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This is informing us that there are so many different signs that show from a child suffering from trauma. It gives examples and things to look for and questions to ask in order to identify if a child may be suffering from a type of trauma. Understanding the trauma the child may be suffering will help us better to know how to help the child suffering from it.

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Trauma shows up differently for each child, but there are common signs. Noticing the signs can help a therapist determine the best ways to help.

Your child's experiences during their formative years - from birth to age 8 - are especially meaningful, as they lay the foundation for the rest of your child's life. While it's often said that children are resilient, this perception could be because trauma looks different in children than it does in adults.

Trauma during childhood is associated with numerous mental health disorders and physical illnesses among children, adolescents, and adults. A growing number of experts are calling it a public health crisis.

Unresolved or unprocessed trauma can have significant consequences for children, leaving a negative impact that lasts long into adult life. Children must get the help they need to resolve sources of conflict, prevent long-term suffering, and begin healing.

"Trauma" refers to any disturbing event or experience perceived as life-threatening or any event that causes great psychological, physical, or emotional harm.

Trauma can be a single event, such as a natural disaster, car accident, illness, or loss, or it can be a reoccurring experience, like abuse, racism, neglect, or bullying. The reoccurrence of traumatic experiences or traumatic stress is known as complex trauma.

Children may also experience trauma from witnessing - or having knowledge of - harm to a parent or loved one, such as in situations of intimate partner violence.

Childhood trauma can occur when a disturbing event or experience occurs. However, not all disturbing events will result in trauma for children.

What makes an event traumatic can vary from child to child depending on the severity of the event and additional factors, like:

The age of the child. A toddler's experience with trauma will differ from a teen's experience.

The developmental stage of the child. A toddler with limited communication skills may not express trauma in a way that's easy to recognize.

The child's environment and caregivers. Were caregivers supportive of the child? Did parents acknowledge or ignore the trauma? Did they react with strong emotions?

How a child responds following a traumatic event will differ based on both their developmental stage and chronological age. It is essential to know the signs of trauma in children, as the impact of unresolved trauma can last for years.

Some of the most common signs of childhood trauma are:

fear, including fear when being separated from a parent

frequent crying or tearfulness

regressive behavior, or returning to an earlier stage of development - also a sign of stress

bed wetting

difficulty concentrating

expressing concern about their safety

being easily frightened or scared

difficulty sleeping

reenacting trauma during play, especially in younger children, like toddlers and those in elementary school

weight loss or gain, and changes in eating habits

sadness

low tolerance for frustration, suggesting a reduced window of tolerance

sexualized behavior

risk-taking, or unusually reckless behavior

self-harm, such as cutting

intense outbursts of anger

dissociation, or appearing withdrawn, shut down, or as if daydreaming

Like adults, children can receive a diagnosis of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).

Childhood trauma can take place at any age and is very common. Adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) are potentially traumatic events in childhood, such as neglect, abuse, death of a caregiver, parental substance use, or parental mental illness.

The American Academy of Pediatrics estimates that around one-half of American children ages 18 years or younger - roughly 34 million kids - have faced at least one potentially traumatic early childhood experience.

The more ACEs a child encounters, the higher their risk for issues with:

mental health

physical health

behavioral issues

educational problems

substance use disorders

socioeconomic challenges

relationships later in life

Complex trauma in children, as defined by The National Child Traumatic Stress Network, is when a child is exposed to multiple traumatic events, such as abuse and community violence. Complex trauma often has a pervasive impact and can disrupt the child's attachment with caregivers, development, and sense of self.

A found that trauma exposure can cause biological aging - a gradual deterioration of cells. The three signs of biological aging examined by this study were early puberty, cellular aging, and changes in brain structure.

An event that's traumatic for one child might not be traumatic for another. Some children are considered to have a high risk of encountering childhood trauma based on family history and environment, previous trauma history, and conditions of poverty causing prolonged traumatic stress.

Additional causes of childhood trauma are:

exposure to violence, such as within the community or school

traumatic grief from the death of a parent or loved one

loss of a parent through incarceration

natural disasters

fires

divorce

neglect of physical or emotional needs

abuse, which could be sexual, physical, or emotional

abandonment

medical trauma

intimate partner violence

refugee trauma

chronic illness or threat of illness, such as the COVID-19 pandemic

racism, which is a prolonged form of trauma

bullying

war or threats of terrorism

Although trauma can be complex, the way to help a child doesn't have to be. Several resources are available to help you and your child, from professional help with a trauma-informed therapist to self-help books. Getting informed on childhood trauma is an excellent place to start.

For cases of trauma, seeking professional help from a trauma-informed therapist is best. Trauma-informed therapy is a holistic approach that emphasizes safety in addressing trauma by ensuring the participant is empowered in their choices and treatments.

Additional forms of therapy that can help children recover from trauma include:

Play therapy. Children, especially younger children, learn and grow through play. Play therapy can assist children in expressing and processing their feelings related to trauma in a safe format.

Family therapy. Parental family involvement is vital to help a child recover from a traumatic experience. Family therapy provides support to children learning new ways to cope with symptoms of trauma. It also strengthens relationships or attachments, which is integral in healing from trauma.

Art or music therapy and other expressive interventions. Expressive arts can improve mental health outcomes for adults exposed to ACEs. Such interventions can be especially helpful when used as supplemental treatment options.

Bibliotherapy. Also known as therapeutic storytelling, bibliotherapy can be an excellent resource for both parents and children. There are self-help books that can further assist parents in supporting their child who has experienced trauma. Such books are written to provide guidance and offer hope to children and families who have experienced trauma.

Reach out to trusted family members or loved ones and share plans for keeping your child safe.

Practice self-care by enlisting support from your community when you need a break. This is especially important if you have unresolved trauma, which can be triggered by your child's experience.

