Children in the United States experience high rates of stress and adversity from a variety of sources (NASP, 2015). These include, among others, physical, emotional, and sexual abuse; neglect; exposure to community violence; poverty; homelessness; and parental issues such as domestic violence, incarceration, death, mental illness, substance abuse, and military deployments (NASP, 2015). Such experiences can result in trauma, which undermines children's ability to learn, form relationships, and manage their emotions and behavior, placing them at increased risk of negative academic, social, and emotional outcomes (Rossen & Hull, 2013). Research, however, shows that it is possible to reverse the damage inflicted by trauma, and schools are primed …show more content…
Through a trauma-sensitive school model, teachers and administrators can create a school climate that ensures safety and support for all children and can work with the brain's neuroplasticity to help children restore their capacity for self-regulation, social connection, and learning (Craig, 2015). This paper provides an overview of the impact of trauma on children's development and offers a framework for teachers, principals, and school staff to effectively support trauma-impacted children. Trauma-sensitive elementary schools can serve as effective interventions for traumatized children, while also promoting the healthy development and education of all …show more content…
Traumatic experiences are those that are "overwhelming; lead to strong negative emotions such as shame, helplessness, and fear; and involve some degree of experienced or witnessed threat to self, whether that threat is physical, mental, or emotional" (Rossen & Hull, 2013, p. 5). Events become traumatic when they exceed a person's capacity to cope, which is dependent on many factors, including age, external resources, and previous experiences (Rossen & Hull, 2013; Craig, 2015). Whether a child develops a trauma reaction that is severe and chronic or manageable depends on several factors, including the nature of the experience, the characteristics of the child, and how the family, school, and community respond (see Table 1) (Cole, O'Brien, Gadd, Ristuccia, Wallace, & Gregory, 2005). The range of potentially traumatic events in childhood is quite broad, including neglect; physical, emotional, and sexual abuse; exposure to community violence; poverty; homelessness; terrorism; natural disasters; and parental issues such as domestic violence, incarceration, death, mental illness, substance abuse, and military deployments (NASP,
Reviewing the 12 Core Concepts of the National Child Trauma Stress Network, James is suffering from three of the 12 concepts. Number 1 core concept, Traumatic experience are inherently complex. Traumatic experiences are inherently complex no experience are the same varying degrees of objective life threat, physical violation, witnessing of an injury or death. The victim perceives their surroundings and decides what is best for them now safety and self-protection. Number 4 core concept, A child or adolescent can exhibit an extensive range of reactions to suffering and loss. Number 9 core concept, the developmental neurobiology triggers a youth’s reactions to traumatic experience. In this paper, we will be covering another trauma that affects the social worker or case worker who works on these cases of
“Trauma is used when describing emotionally painful and distressing experiences or situations that can overwhelm a person’s ability to cope” (John A. Rich, Theodore Corbin, & Sandra Bloom, 2008). Trauma could include deaths, violence, verbal and nonverbal words and actions, discrimination, racism etc. Trauma could result in serious long-term effects on a person’s health, mental stability, and physical body. Judith Herman, from Trauma and Recovery, said “Traumatic events are extraordinary, not because they occur rarely, but rather because they overwhelm the ordinary human adaptations to life” (John A. Rich, Theodore Corbin, & Sandra Bloom, 2008). Trauma does not involve the same experiences for everyone; each individual is unique in that they, and only they, can decide what is traumatic for them.
The Merriam-Webster dictionary defines trauma as a very difficult or unpleasant experience that causes someone to have mental or emotional problems usually for a long time (Merriam-Webster, Incorporated, 2015). From a medical perspective trauma is describe as severe damage to a person’s body. Trauma can be cause by multiple factors in a person life. Trauma could stem from a distressing experience of a physical or psychological nature. In recent years’ major natural disasters and acts of terrorism have become more prominent and devastating creating long lasting traumatic effects in individuals lives. Trauma can have a lasting negative impact on a person’s life. The lasting effects of trauma can have a negative effect in development as well as
Trauma is an overwhelming experience that causes injury to a person's psychological state of mind. Complex trauma, on the other hand, is a term used by the National Child Traumatic Stress Network (NCTSN). In which an increased emphasis is placed on the impact of multiple traumatizing events that occur during child development stages. As well as an increase in sensitivity of those traumas involving close personal relationships, such as caregivers and siblings (Forkey 3). Children exposed to complex trauma suffer from detrimental short-term and long-term effects on every aspect of their child development. These effects significantly impact their overall "quality of life," specifically affecting areas of cognitive functioning, neurobiological
Adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) are the extremely traumatic events that take place in an individual’s childhood that negatively affect their future attempts to succeed in life. ACEs include enduring physical and verbal abuse, living in dysfunction and over exposure to violent and criminal behavior. It was determined that children who are in the child welfare system are more likely to suffer ACEs and develop physical and mental health issues as well as engage in risky behavior (Brown & Shillington, 2017); children who suffer ACEs also have lower self-efficacy than other children. In all of the research prior to this study, much of the focus was on the psychological and behavioral outcomes of ACEs and what children were more susceptible to them. The problem that the researchers in this study have identified is that in no prior research has anyone
