Childhood is a time for innocence, play, learning, and imagination. Safety and security are craved by every child and generally aren’t questioned in the child's life. However, this isn’t the case for all children around the world. At an alarming rate, children in the United States, and other countries around the world, are exposed to violence or trauma in their everyday lives. According to the National Survey of Children Exposed to Violence, over 60 % of children and adolescents stated that they were exposed to interpersonal violence (Elzy et al., 2013). To elaborate, trauma is either witnessing or experiencing an event that is frightening, dangerous, or violent that can lead to threatening the child’s life. Trauma not only comes from violence or abuse within the home but also outside of the family in schools and their communities. These children who are exposed to this nature are at a heightened risk for long-term consequences (Elzy et al., 2013). All of which affect the development of the child’s mental, physical, and cognitive development. Moreover, traumatic experiences can lead to a long-lasting effect on the child’s emotions or physical reactions. One of the most used indicators to determine the child’s risk for later issues is the Adverse Childhood Experiences test. This test measures the different types of abuse, neglect, and other harmful experiences a child may have faced. There is a significant response relationship between the number of adverse experiences and negative outcomes of a child’s life (Brockie et al., 2015). In contrast, as trauma experiences are repeated there becomes a more severe impact, which can lead to repetitive maltreatment or abandonment within the child’s caregiver system (Elzy et al., 2014). Moreover, various traumatic or violent experiences that children experience lead to many negative mental, physical, or emotional effects.
First off, to truly understand the effect that traumatic and violent experiences have on a child, it is important to first understand the experiences as a whole. Children can experience many different situations throughout their lives. Some of these situations may not seem traumatizing to outsiders, however, there is a heavy impact on the child. Traumatizing or violent situations can consist in any form, from mild to severe. For instance, Riordan (2016) compiled different stories from several anonymous individuals that consisted of various traumatizing events. These experiences ranged from observing a squirrel fall into a fireplace to having a mother attempt to murder the individual (Riordan, 2016). As seen from these individuals trauma can be an observation or a hands-on event. To elaborate in a recent study of various states, over half of the community-dwelling adults reported they have experienced at least one of the following: verbal, physical, or sexual abuse, family dysfunction such as mental ill, substance abuse, incarceration, domestic violence, or absence of a parent (Skarupski et al, 2016). Children may have a difficult time reacting to trauma and not be able to fully comprehend these situations (Monahon, 1997). Moreover, even if some experiences may not seem significant, there is still a large negative impact on the child’s overall well-being.
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To begin, individuals who experience traumatic events during childhood are at a higher risk for developing mental health issues in adulthood. Individuals who are victims are more likely to develop mental pathologies and require psychiatric treatment in adulthood (Vallejos et al., 2017). Magnetic Resonance Imaging has discovered that not only does trauma result in a functional impact, but alterations in the brain structure also occur (Brietzke et al., 2012). Due to the alterations in the brain structure that occur, it is not surprising that these children have a higher chance of experiencing mental disorders. Trauma itself can alter the chemistry and physiology of the brain itself. This can lead to such a severe effect on the brain that it may begin to mistake hyperarousal for a normal state of mind. Early forms of trauma or abuse follow an individual throughout their life and can ultimately disrupt normal activities.
Children exposed to childhood trauma or abuse are at an increased risk for several different health issues. Vallejos and colleagues (2017) explained that the treated psychiatric patients with childhood trauma exceed the general population by 2. However, this may be underreported since people tend to hide their experiences due to shame. One of the most commonly reported traumas is emotional abuse. This corresponds to the most frequently reported trauma among schizophrenia spectrum patients (Vallejos, 2017). In addition, children who experience adverse childhood experiences have been reported to have depression, be poly-drug users to ease their mental pain, experience PTSD, and experience suicidal thoughts (Brockie et al., 2015). Family trauma can play a large part in developing mental issues. For instance, when family members pass away, it is not uncommon for significant adult figures to take their feelings out on the children. These adult figures have been found to become aggressive when death is brought up, making the child feel as though they should have died instead, or make the child feel as if they should be taken from the home (Skarupski et al., 2016). Any of this experienced trauma can lead to mental health issues. However, not only does trauma affect the victim, but it can also progress on their children in a continuous pattern.