Advocate for your child at their school. Trauma can impact kids in a number of ways in their school settings. School support services that address both emotional and educational needs are important and often needed.

In the wake of a traumatic incident, the goal is to ensure and reestablish safety for your child. This healing process can begin by staying consistent and present with your child's emotional and physical needs, as this provides structure and space for them to express themselves.

Parents can further help children by engaging their community for support:

While the focus is often on the traumatic event that occurred, the healing journey must also emphasize everything that takes place after the trauma. For parents, loved ones, and caregivers of children who have experienced trauma, your support in their healing is vital.
DRK Beauty Healing is a mental health and wellness company for Black, Latinx, Indigenous, South Asian, East Asian, and all women and nonbinary People of Color to discover, experience, and create their unique well-being journey. They offer free therapy through their nonprofit initiative, one of America's leading free mental health resources. They also provide access to a broad range of affordable resources (e.g., support group sessions) from culturally responsive therapists, faith-based teachers, and practitioners of various spiritual, healing, and occupational modalities. DRK Beauty Healing believes its holistic approach to healing will ultimately empower People of Color across the globe to forge their unique path to wellness.
The support of family and caring community members can serve as a protective factor for children who have experienced trauma. Research has shown that early intervention for children can minimize the adverse effects of trauma in their adult life.

Parents can use the resources listed below to assist if their children have experienced trauma:

If you know or suspect child abuse, please report it, as doing so could save a life. Call or text The Childhelp National Child Abuse Hotline at 800-442-4453.

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Signs of Trauma in Children: What You Need to Know

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Noticing the signs of trauma in children can help therapists work out the best ways to help.

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This video is a phycologist explaining how trauma can become so severe overtime. Also, how bodies reject trauma and store it somewhere that they "think" they can forget it happened. He explains how the burden of trauma can wear and tear on the body physically and mentally.

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How the body keeps the score on trauma | Bessel van der Kolk for Big Think+

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This video shows us visually how trauma can impact the body and what that can look like. Ways we can learn to cope or deal with trauma in the best way that works for us. It shows us how the brain dissects the trauma and does with it what your body thinks it needs to do naturally.

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What Is "Trauma" - and How to Cope With It

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This is a resource explaining what this could look like in different scenarios. This resource is specifically talking about the trauma that happens within children in foster care or suffering from an absent parent in the home. It gives us examples of how this can affect the children or person in different ways because sometimes trauma doesn't show until later on in the person's life.

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Trauma and Learning: Connections and Learning 101 | AZAFAP

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I don’t want to bore you with stories from my childhood but, suffice it to say, there was plenty of trauma to go around for me and my 3 sisters. The 4th birth was even blessed with Fetal Alcohol Syndrome. Not fun.

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This resource is defining what trauma is and how it effects a person naturally. It explains how trauma is a natural reaction to a horrible or impactful event. How it will naturally affect a person's day to day life and how they react to things because of the trauma they have experienced.

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Discover how trauma support and resources can help when emotional responses disrupt daily life.

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This clip educates us on what trauma is. How it exists in a person's body. How it develops over time. The many ways that it can affect the body as a whole. The amount of the brain that it can impact. They also give us things to do to help cope with trauma so that it doesn't have to affect the body in such an aggressive way.

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Understanding Trauma: How Stress and Trauma Cause Chronic Pain, Anxiety, Depression, & PTSD

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This is a video providing factual information about the effects trauma has on the rest of the body. She goes into detail about specific scenarios involving children and the automatic stress trauma puts on a child.

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How childhood trauma affects health across a lifetime | Nadine Burke Harris | TED

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This video is helpful because he thoroughly explains in great detail what Trauma is. Not just the word but how it is created, developed and its growth over time within a person. The minimal and major effects that it can have on a person and how and why it can alter the decision making in their life.

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What is Trauma? Understanding Trauma meaning and Trauma definition

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This recourse gives an insight of what different types of traumas may come with women in particular. Some natural traumas that women will encounter and how to avoid them affecting lives long-term. It tells us natural ways to maneuver around things that may be out of our control but will affect us in life.

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What is trauma? It’s a complex experience affecting many people. Explore different types of trauma, trauma examples, effects of trauma, and treatments.

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This is a resource within a resource. It not only gives us a very detailed definition of what trauma is, it also gives a lot of additional resources within the website for those that are suffering from some type of trauma that may need help with dealing with it.

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Trauma is an emotional response to a terrible event like an accident, rape or natural disaster. Reactions such as shock and denial are typical. Longer term reactions include unpredictable emotions, flashbacks, strained relationships and even physical symptoms.

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This resource is great for learning about trauma in children specifically. It allows you to explore multiple different tabs that provide information with helping a child suffering from Trauma as well as getting information for yourself with how to deal yourself having a child that suffers from some kind of trauma.

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The National Child Traumatic Stress Network

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Children who suffer from child traumatic stress are those who have been exposed to one or more traumas over the course of their lives and develop reactions that persist and affect their daily lives after the events have ended.

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This is a good resource because I have learned that not everyone understands Trauma and the many ways it can affect a person especially if they have never experienced trauma themselves. It defines the term and feelings that come with them. It is explained in a way that you have to look at it from a different perspective.

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So many times I've heard civilians say, "You mean, major trauma that leads to PTSD happens outside of the military?" The answer, of course, is a big, resounding, YES! The problem is that we don't have enough sources demystifying trauma and PTSD so that it's easy to see where it comes from and how it happens (Finding Meaning in Trauma and PTSD).

Have you ever heard about someone else's awful traumatic experience and thought that yours was inconsequential, or less awful? All too often we look at the experience of others and judge our own experiences against them. But that's fundamentally wrong. Just because your trauma may not, on the surface, appear "as bad" as someone else's doesn't mean it's any less traumatic or has less adverse effects.