Trauma is an experience or situation that can be continuous. It is emotionally painful and distressing, and these type of feelings can overwhelm an individual's ability to cope, leaving an individual powerless. Clients should then be provided education on social development, what healthy social development is, what healthy relationships are and begin to practice relationship building. It is imperative that clients with social development issues practice learning to relax, self-soothe, express and manage feelings appropriately while finding closure with their traumatic experiences (Knight, 2015). At a mezzo level social workers can conduct social action by having a therapeutic trauma group counseling and therapeutic recreational activities within a community. A neighborhood that may be high in crime can cause trauma, and the trauma can be recurring stimuli placed on the residents such as violence (experiencing or witnessing), deplorable environmental conditions, gang activity, and much more. Advocacy for policy change, accountability, and enforcement is a macro level action that can take place to address combating childhood trauma for the prevention of poor social development. At the Martin Pollak Project, Inc in Baltimore, MD trauma informed practice is important. The agency has held numerous training on trauma informed practice. The agency has policies geared toward trauma informed practice and discusses the different traumatic experiences that clients may potentially suffer from that is shown in their personal
Developmental Trauma Disorder (DTD) was a proposed by Van der Kolk and D’Andrea (2010). The premise of DTD is based on research data of individuals involved in several research studies. According to Van der Kolk and D’Andrea (2010), DTD is the result of living in a fear-based environment which includes, poor treatment by primary caregivers, instability, and neglect. This type of inadequate treatment is often hidden, meaning it is may not be visible on the surface. Neglectful caregiver-infant relationships perpetuate DTD. These interactions relay the message to the infant or child that the world is not safe, is threatening, and is unreliable. This lack of emotional safety is often as damaging as lack of physical safety (Van der Kolk & d’Andrea,
Developments within the past decade have opened up new ways for research that can lead to improvements in the life quality of vulnerable students and families. Not only does school violence create a feeling of fear and emotional uneasiness in a school, it also is difficult for the learning process to develop. Situations at home have a big impact on student's safety in school. Examples are a student not speaking up in class for fear of being ridiculed; being called a faggot because of perceptions of a student's sexual orientation; backbiting; verbal teasing and insults; offensive touching such as throws, slaps and pushes; and racial, ethnic, and/or sexist comments that are based on a student's physical appearance?. A lot of the time this is learned and adapted by children from the parents at home. Parents have the most influence on a child, the way the act, talk, or neglect their child. Children are more prone to repeat these emotions and aggressions at recess or just in class with other peers. Communities are also playing big roles in the safety of stude...
According to the Center for Disease Control, one in every three girls and one in every five boys are sexually abused by an adult at some time during childhood. Child abuse is a vicious cycle. After a child is abused it puts a deterrent on his or her ability to succeed in life. Examples of this are adults who were abused as children are twice as likely to become abusers themselves. The majority of people in prisons were abused as children. It is no wonder why childhood trauma has such a horrible impact on a person’s personality and brain. Trauma is a serious consideration in special education. When a child is exposed to a traumatic event, such as abuse, neglect or death, it can have a lifelong effect on their mental health. Although there are numerous effects followed by childhood trauma the brain chemistry of neurotransmitters is most affected.
With my past social work experience I understand that trauma can affect many people in different ways. Traumatic life experiences can vary with everyone and their way of coping and reacting. I worked a children services for about two years. I have been able to witness the effects of trauma on a lot of the children I worked with. For example, I had to remove 5 children from their mother. Their mother was using meth at the time leaving the oldest child, who was thirteen years old, taking care of the youngest. The mother was in an abusive relationship with their father. The father was very emotionally abusing by threatening the kids and mother. Removing the children from their mother was a traumatic life experience.
Childhood trauma has been shown to affect the victim throughout his or her entire life. The developments of severe psychological disorders have been linked to early life traumatic events. In particular Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD), Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) and Dissociative Identity Disorder (DID) are common in those with traumatic childhoods. These disorders will be identified and evidence presented to demonstrate that childhood trauma is directly linked and responsible for these deviations from typical development.
In Chapter1 of How Children Succeed Paul Tough argues that trauma in childhood would cause a negative effect on children. However, this negative effect can be changed.
Childhood Trauma is defined as “The experience of an event by a child that is emotionally painful or distressful, which often results in lasting mental and physical effects.” (The National Institute of Mental Health). Childhood trauma is an epidemic that seems to be running its way throughout the world. Childhood trauma is a worldwide problem that can affect anyone and everyone. People tend to just try and help the problems that occur due to the childhood trauma, but not the problem itself. Many of these issues will also follow the child into their adult years and will cause negative effects. This paper will discuss the negative outcomes for a child who suffers from childhood trauma, and the negative outcomes that can follow them into adulthood.
How does childhood trauma affect health over a lifetime? To answer this question, let’s dive deeper into childhood trauma affects health across a lifetime and really try to dissect this complex question. The key points that will be discussed in this essay are: The Adverse Childhood Experiences Study, defining emotional trauma on a child, defining physical trauma on a child, and the role trauma plays in our relationships. Also, discussed in this essay is the effects of trauma on our mental and physical health.
Trauma relates to a type of damage to the mind that comes from a severely distressing event. A traumatic event relates to an experience or repeating events that overwhelmingly precipitated in weeks, months, or decades as one tries to cope with the current situations that can cause negative consequences. People’s general reaction to these events includes intense fear, helplessness or horror. When children experience trauma, they show disorganized or agitative behavior. In addition, the trigger of traumas includes some of the following, harassment, embarrassment, abandonment, abusive relationships, rejection, co-dependence, and many others. Long-term exposure to these events, homelessness, and mild abuse general psychological