Every human being experiences difficult times and different challenges while growing up. However, if difficult, unfavorable, and challenging experiences form a repetitive pattern, the child becomes traumatized. Trauma is the response to psychologically disturbing experiences that overwhelm a person’s ability to cope. Trauma leads to emotional distress, low perception of self, and the inability to understand other people’s feelings. Trauma cuts across all nations, races, and religions and is present in all societies. Childhood trauma is a multifaceted phenomenon. Quintessentially, it refers to unpleasant, horrific, scary, or violent experiences that have adverse physical and psychological effects on a child for a lifetime. (Gamache et al., 2016).  The National Institute of Mental Health (USA) denotes childhood trauma as an emotionally painful or distressful childhood experience resulting in adverse lifelong mental and physical impacts. In simpler terms, childhood trauma refers to inauspicious childhood experiences that pose a threat to life or bodily integrity.

Types of childhood trauma

Primarily, childhood trauma occurs when child/children undergo overwhelming gloom-ridden experiences during their childhood. Traumatic experiences such as domestic violence, child abuse, loss of a parent, natural disasters, injuries, sickness, or even accidents belong under the Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs)(Sandi, 2013). Traumatic experiences have drastic physical and psychological effects on children, which last throughout their lives. It is crucial to note that childhood experiences have different impacts on a child’s mental and physical wellness according to age. Younger children between birth and the age of six are mostly affected by trauma as they are at a fragile life stage whereby they critically require care, nurture, and protection. The level of trauma is another risk factor that determines whether a child becomes traumatized throughout their lifetime. Some children take longer periods to recover from trauma than others. Other kids are affected by experiences that seem less severe. Typically, the severity of an experience dictates the period taken for recovery. Additionally, the duration and frequency of the traumatic experience determine how long the consequence lasts in the child’s life. For instance, a child who witnesses violence or gets beaten daily will be more traumatized than a child who witnessed and survived a one-time event like a helicopter crash.

Apart from hurtful experiences, Neglect is a form of childhood trauma that occurs when a child is denied or deprived of fundamental needs by their parents or caregivers. Some types of negligence, such as lack of emotional support, education, and medical care, may not be noticeable and may last long without being addressed. Typically, child neglect bears adverse implications on the psychological and physical development of a child (De Bellis & Zisk,2014). The effects of child neglect present later in distortive patterns of behavior like running away from home and school, indulging in alcohol and substance abuse, difficulties in forming healthy relationships, and breaking the law.

Signs of Childhood Trauma

Childhood trauma manifests mainly through behavior. If not addressed, the effects of trauma on a child gradually shape behavioral patterns even when he/she becomes an adult. Studies categorize childhood trauma as physical, emotional, and psychological. Each category exhibits unique features and, therefore, requires a specialized approach. Emotional signs of childhood trauma include sadness, anger, denial, fear, and shame. Quite often, emotional symptoms of childhood trauma lead to nightmares, relationship problems, insomnia, and emotional outbursts.

Psychological signs of childhood trauma adversely affect a child’s thought processes and response to various stimuli. These signs include panic attacks, withdrawal from activities involving people or other children, anxiety, nightmares and sleeping problems, amnesia, low self-esteem, feelings of guilt, and shyness. Also, a traumatized child will experience difficulties in responding to acts of compassion, love, and protection. One of the most notable signs is avoiding experiences, situations, or events similar to those that cause injury to the individual (Stone & Bray, 2015). For instance, if a child suffers trauma as a result of a car accident, he or she will be reluctant to engage in activities involving traveling. The physical signs of childhood trauma are dizziness, nausea, irregular sleep trends, loss of appetite, abdominal fluctuations, and headaches. It is crucial to note that physical trauma does not always stem from violence. Vigorous shaking of the head and body of the child causes disturbance and dislocation of internal body organs.

 Furthermore, childhood trauma does not only result from overwhelming negative occurrences on the child but also from other people familiar to the child, such as their parents, siblings, and friends, among others. For instance, a drunkard parent or classmate suffering from disease causes emotional trauma to the child because they are psychologically connected. The type of environment where a child grows plays a significant role in their psychological and physical development. Neighborhoods affected by poverty, violence, moral degradation, crime, drug and substance abuse, and insecurity often traumatize children even if they are not directly involved in the activities. Other environmental factors include abrupt school changes and undergoing a medical procedure like surgery.