Adding to this kind of thinking is the opinion of other people. Whether you're in a competitive support group where members try to outdo each other with horror stories, or you're surrounded by people who don't understand what trauma is, it's easy to feel devalued and invalidated by the comments of the world outside.

Explaining Trauma and PTSD Starts with Knowledge

Educating yourself about how to define trauma becomes critical in appreciating your own experience and recovery process, plus educating those around you. This week, I had a terrific conversation with Judy Crane, founder of The Refuge - A Healing Place, a treatment center for addiction, trauma and PTSD recovery. During our chat, Judy defined trauma down to a very minute level. I want to share it with you and hope that you'll share it with others so that we spread the word about what trauma really means.

What is Trauma?

A trauma survivor herself, Judy first defined trauma as

"anything less than nurturing."

Wow, that casts a wide net and repositions trauma from the exotic to the every day, which makes it much more accessible and ubiquitous. If you've ever felt like you're separate or disconnected from the world because of your trauma, the truth is that the world is full of it; you are very connected, indeed.

Judy then went on to deepen the definition by saying that trauma is

"an event or experience that changes your vision of yourself and your place in the world."

From this perspective, you (and anyone you share this info with) can see how easily trauma leaves its mark. Without your permission, a negative, frightening, hurtful or disempowering event occurs that shifts you into a place of feeling "less than". From here, it's a slippery slope to feeling unworthy, undeserving, purposeless and useless, the very feelings that contribute to posttraumatic symptoms and interrupt a normal life.

Explain Trauma & PTSD Simply; Others Will Get It

The next time someone (including you) poo-poos your trauma or PTSD experience or belittles the effects it's had on you, share Judy's simple explanations. You can say, for example,

Trauma is anything less than nurturing that changes your vision of yourself and your place in the world.

Explain, too, that trauma happens in both the big and little moments of how life negatively alters you.

From bullying to verbal abuse to abandonment and neglect, trauma comes in as many forms, shapes and sizes as the human race. That means experiencing trauma is part of the human condition. When you feel traumatized you are a normal, feeling, thinking being who has just had a perspective shift that can be shocking, startling, disconcerting and leave you feeling at a loss for how to respond.
Michele is the author of Your Life After Trauma: Powerful Practices to Reclaim Your Identity. Connect with her on Google+, LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter and her website, HealMyPTSD.com.
Author: Michele Rosenthal

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How To Explain Trauma To People Who Don't Get It

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When it comes to trauma and PTSD, some people don't understand the depth of the problem. Here's how you can explain trauma and PTSD so they easily get it.

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This article emphasized the importance of paying attention. Children show us signs of trauma in so many different ways. it is important to listen and pay attention to what these children are saying and doing. Understanding where these uncommon behaviors are triggered from.

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In the wake of a disturbing event or tragic loss in the lives of children, we know parents and teachers will do their best to help kids cope with their grief and anxiety in a healthy way. We have provided some tips on how best to engage kids in a calm and supportive dialog about their feelings-it's certainly not easy to do, but it can make a big difference to kids.

Still, some children are more at risk than others for suffering long-term effects from an upsetting event, including those who have lost close friends or classmates and those who might have learned about the event or loss in a particularly emotional and upsetting way.

How a child experiences an event and how it's handled by those around him have an effect on how traumatizing it can be, notes Child Mind Institute psychologist Jerry Bubrick, PhD. When families come upon news accidentally, parents can be caught off guard and respond in a highly emotional way that can impact children. Television coverage and shocking newspaper headlines can also amplify the impact of a disturbing event or loss.

So even as you try to soothe and comfort children, it is important to recognize the signs of unhealthy coping that would suggest a visit with a professional might be needed. In extreme cases, children can develop post-traumatic stress disorder, but even less extreme PTSD-like symptoms can interfere with a child's life and happiness. Here are some signs to look for and things to keep in mind.

"Everyone grieves at a different pace," Dr. Bubrick says, and an immediate reaction-or lack of one-is not really an indicator of how a child will cope with the loss. "If a child seems to be coping well now, they might still have a poor reaction later," he says. "Or it could also just be a sign that they're handling it well." So while we want to help our children as much as possible immediately after the event, a lasting and hurtful response usually won't be evident until 3 or 6 months later.

Increased thinking about death and safety

One common sign of PTSD or a PTSD-like reaction is what Dr. Bubrick calls a "hyper-focus on mortality or death." And while some kids become notably morbid and fascinated by death, others will develop an obsession with their own safety and the safety of those close to them. In the case of a fire or another disaster, their thoughts might return with disturbing regularity to the possibility of a fire in their own home, or of the earthquake or flood happening where they live.

Problems with sleeping, eating, anger, and attention

Some of the symptoms of trauma in children (and adults) closely mimic depression, including too much or too little sleep, loss of appetite or overeating, unexplained irritability and anger, and problems focusing on projects, school work, and conversation. Sometimes the symptoms appear more like an anxiety disorder-obsessive or pervasive worry, difficulty separating from parents.

A year after a tragic event, we tend to look back, take stock, and memorialize those whose lives were lost. But as Dr. Bubrick observes, there are other anniversaries connected to children's lives that could have unexpected consequences for them- the birthdays of friends or classmates who died, for instance. Children "could be basically OK between now and then, maybe with some rocky periods," he says. "And then around the time of the birthday, they could have more symptoms. It's a trigger."

