Children's fears

Abstract

The purpose of this article is to provide nurses with a comprehensive literature review of children's fears and to offer interventions that help children cope with fear. Children's normal fear development and the importance of developmental considerations in the assessment, diagnosis, and treatment of fear are also explored. A preventive model based on the work of Robinson and colleagues highlights several approaches to assist children in dealing with fear. This model provides consultation and counseling strategies that the nurse may use to help children develop control, self-worth, and security. This model may also be used to explore areas of normative developmental fears.