 The Effects of Childhood Trauma

Even though traumatic experiences on children may be underrated, they bear lasting adverse effects on them for the rest of their lives. In examining the impact of childhood trauma, it is vital to consider that the severity of situations that cause injury varies. Traumatic experiences do not always lead to Post Traumatic Stress Disorder in children. Sometimes, the symptoms discussed above may show and disappear after a few weeks. Such mild experience is referred to as Acute Stress Disorder. In the United States, children who develop Post Traumatic Stress Disorder account for 3 to 15 percent of boys and girls, respectively (Dye, 2018). Typically, children with PTSD think of the traumatic experience repeatedly and continuously avoid situations similar or which remind them of the trauma. Also, children become increasingly aware of factors that may have triggered the traumatic experiences and become more vigilant. Children who have PTSD face sleeping problems, anxiety, self-destruction, imperfect self-esteem, fear, and depression. According to (De Bellis & Zisk, 2014), not all children may develop PTSD. Some may exhibit unusual characteristics such as loss of appetite, withdrawal, loss of interest in activities, sadness, anger problems, and even developing new fears.

Also, traumatic experiences result in long-term consequences on children’s health.  Research has established that a high frequency of adverse childhood experiences increases the risk of the development of health and general wellness problems later in a child’s life. According to (Marans, 2013), suicide was more prevalent in individuals who had experienced traumatic events during their childhood, such as domestic violence and physical and sexual abuse.

Relationships established between a child and his or her parents, siblings, or caregivers play a vital role in their physical and psychological development. Relationships help children learn to trust others, manage their emotions, and interact with the environment. Traumatic experiences impose insecurities on children, and they, therefore, resort not to trust anybody or everybody in their environment. Trauma experienced during childhood later hinders a person’s ability to develop healthy and meaningful relationships.

Moreover, childhood trauma has adverse effects on learning. It is vital to note that children who have experienced trauma always face challenges in academic performance, classroom behavior, and relationships in school. Firstly, learning involves the development of abilities to think, manage emotions, and interact with new material.  A child’s ability to understand instructions and develop self-sense and communication depend on established foundations such as comprehension, organization, and trust (Garret, 2014). Trauma interferes with adherence to guidelines and the ability to organize, remember, and process new information. Traumatized children will face academic challenges as they lack the motivation to solve problems. Either traumatized children will always feel unsafe, or they may, in turn, withdraw from classroom activities.

 Withdrawal and rejection of learning may, in turn, strain relationships with peers and also their educators. Schools must develop systems to address childhood trauma as none of the main reasons for dismal academic performance by learners. Apart from teachers, (Bell et al., 2013) note that it is essential to engage competent social workers in helping learners dealing with trauma to fully provide them with mental and physical safety vital in the learning processes.

Brain alterations can occur as a result of childhood trauma. Traumatic events may cause modifications to the parts of a child’s brain that respond to the occurrence of events. Brain alterations result in the development of Neuropsychiatric Symptomatology. Therapy sessions can provide an approach to fully understand and address behavioral and emotional changes that may have taken place (Sandi, 2013).In addition to the above-indicated effects, aspects, anger, hostility, promiscuity, and depression may emerge as a result of childhood trauma. Although some of the symptoms are not experienced, they emanate from factors such as drug use and also the occurrence of other traumatic events.

Preventing and Addressing Childhood Trauma

One of the problems in contemporary society is the increase in violence, cultural erosion, moral corruption, and substance abuse. It is agreeable that most modern environments where children grow are not socially, culturally, and morally enriching. In modern societies, environmental factors are crucial in shaping how children grow and perceive their world (Symonds,2020). Formulating practical ways to address and prevent the situation from worsening is crucial. Treating and preventing childhood trauma is not simple. It requires a multidimensional approach that employs parents/caregivers and mental health professionals. Although traumatic events are inevitable in a child’s life, (Grasso et al. 2013) recommend an anticipatory action in the detection and addressing of trauma in children.

Mental health professionals

 Since childhood trauma significantly affects psychological wellness, engaging mental health professionals is crucial in treatment procedures. Mental health officers play a principal role in supporting child trauma victims. A mental health professional can help parents and victims cope with the secondary processes that follow traumatic experiences like police investigations and hospitalization. Mental health professionals can help reduce the stress following these procedures (Burkey et al.,2020). It is critical to recognize that mental health professionals understand specialized treatment procedures suitable to the age and developmental level of the victims.