When an event is connected to school, such as the loss of classmates or violence at school itself, an unhealthy reaction could take the form of avoiding school. As Dr. Bubrick points out, school is "where the most reminders of the kids' deaths will be." While episodes of depression, heightened anxiety, trouble sleeping, and a fixation on the accident may be transient, avoiding school is a clear sign that something is wrong. "For the most part, everyone is going to experience some form of those things, altogether or in pieces," says Dr. Bubrick. "But if, over time, it's not really lifting and it's continuing, it may result in school refusal altogether. At that point we definitely know the child needs help."

You should also know that stress and trauma can manifest differently in girls and boys. Although this is by no means definitive, boys often react more quickly and with more irritation and anger, while girls can have delayed reactions that are more internal.

Frequently Asked Questions

What are the signs of trauma in a child?

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Signs of Trauma in Children - Child Mind Institute

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What to watch for in the weeks and months after an upsetting event - signs of trauma in children and how to begin to address the issue.

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This is a website that provides information about trauma and children. It provides information as well as resources for helping children that are suffering from some type of trauma. It information provides facts about the signs and symptoms of children that are struggling with dealing with trauma.

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Children are among the most vulnerable after traumatic events or disasters. Traumatic stress occurs when a child (0-18 years) feels intensely threatened by an event they experience or witness. Young people often need time and emotional support to feel secure again after experiencing trauma or a disaster. Their reactions are influenced by how parents, relatives, teachers, and caregivers respond. These individuals provide comfort and stability, and play a vital role by maintaining normal routines or establishing new ones after a crisis. With proper caregiving and access to trauma-informed services, many children recover and thrive.

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This resource is defining what trauma is and how it effects a person naturally. It explains how trauma is a natural reaction to a horrible or impactful event. How it will naturally affect a person's day to day life and how they react to things because of the trauma they have experienced.

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Discover how trauma support and resources can help when emotional responses disrupt daily life.

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This video provides insight from the child's brain. So, it gives a different perspective of understanding of how a situation has changed a child's way of thinking and it has now turned into a form of trauma. It breaks down the things to look for in the child's behavioral or social changes.

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Childhood Trauma and the Brain | UK Trauma Council

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An emotional or psychological trauma is an experience that makes you feel unsafe or helpless. Some trauma may be physical, such as a car accident or assault, but you do not have to sustain a physical injury to experience emotional trauma.

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Trauma happens when we experience an event that is too overwhelming for us to process. Learn more about how to recognize it and cope.

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This video explains how trauma in a child can look. The symptoms of childhood trauma can look different on each child as well as at different times with the same child. Children are labeled into certain categories so often when the issue is really being held due to this trauma that has never been addressed or cared for appropriately.

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What Is Considered Trauma In Childhood? - Psychological Clarity

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this video is the perspective of a gentleman regarding behavioral signs that a child is suffering from some kind of trauma. he gives behaviors start from infants and beyond. He emphasized how much every behavior is a form of communication.

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What behaviors are signs of trauma in children? l Arizona Trauma Institute

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This video gives an in-depth, breath-taking example of a scenario where a family is introducing and enabling childhood trauma to 2 children in different ways. Then the psychologist breaks down the cause and effect of the trauma and how it effects the brain in the long run. The importance of understanding how a comment or gesture can mold a child's way of thinking and feeling sometimes permanently.

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This Author gives an in-depth breakdown of what neglect can look like in children. This Author explains to us how there are so many different levels to neglect alone that we need to understand and recognize.

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Neglect Changes the Brain: Neglect 101 | AZAFAP

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I used to explain way too much by referring to hypervigilance. These days, I’ve come to understand better the variety of factors that can cause the meltdowns we see in our kids from hard places. I want to briefly explore: the intimacy barrier, sensory overload, will power exhaustion, and control issues.

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This video tells the story of a little boy named Daniel whose brain showed evidence of cognitive delay due to him growing up in a neglecting situation. The narrator explains that in this time era, things and laws were different than they are now which set up unfortunate situations for children.

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Childhood Trauma: The Lives of the Neglected Children

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The title of this video speaks for itself and literally breaks my heart but this video also put it all in line to make sense of exactly what neglect is...Learned Helplessness. This video shows us how we may have good intentions of trying to make our children independent but then we quickly get too comfortable and forget that they are still kids and kids need adults.

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This article just gives us a background of what neglect is and how it can have a long-term effect on not only a person but the severity it carries when children are experiencing some form of neglect.

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This article also gives us a lot of knowledge about neglect. It gives specific examples of signs that children may show. It also gives possible cause and the impact that neglect may hold on a child.

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Exploring The Impact: Emotional Neglect As Trauma | MedShun

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Discover how emotional neglect can have lasting effects on mental health and well-being in ‘Exploring the Impact: Emotional Neglect as Trauma’.

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This article explains what trauma looks like when children are possibly suffering from it. It then provides resources of where we can go to find some additional information and help for the family or child in need.

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Understanding Trauma and Young Children | Illinois Early Learning Project

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Trauma is an event or a series of events that have a negative effect on a child. There are a number of ways parents, teachers, and caregivers can support children who have or may still be experiencing…

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This video is on the longer side, but it also gives us a lesson on supporting those children that may need that little bit of extra care. It also gives us strategies to help them overcome childhood neglect.

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10 Strategies for Overcoming Childhood Neglect

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This article discusses the effect of being an uninvolved parent has on a child. It gives a perspective that creates a sense of understanding for me that being uninvolved doesn't mean that it is purposeful. Yes, it needs work, yes it needs to chance but yes, we do understand that life happens, or work happens, or other things happen. It points out ways even the parent can miss the fact that their busy lives are running the same as neglecting the needs of their children.

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Uninvolved parenting, sometimes referred to as neglectful parenting, is a style characterized by a lack of responsiveness to a child's needs. Uninvolved parents make few to no demands of their children and they are often indifferent, dismissive, or even completely neglectful.

