How Does Trauma Affect Children

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WHEN CHILDREN EXPERIENCE TRAUMA: AGUIDE FOR PARENTS AND FAMILIES All parents and caregivers try to protect their children from experiences that cause trauma, but unfortunately, in today’s world this can be difficult to do. Whether on the television, in the schoolyard, or at home, children are likely to be exposed to some level of violence and other kinds of trauma in their early years. However there are many things that parents and families can do to lessen the impact of such experiences. How does trauma affect children? What can parents and families do to lessen the impact of such experiences? Please read on. WHAT IS “TRAUMA?” Trauma can refer to a physical injury or a wound, but it also refers to an emotional…show more content…
Psychologists and other scientists have studied how children have been affected by traumatic events, such as the Oklahoma City bombing, and natural disasters, like hurricanes and floods. They find that the anxiety and fear that many people experience after a traumatic event can be especially strong for children. The responses to trauma may be strong even for children who have been exposed to the event but were not direct victims, for example, if a child’s loved one was injured in a disaster or his or her school was…show more content…
AMERICAN PSYCHOLOGICAL ASSOCIATION American Psychological Association750 First Street, NEWashington, DC 20002–4242 www.apa.org National Association for the Education of Young Children1509 Sixteenth Street, NWWashington, DC 20036 www.naeyc.org This brochure was adapted, in part, from Reactions and Guidelines for Children Following Trauma/Disaster, by Robin H. Gurwitch, PhD, Jane F. Silovsky, PhD, Shelli Schultz, PhD, Michelle Kees, PhD, and Sarah Burlingame, BA, Department of Pediatrics, University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center. RESOURCESAmerican Psychological Association (APA) 750 First Street, NEWashington, DC 20002–4242Phone: 202-336-5500Web site: http://www.apa.org Center for Mental Health Services (CMHS) Emergency Services and Disaster Relief Branch5600 Fishers Lane, Room17C–20Rockville, MD 20857Phone: 301-443-4735E-mail: ken@mentalheatlh.orgWeb site: http://www.mentalhealth.org/cmhs/ emergencyservices/index.htm National Center for Victims of Crime 2111 Wilson Boulevard, Suite 300Arlington, VA 22201Phone: 703-276-2880E-mail: mail@ncvc.orgWeb site:

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