Freud_Burlingham_1943_War_and_Children_k_text

ents' home where she is now sent regularly,she tells phantastic tales about the events whichhappen there. Everybody pushes everybodyelse, her sisters hit her on the head, she ispushed into the fire and everything burns up.There are no bombing experiences at the rootof Sylvia's fears. She is one among the fewof our children who escaped the London airraids through early evacuation to the country.As a consequence of the shock of her repeatedseparations she has developed a neurotic illnesswhich is so far difficult to diagnose. Hystericalsymptoms alternate with phobic behaviourand compulsive mechanisms. The mainfeature isher withdrawal from the interests ofthe real outer world. Her expression is alwaysworried, her glance fixed and stony. There islittle hope that, like Johnny, she will find anatural return to normality. She is ill enoughto need and receive psycho-analytical treatmentfor her neurosis.PRACTICAL CONCLUSIONSAt first glance it seems from this materialas if small children had little chance to escapeunharmed from the present war conditions.They either stay in the bombed areas withtheir parents and, quite apart from physicaldanger, get upset by their mothers' fears andexcitements, and hardened and brutalised by83