During the 1960s, psychologist Diana Baumrind described three different parenting styles based on her research with preschool-age children: authoritarian, authoritative, and permissive parenting. In later years, researchers added uninvolved parenting.

Characteristics

Baumrind characterized her parenting styles in terms of two key dimensions: parental responsiveness and parental demandingness. Uninvolved parents are low on both of these dimensions.

They do not respond well to the needs of their children and provide little affection, support, or love. They also make very few demands on their children. They rarely set rules and do not offer guidance or expectations for behavior.

Common Patterns of Behavior for Uninvolved Parents

Act emotionally distant from their children

Limit interactions with their children because they're too overwhelmed by their own problems

Provide little or no supervision

Set few or no expectations or demands for behavior

Show little warmth, love, and affection towards their children

Skip school events and parent-teacher conferences

Free-Range vs. Uninvolved Parents

It is important to note that uninvolved parenting is not the same as free-range parenting. Where uninvolved parents have no interest in their children's lives, free-range parents are loving and attentive but give their kids plenty of freedom to experience the natural consequences of their actions.

Busy Parents

It is also important to note that just because a parent is busy with work or other obligations does not mean they are uninvolved. Intent and caring matter. While parents may work a lot of hours, they are not uninvolved if they spend the free time they have with their kids and make sure their children are cared for when they cannot be with them.

Uninvolved parents have little emotional involvement with their kids. While they provide for basic needs like food and shelter, they are, for the most part, uninvolved in their children's lives. The exact degree of involvement may vary considerably.

Some uninvolved parents may be relatively hands-off with their kids, but may still have some basic limits such as curfews. Others may be downright neglectful or even reject their children outright. Kids might be given the bare minimum they need for survival, such as shelter, nourishment, and clothing, yet little or nothing in the way of guidance or affection.

It is important to note that uninvolved parenting is often not intentional. It may arise for a number of different reasons, including things like parental experience and stress.

Parents who exhibit an uninvolved parenting style were often raised by uninvolved and dismissive parents. As adults, they may find themselves repeating the same patterns they were raised with. Other parents who display this style may simply be so caught up in their busy lives that they find it easier to take a hands-off approach to dealing with their children.

In some cases, parents may be so wrapped up in their own problems (i.e., being overworked, coping with depression, struggling with substance abuse) that they actually fail to see how uninvolved they are with their children or are simply unable to provide the emotional support their children need.

Researchers associate parenting styles with a range of child outcomes in areas such as social skills and academic performance. The children of uninvolved parents generally perform poorly in nearly every area of life. These children tend to display deficits in cognition, attachment, emotional skills, and social skills.

Due to the lack of emotional responsiveness and love from their caretakers, children raised by uninvolved parents may have difficulty forming attachments later in life.

The complete lack of boundaries in the home makes it difficult to learn appropriate behaviors and limits in school and other social situations, which is why children with uninvolved parents are more likely to misbehave.

Outcomes Linked to Uninvolved Parenting

Children with uninvolved parents may:

Be anxious or stressed due to the lack of family support

Be motionally withdrawn

Fear becoming dependent on other people

Have an increased risk of substance abuse

Have to learn to provide for themselves

Exhibit more delinquency during adolescence

How to Respond

Uninvolved parenting can leave a lasting mark on kids, which you may continue to feel as an adult if you were raised by uninvolved parents. You may also fear repeating these patterns with your own children. There are things you can do to improve your parenting skills, such as:

Learn more about parenting: Read books, websites, and articles devoted to childrearing to learn more about effective approaches that are beneficial for children.

Take a parenting class: Parent training has been shown to help improve parental involvement. Check with local hospitals, schools, libraries, and community colleges to find parenting courses in your area.

Consider therapy: Talking to a mental health professional can help you contextualize your own experiences and develop new skills that will help you build healthy bonds and boundaries with your kids.

Get involved: Make an active effort to spend more time with your children. Listen to them and learn about their lives. Changing isn't easy and it may be more difficult if you are a busy, working parent. Focus on carving out whatever time you can to devote your undivided attention to your kids.

If you recognize that you have been an uninvolved parent, you may find family therapy helpful. A therapist can help you identify strategies that will help form closer connections, deeper bonds, and better responsiveness within your family unit.

While you can't change the past, there are also things you can do to help heal from being raised by uninvolved parents. Caring for yourself, developing healthy attachments with other people in your life, and speaking to a mental health professional are all steps you can take that can foster the healing process.

Get Advice From The Verywell Mind Podcast

Hosted by Editor-in-Chief and therapist Amy Morin, LCSW, this episode of The Verywell Mind Podcast shares what mentally strong parents do.

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A Word From Verywell

It is clear from looking at the consequences of this type of child-rearing that the uninvolved parenting style is far from ideal. In order to raise confident children who are emotionally healthy and resilient, children need support, warmth, love, appropriate discipline, structure, and guidance from adults that they trust.

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Uninvolved Parenting and Its Effects on Children

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Uninvolved parenting, sometimes referred to as neglectful parenting, is a style characterized by a lack of responsiveness to a child's needs. Uninvolved parents make few to no demands of their children and they are often indifferent, dismissive, or even completely neglectful.

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This article also explains how being physically active can help. It gives us examples and the ways it can affect the child when it turns into neglect. Being uninvolved doesn't mean that you don't care but it does give a reflection that there are other things more important to your attention than the child.

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No two parents are alike, so it probably comes as no surprise that there are a ton of different parenting styles. Not sure what yours is yet? Don't worry. Some people enter parenthood knowing exactly how they'll raise their children. But sometimes a parenting style evolves on its own.

Often, parenting styles are placed into four main categories:

Among the four, uninvolved parenting is the newest to be categorized - but that doesn't mean it's new. It's an interesting style because it involves a lot less hand-holding compared to other parenting styles.