One of the longest-reported cases of passing on trauma began in the late 1800s among Native American children (Brockie et al., 2015). Brockie and colleagues (2015) explain that these children were forced from their families to remote boarding schools. While at these schools the children experienced ongoing abuse and neglect resulting in negative impacts on their mental health. These impacts not only affected the children experiencing it but progressed to their children creating a negative pattern (Brockie et al., 2015). This corresponds to the current trauma that the United States government is issuing to illegal immigrant children. These children are ripped from their families and thrown into small prison-like areas where there is inadequate food, water, or sanitation (Brangham, 2019). There is no question about whether or not these children are harmed by this traumatic event. The separation from a parent and child entails significant psychological trauma. Any form of trauma, ranging from minor to major, leads to a greater potential risk of mental health issues.
Secondly, not only are these individuals at a higher risk for mental health issues, but also physical issues. Adults who experience childhood violence or trauma are more likely to engage in risky behaviors (Love et al., 2018). This can be due to regressing the emotions of the trauma and using risky behaviors as a coping mechanism. Monahon (1997) explained that trauma differs from stress in the sense that the child feels helpless and can’t cope, leading them to engage in delinquent behaviors. In general, the child may live in fear, experience helplessness, or experience physical responses such as vomiting, heart rate increases, or loss of bladder and bowel control (Peterson, 2018). These children are often faced with the decision of the fight or flight reaction. Meaning that if the child feels threatened the brain and body will alter all aspects of decision-making functions, leading the child to abandon abstract thought and planning. Ultimately, the loss of these crucial functions leads the child to impulsively fight or flee the situation.
Generally, psychological issues related to trauma can be due to the alterations in brain structure that occur when a child is exposed to trauma (Brietzke et al., 2012). Parts of the brain that become affected by trauma include the corpus callosum, amygdala, and cerebellum (Brietzke, 2012). The corpus callosum affects the motor, sensory, and cognitive performances between the two hemispheres of the brain. When exposed to childhood trauma impulse control becomes decreased due to the diminishing of the corpus callosum, leading to higher participation in risky behaviors. Secondly, the amygdala is responsible for detecting fear and emergencies. When this area of the brain decreases so does the processing and determining reactions to potentially dangerous situations, which can lead to physical harm. Finally, the cerebellum is responsible for voluntary movements. A decrease in this area can lead to a defect in motor skills and coordination. The brain is one of the most immature organs at birth and affects physical development, meaning that the experiences that children have are crucial.
Not only can trauma affect those areas of physical development, but it can also affect different systems of the body. For example, research has found that children exposed to traumatic events also experience negative effects on the nervous system and have increased health-risk behaviors (Peterson, 2018). Peterson (2018) explains that these children are more likely to engage in high-risk activities such as smoking, eating disorders, or substance abuse. They also have a higher chance of experiencing long-term issues, such as diabetes, heart disease, or early death (Peterson, 2018). The brain plays a large role in physical development and since the brain helps to effect this, childhood trauma can decrease physical development at an extremely negative rate.
Society is an influential aspect of a child’s life, however, it is underlooked how much trauma-exposed to children influential on society. There were an estimated 415,000 children in foster care in 2014, and 61% of these children were removed from their homes due to neglect (Regoli, 2014). Over half of the children in foster care were living in abusive and neglectful homes. This is detrimental to society since foster care is related to high incarceration levels, homelessness, unemployment rates, and higher drug usage (Burdick, 2016). Foster children, specifically those who are victims of trauma, are more likely to engage in delinquent behaviors and fall victim to negative lifestyles. Meaning that not only does trauma and abuse harm the children themselves, but there is also a large impact on society.
Children who experience trauma and abuse are not a lost cause, however. There a several different treatment forms that are available to children. Although, all treatment plans have the same common goals. These goals include safely expressing feelings, relief from symptoms and intruding thoughts, developing skills for control, correction of self-blame, restoring trust, minimizing the impact of trauma, and creating a positive and strong environment (Monahon, 1997). Perry and colleagues (2006) explained that routine and repetition are key to the recovery process for these children since the brain changes in response to repeated experiences. There is no one procedure to follow to help children exposed to trauma or abuse, but it is important to offer them key elements to improve their lives. Elements that these children need include but are not limited to rebuilding trust, regaining confidence, a sense of security and love, healthy caregivers, and a community to help limit pain, distress, and loss (Perry et al., 2006). With love and support these children are provided with the opportunity to overcome these challenges.
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