Parents Should Give Thought To Comments On Verdict, Professor Says

Not only adults, but children, too, are reacting to the O.J. Simpson verdict. This can be tricky for parents, especially if they did not agree with the acquittal or had been saying throughout the trial that they thought he was guilty.

What do you say to your child?

Wheelock College professor of education Diane Levin, an international authority on the impact violence has on children, offers some suggestions:

Children who formed their own opinion before the verdict may ask how the jury reached theirs.

Levin says to provide concrete information, specifically about how the American judicial system works.

For instance:

“Twelve people were chosen to listen to everything and decide what they thought the truth was. And this is what they decided.

“Some people don’t agree with them and some people do, and whenever we have a trial, that’s what happens.”

Levin also says to point out that there are two sides to every story. It would be helpful, she says, to remind children of an incident in which siblings or friends disagreed about something and a parent had to mediate.

If a child asks what you think, it’s OK to express your opinion.

Say something like: “I didn’t hear the whole story, the way the jurors did. Some of what I heard made me think he did it (or didn’t do it).

“But this is what the jurors decided. That’s how the system works in our country, and we need our system to make these decisions.”

Beyond this simple explanation, it would only confuse youngsters to express uncertainties further, she says.

Levin, author of “Teaching Young Children in Violent Times”, also offers these general guidelines:

For most children, the question that looms largest but may not get verbalized is “What about the people who were killed?”

Even if your child doesn’t ask this question, Levin says, parents should address it.

“Whatever you do, don’t leave the impression that if you’re found innocent, no one cares about the crime anymore,” she says.

Give your child a chance to express himself or herself. Ask, “What did you hear? What do you think?”

Don’t cover too much ground.

“The temptation is to give your adult point of view and understanding,” Levin says. “Children will fare better if you choose one or two things to focus on.”

Preschoolers need limited but concrete information.

One last thought: If your child doesn’t bring up the issue, you should.

Most children who go to school will hear people talking, and it’s better for you to talk about it with them than for them to get all their information from other sources.