Uninvolved parenting - also called neglectful parenting, which obviously carries more negative connotations - is a style of parenting where parents don't respond to their child's needs or desires beyond the basics of food, clothing, and shelter.

These children receive little guidance, discipline, and nurturing from their parents. And oftentimes kids are left to raise themselves and make decisions - big and small - on their own.

It's a controversial parenting style, and because of this, it's also easy to pass judgment on these parents. But whether you're an uninvolved parent or you know someone who is, it's important to remember that this parenting style isn't always intentional.

The reasons why some parents end up raising their kids this way varies - more on this later. For now, let's take a look at some of the characteristics of uninvolved parenting and explore how this type of parenting can affect children in the long run.

Many parents can identify with being stressed, overworked, and tired. You know what we mean: when things get out of control, you might brush off your child for a few minutes of quiet and solitude.

As guilty as you might feel afterwards, these moments aren't characteristic of uninvolved parenting. Uninvolved parenting isn't just a moment of preoccupation with one's self. Rather, it's an ongoing pattern of emotional distance between parent and child.

Signs of an uninvolved parent include the following:

1. Focus on your own problems and desires

Whether it's work, a social life apart from the kids, or other interests or problems, uninvolved parents are preoccupied with their own affairs - so much so that they're unresponsive to the needs of their children, and make little time for them.

Everything else comes before the kids. And in some instances, parents might outright neglect or reject their children.

Again, this isn't always a matter of choosing a night at the club over family game night. Sometimes, there are issues at play that seem outside of a parent's control.

2. Lack of an emotional attachment

An emotional connection between parent and child comes naturally for many people. But in the case of uninvolved parenting, this bond isn't instinctual or automatic. The parent feels a disconnect, which severely limits the amount of affection and nurturing they extend to their child.

3. Lack of interest in child's activities

Because of a lack of affection, uninvolved parents aren't interested in their child's school work, activities, or events. They might skip their sports games or fail to show up for PTA meetings.

4. No set rules or expectations for behavior

Uninvolved parents typically lack a discipline style. So unless a child's behavior affects them, these parents don't usually offer any type of correction. They allow the child to act how they want. And these parents don't get upset when their child performs poorly in school or with other activities.

Children require love, attention, and encouragement to thrive. So it's no surprise that uninvolved parenting can have a negative effect on a child.

It's true that kids with uninvolved parents do tend to learn self-reliance and how to take care of their basic needs at an early age. Still, the drawbacks of this parenting style outweigh the good.

One major disadvantage of uninvolved parenting is that these children don't develop an emotional connection with their uninvolved parent. A lack of affection and attention at a young age can lead to low self-esteem or emotional neediness in other relationships.

Having an uninvolved parent may even affect a child's social skills. Noted in background information for this small 2017 study, some children of uninvolved parents may have difficulties with social interactions outside the home because uninvolved parents rarely communicate or engage their children.

The study itself, done in Ghana, Africa, was focused on academic performances of 317 students in homes with varying parenting styles. It concluded that students in authoritarian homes perform better academically than children of other parenting styles.

Of note, this small study may not be broadly applicable, as parenting styles in different cultures may lead to different outcomes. Still, children of neglectful parents do have more challenges regardless of where they are.

Children of uninvolved parents may also lack coping skills. In a 2007 study, researchers evaluated how different parenting styles affected homesickness in 670 first-year college students between the ages of 16 and 25.

The study found at those raised by authoritative and permissive parents experienced more homesickness than those raised by authoritarian and uninvolved parents. But while the two former groups felt more homesickness, they didn't express it as much because they had stronger coping skills.

Yet, the group raised by authoritarian and uninvolved parents who felt less homesickness had a harder time coping with their feelings. This suggests that being raised in a loving and nurturing environment (or not) affects how young people adjust to life away from home.

When a child grows up with an emotional detachment from their parent, they may repeat this parenting style with their own kids. And as a result, they may have the same poor relationship with their own children.

Uninvolved parenting comes in many forms, depending on the age of a child.

Take an infant, for example. While some parents take every opportunity to nurture and offer affection, an uninvolved parent may feel disengaged or detached from their baby.

They may have no interest in holding, feeding, or playing with the baby. And when given the opportunity, they might give the baby to their partner or a grandparent.

Just to be clear, feeling initial detachment can be a short-term sign of postpartum depression rather than a philosophical, life-long parenting choice or style. That's why it's important to see your health care provider for treatment if you have postpartum depression.

But in the absence of this condition, there are other factors at play. For example, a parent may feel disconnected if they didn't have a bond with their own parents.

In the case of a young child, an uninvolved parent may show little interest in artwork their young child creates, or they may ignore the child as they excitably talk about their day.

They may also fail to create reasonable limits such as bedtimes. This is in contrast with an authoritative parent, who listens to their child and encourages open communication, but also sets limits when appropriate.

With an older child, an uninvolved parent may not impose any consequences, or even react or care, if the child skips school or brings home a bad report card. This is different from an authoritarian parent, who is strict and will punish a child that steps out of line.

It's important to note, again, that uninvolved parenting isn't usually a conscious choice. It comes about for different reasons. It can happen when a parent becomes too involved with work and finds little time or energy to focus on their child. This can cause a disconnect that strains their relationship, where they become alienated from one another.

Sometimes, though, this style develops when a person has been raised by neglectful parents themselves, or when a parent deals with mental health issues that prevent forming any type of emotional attachment. If so, this parent may also have difficulty bonding with their spouse and others.

Regardless of the underlying reasons, it is possible to change a parenting style if you notice characteristics of uninvolved parenting in yourself.

It might help to seek counseling to deal with any mental health problems, past abuse, or other issues that prevent establishing an emotional bond with your child. This isn't something that will happen overnight, so be patient.

