BY KAREN RAFINSKI and JORDAN LEVIN

 For the young children who watched the relentless replays of a terrified Elian Gonzalez
 being snatched from the home of his Miami relatives at gunpoint, the images could spark
 fears about their own safety, psychologists said Sunday.

 Kids under 6 are normally afraid of strangers stealing them from their home, and Saturday's
 dramatic footage played into that fear.

 ''Kids can be sensitized by what they see on TV,'' said Alan Delamater, director of clinical
 psychology in the Department of Pediatrics at the University of Miami. ''Kids who don't feel
 secure and are prone to be anxious are kids whose parents need to pay attention. . . .
 Parents should reassure their child that this sort of thing is not going to happen to them.''

 Experts say parents should shield young children from watching TV coverage of the Elian
 case as much as possible because they may not be able to grasp the complexities of the
 story, leaving them with little understanding of the frightening images.

 But since many children have already spent the weekend glued to the television, these
 same experts say, it may be helpful to show them the pictures of Elian smiling with his
 father to explain that he is safe now and reunited with his Cuban family.

 ''Probably the best strategy is for parents to use the same judgment in terms of what
 types of movies they'd take their kid to,'' said Tammy Tucker, assistant administrator for
 the Center for Behavioral Health at Memorial Regional Hospital in Hollywood. ''This is
 certainly not G rated. . . . I wouldn't feel comfortable for children 7, 8 and younger to
 watch it.''

 When explaining such dramatic events to children, it's important not to dismiss their fears
 as silly or unfounded because that may cause them to withdraw and stop talking, several
 psychologists said. Instead, talk about the child's fear as a real issue and focus on
 reassuring them that they are safe.

 ''What young children understand might be different -- they might worry about things
 that might seem extraneous -- who's gonna take care of Elian's toys or his clothes,''
 said David Coe, a clinical psychologist at Miami Children's Hospital. ''I think parents
 have to emphasize that this child's situation is different, and that parents will protect
 their children.

 ''Parents can also give their children general reassurance that both sides of Elian's
 family cared for him very much, but that the government said Elian had to be with
 his father for now, and Elian is not hurt and he's with his father currently.''

 Elian's saga may be upsetting even to older kids because his story has parallels
 to the lives of many children. About 10 percent of all children lose a parent by
 the time they reach late adolescence. Since about half of all children experience
 the divorce of their parents, the emotional tug of war over custody of Elian may
 also strike a chord.

 ''These are issues that kids can relate to,'' Delamater said. ''It's an opportunity to
 talk to your kid about these issues. . . .

 ''The key is making it OK to talk about things that are tough and creating an
 environment that it's OK for kids to talk about their feelings.''

                     Copyright 2000 Miami Herald