niazi, a clinical psychologist. “They are far more resilient and flexible than we give them credit for. If new information is introduced beforehand, then they are prepared and better able to cope with security drills.” She also believes it is important to understand how children process new information when studying the impact of violence on their minds.

On their part, parents, too, have criticised schools for not notifying them ahead of a drill, claiming that their children were frightened and left suffering from nightmares. Notifying parents reduces the likelihood of panic among children — and in certain instances even among parents mistaking drills for real attacks. Studies have shown that Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) in elementary school-aged children often appears as re-enactment [of the trauma] in the form of drawings and verbalisation.

What is it like for children dealing with the spectre of violence as a daily occurrence?

“Explaining to children why terrible things happen in school and generally in the city is challenging,” says Wardah Mustafa. As a mother of three young children, she says they express fear of violent attacks and have asked her why such attacks on schools happen. “They understand that there are ‘good’ and ‘bad’ people in society, and that we must be brave — that that’s the way to confront violence. Unfortunately, such attacks could continue so one must teach children to develop quick thinking and to remain calm,” she says.

Medical experts recommend that schools should enlist professional counsellors and psychologists to talk to the children who have experienced violent incidents and those who have developed PTSD-like symptoms. PTSD cannot be handled by someone who is not a professional or merely by parents, says Hayat Ali Yousefzai, a Karachi-based psychologist.

Security measures at schools AFTER December 2014

Although some school administrators are aware of the impact of mock security drills on students, certain other mandatory security measures such as training teachers (and often even older students) to use arms, barbed wire at entrances and raised boundary walls have further reinforced a sense of fear among children. Then, with older students and school staff trained by police and bomb disposal squads to handle firearms, defuse bombs, evacuate schools and provide emergency care, it is imperative that counselling be provided by schools for those students finding it difficult to attend classes when suffering from PTSD.

Surrounded by violence and terror attacks in everyday life, whether experiencing trauma in real-time, learning about attacks reported in the media or listening to adults discuss violent incidents (known as ‘vicarious’ trauma or second-hand trauma), children today are at greater risk of suffering from stress symptoms than in previous generations. According to studies, after terror attacks on schools, children are worried about their own safety and that of their loved ones — and even those not directly exposed to trauma can suffer from PTSD.

Children often talk about how they could prevent such attacks, say parents. Questions are often raised about how to speak to children to explain terror-related events. Is it important to shield them or tell them the truth? How will they react? How can we help them understand the violence in society and recover?

Moreover, because children take on the anxiety of their caregivers, parents must deal with their own reactions — of anger, fear and distrust of the government — before they can help their children. And, importantly, it is girls’ education that is particularly affected by such attacks. In its latest report, ‘Dreams turned into nightmares: attacks on students, teachers and schools in Pakistan,’ Human Rights Watch (HRW) observes that attacks on schools have blocked girls’ access to education because of the government’s failure to protect students and teachers. Families are hesitant to send girls to school in certain provinces such as in KP —and even in cities such as Karachi — where militant attacks on educational institutions lead to intolerance and exclusion. The HRW notes: “Attacks on education not only harm the students and families directly affected, but also have an incalculable long-term negative effect on Pakistani society.” As a father who dotes on his daughter, Abdur Rehman, a businessman, finds it difficult to send her to school in insecure times. He says he is helpless when it comes to protecting her. “I am the one she turns to when she is afraid. So, it kills me that I have to leave her alone even if it is for [the time she goes to] school. It is a thought that stays with me throughout the day until I’ve tucked her into bed. And I hate it.”

When the unacceptable becomes the norm

The impact of terrorism on individual lives has meant changes in outlook, expectations and social interactions. From giving up personal privacies for greater security, checkpoints, armed patrols and bag searches, one is compelled to rethink everyday movements and overall lifestyle. Whether at school or otherwise, staying safe in cities such as Karachi has become a priority for most young families — and even if that means curtailing certain outdoor activities after dusk. The unacceptable and unusual is now the norm. “There are places we don’t visit as a family, such as parks,” says Faiqa Baig. “I let my children know it’s unsafe to be outdoors. If they have questions about why people are violent, then I use religion to explain: as long as there’s good in the world, there’s evil too. This approach keeps them steadfast.”

For Nazira Ali, a mother of three children in Karachi, exercising caution is imperative for keeping her family safe. However, she knows that certain restrictions — on sports activities, meeting friends, taking long walks, and going to the cinema, etc. — have angered her teenagers because they misconstrue it as parental control. “I feel there are increased temper tantrums as a result of being kept at home after school,” says Nazira. “Often among teens this could lead to dependency on tech gadgets — tablets and smart phones — drugs and even early sexual relationships. Parents must control their kids from going off the rails but this has become even more challenging in the present environment. Finding ways to channel their energy with the added worry about where to send one’s children to enjoy their spare time, where they will be safe, is a huge question,” Nazira adds.

Another parent, Guiti Khan agrees with her dilemma of finding it difficult to suitably entertain her family in what she believes is an unsafe metropolis. “Young boys will resort to violence out of boredom in low-income/class neighbourhoods where they are recruited by gangs and get paid for the ‘job’ they are given,” she says. “If they have younger brothers or cousins, then this kind of extracurricular interest filters down to them. Carrying a gun or acting tough appeals to the male ego and so many boys are attracted to that image. I’ve noticed in school how some boys idolising gangsters will imitate them in photographs they post on Facebook. Of course, not all boys follow this trend, but it scares me to think my boys could be pressured to take up violent activities.”

Published in Dawn, EOS, April 30th, 2017