If you're interested in developing that bond with your child, the desire itself is a great first step. Talk to your healthcare provider about what you can do to add healthy nurturing to your family dynamic, and know that you're on your way to being the parent your child needs.

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Uninvolved Parenting: Pros and Cons, Effects, Examples, More

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Uninvolved parenting - also called neglectful parenting - occurs when a parent only provides the essentials of food, shelter, and clothing for their child and doesn't meet emotional or social needs. We'll tell you about the consequences that may result.

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She discusses parenting styles. Specifically neglectful parenting or as some call it uninvolved parenting. She is very straight forward with defining and breaking down exactly what those terms mean and how they affect the child's behaviors as a result.

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By far my favorite resource. This scene in the movie Matilda is a perfect example of a parent that is neglectful AND uninvolved. Later in the movie it shows how they didn't even know how smart their child was or that she was finally of age to begin attending school.

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This article give us a perspective from a medical professional about the ways a child can be impacted by being emotionally abused. They gave signs to look for as well as detained information defining what emotional abuse is and what it looks like.

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What to Know About Child Emotional Abuse

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Emotional abuse is dangerous for your child’s development. Learn about the signs, symptoms, and treatment options today.

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This article gives us information about recognizing when a child's is emotionally abused. Understanding the sensitivity, they may have toward simple things to us but hurtful things to them. It gives us techniques to help the child feel comfortable to talk to someone about how they are feeling.

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How To Recognize If a Child Is Being Emotionally Abused

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Emotional maltreatment can include constant criticism, verbal abuse, bullying, and more. Learn the signs of emotional child abuse and the impact that it has.

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This clip is exactly what it looks like. It is a scenario of how the words and tone that we use when speaking to children can traumatically affect them long term. We don't want our words to alter a child's confidence or self- esteem.

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Words Can Hurt | Emotional Abuse | Childline

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This video is explaining how to recognize children suffering from any form of child abuse. It gives examples of what the signs may look like. It tells us the proper questions to ask and how to gain the trust of the child to make them feel safe.

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Recognizing Child Abuse: Neglect and Emotional Abuse

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This web page is very informal about trauma in children in general, but it speaks on emotional abuse in depth. It tells us the specific effects that emotionally abuse has on a child. It speaks on the behaviors and emotional regulation challenges that these children may show.

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Child Abuse and Its Lasting Effects on Trust, Relationships, and Emotional Health

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it is essential to understand how child abuse disrupts normal social and emotional development

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This resource just gives us information regarding emotional abuse overall. It starts by explaining what emotional abuse is as well as how to identify it and then how to help a child in need.

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This resource is awesome because it visually gives a comparison of what normal discipline or redirection looks like verses what emotionally abusing a child looks like. Seeing them right next to each other was a big Ah-Ha moment for me.

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Emotional abuse is a pattern of behavior that causes damage over time and damages a child’s sense of self-worth and emotional development.

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This article also goes into explaining what emotional abuse is and what it looks like. It breaks down a little more the behaviors that a child suffering from emotional abuse may look like and how to help then in these cases.

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Emotional Abuse | Childhelp National Child Abuse Hotline

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The laws that define child abuse in each state vary, so investigations look different in every state. If you are experiencing any type of abuse or have questions-please feel free to reach out to the Childhelp National Child Abuse Hotline by calling or texting 1-800-422-4453.

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This video discusses the long-term effects that trauma can have on children. Emotional trauma plays a crucial role in the brain development and mold the way a child thinks or with their decision making.

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How childhood trauma affects health across a lifetime | Nadine Burke Harris | TED

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This clip was heartbreaking for me, but it got the point across. It showed scenarios of children put in the same position with blocks put in front of them. The child who is showing a form of abuse didn't naturally react to playing with the blocks as we would expect a child to normally do so.

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1965. Effect of emotional deprivation and neglect on babies. Subtitled in English

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This article gives a description of what is considered to be physical abuse. It allows you to read definitions of specific things that identify of physical abuse. The article then tells us all of the different signs that we may be able to pay attention to in order to help a child suffering from physical abuse.

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If you're worried about physical abuse, we have information and advice to help you feel confident in taking the next steps to keep children and young people safe.

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This is a website that provides many different tabs of resources that contribute to help children suffering from any form of abuse. On the main page it gives a list of all of the different types of abuse and then it goes into the different signs of abuse. It then gives examples of ways to help someone and places to find resources that will help the family or the child in need.

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Any intentional harm or mistreatment to a child under 18 years old is considered child abuse. Child abuse takes many forms, which often occur at the same time.

Physical abuse. Physical child abuse occurs when a child is purposely physically injured or put at risk of harm by another person.

Sexual abuse. Child sexual abuse is any sexual activity with a child. This can involve sexual contact, such as intentional sexual touching, oral-genital contact or intercourse. This can also involve noncontact sexual abuse of a child, such as exposing a child to sexual activity or pornography; observing or filming a child in a sexual manner; sexual harassment of a child; or prostitution of a child, including sex trafficking.

Emotional abuse. Emotional child abuse means injuring a child's self-esteem or emotional well-being. It includes verbal and emotional assault - such as continually belittling or berating a child - as well as isolating, ignoring or rejecting a child.

Medical abuse. Medical child abuse occurs when someone gives false information about illness in a child that requires medical attention, putting the child at risk of injury and unnecessary medical care.

Neglect. Child neglect is failure to provide adequate food, clothing, shelter, clean living conditions, affection, supervision, education, or dental or medical care.

In many cases, child abuse is done by someone the child knows and trusts - often a parent or other relative. If you suspect child abuse, report the abuse to the proper authorities.