Education has been crucial throughout the years in creating awareness and fostering consciousness about societal issues such as social justice, environmental degradation, and climate change. In the context of treating and preventing childhood trauma, education is vital in creating awareness of the presence of childhood trauma in society and the need to act swiftly to avert further destruction stemming from the vice. As noted (Barlett & Smith,2019), providing education is a feasible strategy for fostering coping skills in victims. Also, educating about childhood trauma is not only helpful to victims and other children but also to other members of society like parents, guardians, relatives, and neighbors. Like in many societal aspects, education provides members with knowledge on how to prevent, detect, and react to childhood trauma. With this understanding, it becomes possible to pursue the correct channels in addressing childhood trauma. For instance, educated parents can detect specific signs of trauma in their children and take suitable approaches. Besides, education enables parents to understand various dynamics that shape the growth and development of their children and offer support and assurance needed in recovering from childhood trauma.

Understanding individual differences is crucial in treating childhood trauma. Typically, children react and cope differently to trauma due to their abilities. Understanding a child’s background plays a fundamental role in designing and selecting the appropriate methods of treatment and recovery. Culture determines whether the parents are willing to pursue a particular strategy in helping their child. Quintessentially, parents who are not familiar with mental health strategies may be reluctant to explore professional interventions for their children. Also, victims and parents from minority ethnic minority communities may face difficulties in accessing mental health professionals due to racial disparities and poverty (Assari,2020). In deciding the best approach to childhood trauma, it is vital to understand the victim’s family and cultural background. Besides, it is also crucial to engage other parties, like the clergy, in deciding the best solutions to cases/cases of child abuse.

Parents and Family

Apart from mental health professionals and other individuals, parents play the most critical role in preventing and helping children in recovering from trauma. Firstly, parents and caregivers play a crucial role in detecting early or concealed signs of childhood trauma. Since a parent/s or caregivers know a particular child’s behavior, it is possible to note any abnormal changes even when the child suppresses them (Barlett & Smith,2019). In this context, new and unusual behavioral patterns signal an anomalous experience that might have traumatized the child. Besides detecting trauma, parents become the first people to actively inquire about the traumatic experience and decide the most suitable approach to the situation. For instance, if a child experiences bullying at school and their parent/s notices it, they assess various factors and decide on the way forward.

Children who lack parental care face many difficulties as they do not have anyone to notice and inquire about their experiences. Typically, such situations trigger feelings of misery and suicide among victims. Besides detecting and deciding on a suitable way to address childhood trauma, parents also play a critical role in aiding victims in attaining recovery. Most of the time, studies and mental health professionals recommend parental care in establishing the recovery journey for traumatized children. Family support is vital in fostering a sense of belonging and boosting self-confidence among victims.

 Although parents play a crucial part in preventing and treating childhood trauma, they are many times the cause of the problem (Rukiye & Erbay,2018). Quite often, parents say and do things that they do not mean. Due to such actions, children are traumatized for long periods or throughout their lives. Parents must show love, appreciation, and compassion in building a strong psychological foundation for the child that can withstand traumatizing life experiences.

Teachers

Teachers and schooling are vital in preventing and treating childhood trauma. As stated earlier, traumatized children exhibit difficulties in learning. As professionals, they quickly notice any anomalies in behavior and develop strategies to assist the learners in every way possible. In learning institutions, teachers can group themselves according to different disciplines and, therefore, create a holistic team that can approach issues related to childhood trauma from different perspectives (Bartlett, 2019). Since learners have individual differences, preventing, detecting, or providing assistance in case a child is traumatized may pose a challenge. It is, therefore, critical to train teachers and other staff members on the different dynamics involved and the essence of creating a healthy school environment. Teachers play a valuable role in fostering trust and self-expression in learners (Chafouleas, 2019). By expressing themselves, learners get an opportunity to let out any bottled-up emotions and experiences that cause anxiety, nervousness, and sadness. As trained professionals, teachers can address childhood trauma by counseling the victims and executing a practical follow-up that is crucial for recovery.

As stated earlier, every human being undergoes a traumatic experience at some point.  Although inevitable, childhood trauma is more severe since children do not possess the physical and psychological strength to cope with traumatic experiences. Also, childhood experiences critically define what kind of a person a child becomes in the future. For this reason, it is critical to prevent childhood trauma by taking a multidimensional approach, as the problem is also multifaceted. Mental health professionals, parents, teachers, and other members of society can be crucial in preventing and addressing childhood trauma,

Reference

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