Do you know what happens to our brain when one experiences a traumatic event? When it comes to trauma and its relationship to our psyche and physiology, results vary for each individual. Research has shown, however, that there are some commonalities in the effects of trauma on our mental health, particularly in children’s foundational development.
In order to understand how trauma manifests, we have to know how it is caused. Trauma is an emotional response to a life-threatening or disturbing event or incident, which has occurred in a person’s past and can potentially cause adverse effects to one’s mental, physical, emotional and spiritual health.
Although trauma can affect anyone at any given age, it has an especially debilitating, long-lasting effect on a child’s mental development. Children and adolescents with trauma may notice the detrimental effects on their day-to-day activities, overall development and growth. Recent neurobiological and psychological studies have shown that trauma can present challenges in school, relationships, careers and other aspects of life.
Young ones dealing with these struggles are still developing the necessary coping skills to mitigate the impact it has on their lives. This can lead to learning disruptive or restrained behavioral responses that range from disorders of executive function, sensory processing disorders, trouble concentrating in class, alienation from peers, substance abuse, and physical or verbal aggression.
“It is imperative to recognize how trauma can affect us from a very early age,” said psychiatry specialist Avery Grauer, MD. “Prevention of childhood trauma through social and welfare programs is key to creating a safe and caring learning environment for our youth and ensuring their success for the future. When these interventions are unavailable, a comprehensive path to healing must begin as early as possible.”
Academic Performance
According to the National Child Traumatic Stress Network, chronic exposure of a child to traumatic events can shake the foundations of his or her cognition, memory and attention. The child may find it difficult to organize their thoughts and memories, struggle with language and communication, and maintain a reduced capacity to think creatively.
Memories of overwhelming events can thwart a child’s ability to process new information and actively engage in the classroom setting. Paying attention to class or focusing on daily tasks and assignments can prove challenging to a child who has experienced trauma.
School-related trauma, such as bullying or ill forms of punishment, can hinder a child’s participation in classroom activities and the cultivation of healthy relationships with their peers or teachers. Immersion in a collective education setting is crucial for the development of a child’s self-image and confidence to face hurdles in the future.
Experiencing a traumatic event can induce a sense of withdrawal in a child, leading them to become numb and disconnected or feel depressed. This internalized behavioral response usually drives children to learn unhealthy coping mechanisms.
Being sensitive to the needs of these children can help them cultivate the ability to process traumatic events and communicate in a healthy manner that is crucial to increasing their capacity for learning and building social relationships.
Socio-Emotional Development
Trauma can undermine a child’s language and communication skills which often lead to processing behavioral and social cues inappropriately. This can translate into external events, for example, when a child is acting out or engages in high-risk behaviors; they are usually misunderstood or misinterpreted by their peers and family.
Symptoms of trauma in a child that are often misread can lead to further alienation and isolation from their social group. Despondency is characterized as a shyness or reserved nature, while inability to communicate or focus is interpreted as laziness or lack of ambition for the child.
Negative social relationships can affect the child outside of school and strain their relationships with adults. Children who have been through a traumatic event are more focused on their psychological and physical safety and protection. This can create an atmosphere of distrust for the child that is unsure of the security of their surroundings and can trigger a fight-flight-freeze-fawn response.
Understanding these symptoms and how they manifest, can help create sensitivity to children undergoing this experience and can help them develop healthy and meaningful connections.
Supporting Students with Trauma
Parents and teachers bear the responsibility in shaping a child’s future. Understanding how exposure to trauma can affect a student’s everyday life is key to the overall development of emotional and cognitive intelligence.
Encouragement and motivation are great tools to show a child that you care. Greeting them when they arrive at school, helping them along the way with their homework, and providing coping strategies when they are overwhelmed, are some of the many ways teachers can show that they care. Providing structured, clear expectations with boundaries provides predictability and allows for self-regulation in situations that might otherwise be stressful.
Guidance counselors are a great resource for students when it comes to receiving a professional analysis in the way traumatic events can affect their academic performance and career aspirations. When necessary, they can recommend and introduce other professionals to address trauma-based needs through assessment, diagnosis, and treatment.
The implementation of such intervention programs in an early stage for a child is crucial to their journey of overcoming trauma-related obstacles. There is no one-size-fits-all approach to recovering from a traumatic event, but there are steps we can take daily toward positive change.
