Turn on the news and you'll see violent images from the latest disaster ? agunman kills more than?30 people on the Virginia Tech campus. Glance atthe front page of the newspaper to view the aftermath of the latest disaster --natural or man-made.

After awhile, this constant barrage of violent images tends to inducenumbness in adults.

The same can't be said for children.

"As a culture, we have become incredibly desensitized to violence. We'reused to one catastrophe after another." says Susan Villani, MD, medicaldirector of school programs at the Kennedy Krieger Institute in Baltimore,Md.

"But this [violent image] may be the very first for a child. I worrythat there is no break in sight for our children because adults themselves havebecome so comfortable with violence," she says.

Age-by-Age Guidelines

The onslaught of violent images in the media leaves parents wondering howmuch they should allow their children to see. What impact does it have? Howshould they respond?

The answers, say experts, depend largely on the child's age.

The Youngest Children (Ages 0 to 6)

Very young children, between 0 and 3 years of age, are too young tounderstand the meaning of violent images, explains Lynn Hagan, PhD, a licensedclinical social worker and expert on how violence affects children. But thatdoesn't mean they're not frightened by them.

Therefore, it's important parents offer reassurance to young children whosee or hear about violent images. "They need to be told that they're beingtaken care of by their parents," says Michael Salamon, PhD, a clinicalpsychologist in New York.

Plus, it's never too early to send messages of self-reliance, says Salamon."Tell them, 'We'll teach you how to take care of yourself,'" hesays.

Ideally, say the experts, it's best to avoid exposing very young children toviolent images altogether.

"For children under 6, it's realistic to shield them a fair amount,"says Nadine Kaslow, PhD, a psychologist in Emory University's department ofpsychiatry and behavioral sciences.

That includes what they overhear from their parents' conversations."Monitor your conversations," Kaslow cautions adults.

In spite of parents' best efforts, it's likely the youngest eyes and earswill be exposed to violent images. When that happens, parents should do somedamage control.

Hagan offers the following suggestions: "Maintain your usual routine;keep things as normal as possible for your child. And reiterate that you're notgoing to abandon them."