A child who's being abused may feel guilty, ashamed or confused. The child may be afraid to tell anyone about the abuse, especially if the abuser is a parent, other relative or family friend. That's why it's vital to watch for red flags, such as:

Specific signs and symptoms depend on the type of abuse and can vary. Keep in mind that warning signs are just that - warning signs. The presence of warning signs doesn't necessarily mean that a child is being abused.

Physical abuse signs and symptoms

Unexplained injuries, such as bruises, broken bones (fractures) or burns

Injuries that don't match the given explanation

Injuries that aren't compatible with the child's developmental ability

Sexual abuse signs and symptoms

Sexual behavior or knowledge that's inappropriate for the child's age

Pregnancy or a sexually transmitted infection

Genital or anal pain, bleeding, or injury

Statements by the child that he or she was sexually abused

Inappropriate sexual behavior with other children

Emotional abuse signs and symptoms

Neglect signs and symptoms

Poor growth

Excessive weight with medical complications that are not being adequately addressed

Poor personal cleanliness

Lack of clothing or supplies to meet physical needs

Hoarding or stealing food

Poor record of school attendance

Lack of appropriate attention for medical, dental or psychological problems or lack of necessary follow-up care

Parental behavior

Sometimes a parent's demeanor or behavior sends red flags about child abuse. Warning signs include a parent who:

Shows little concern for the child

Appears unable to recognize physical or emotional distress in the child

Blames the child for the problems

Consistently belittles or berates the child, and describes the child with negative terms, such as "worthless" or "evil"

Expects the child to provide attention and care to the parent and seems jealous of other family members getting attention from the child

Uses harsh physical discipline

Demands an inappropriate level of physical or academic performance

Severely limits the child's contact with others

Offers conflicting or unconvincing explanations for a child's injuries or no explanation at all

Repeatedly brings the child for medical evaluations or requests medical tests, such as X-rays and lab tests, for concerns not seen during the health care provider's examination

Physical punishment

Child health experts condemn the use of violence in any form, but some people still use physical punishment, such as spanking, to discipline their children. While parents and caregivers often use physical punishment with the intention of helping their children or making their behavior better, research shows that spanking is linked with worse, not better, behavior. It's also linked to mental health problems, difficult relationships with parents, lower self-esteem and lower academic performance.

Any physical punishment may leave emotional scars. Parental behaviors that cause pain, physical injury or emotional trauma - even when done in the name of discipline - could be child abuse.

If you're concerned that your child or another child has been abused, seek help immediately. Depending on the situation, contact the child's health care provider, a local child welfare agency, the police department or a 24-hour hotline for advice. In the United States, you can get information and assistance by calling or texting the Childhelp National Child Abuse Hotline at 1-800-422-4453.

If the child needs immediate medical attention, call 911 or your local emergency number.

In the United States, keep in mind that health care professionals and many other people, such as teachers and social workers, are legally required to report all suspected cases of child abuse to the appropriate local child welfare agency.

Some children overcome the physical and psychological effects of child abuse, particularly those with strong social support and resiliency skills who can adapt and cope with bad experiences. For many others, however, child abuse may result in physical, behavioral, emotional or mental health issues - even years later.

Here are some examples.

Physical issues

Premature death

Physical disabilities

Learning disabilities

Substance abuse

Health problems, such as heart disease, diabetes, chronic lung disease and cancer

Emotional issues

Low self-esteem

Difficulty establishing or maintaining relationships

Challenges with intimacy and trust

An unhealthy view of parenthood

Inability to cope with stress and frustrations

An acceptance that violence is a normal part of relationships

You can take important steps to protect your child from exploitation and child abuse, as well as prevent child abuse in your neighborhood or community. The goal is to provide safe, stable, nurturing relationships for children.

Here's how you can help keep children safe:

Offer your child love and attention. Nurture and listen to your child and be involved in your child's life to develop trust and good communication. Encourage your child to tell you if there's a problem. A supportive family environment and social networks can help improve your child's feelings of self-esteem and self-worth.

Don't respond in anger. If you feel overwhelmed or out of control, take a break. Don't take out your anger on your child. Talk with your health care provider or a therapist about ways you can learn to cope with stress and better interact with your child.

Think supervision. Don't leave a young child home alone. In public, keep a close eye on your child. Volunteer at school and for activities to get to know the adults who spend time with your child. When old enough to go out without supervision, encourage your child to stay away from strangers and to hang out with friends rather than be alone. Make it a rule that your child tells you where he or she is at all times. Find out who's supervising your child - for example, at a sleepover.

Know your child's caregivers. Check references for babysitters and other caregivers. Make irregular, but frequent, unannounced visits to observe what's happening. Don't allow substitutes for your usual child care provider if you don't know the substitute.

Emphasize when to say no. Make sure your child understands that he or she doesn't have to do anything that seems scary or uncomfortable. Encourage your child to leave a threatening or frightening situation immediately and seek help from a trusted adult. If something happens, encourage your child to talk to you or another trusted adult about what happened. Assure your child that it's OK to talk and that he or she won't get in trouble.

Teach your child how to stay safe online. Put the computer in a common area of your home, not the child's bedroom. Use the parental controls to restrict the types of websites your child can visit. Check your child's privacy settings on social networking sites. Consider it a red flag if your child is secretive about online activities.

Cover online ground rules, such as not sharing personal information; not responding to inappropriate, hurtful or frightening messages; and not arranging to meet an online contact in person without your permission. Tell your child to let you know if an unknown person makes contact through a social networking site. Report online harassment or inappropriate senders to your service provider and local authorities, if necessary.

Reach out. Meet the families in your neighborhood, including parents and children. Develop a network of supportive family and friends. If a friend or neighbor seems to be struggling, offer to babysit or help in another way. Consider joining a parent support group so that you have an appropriate place to vent your frustrations.

If you worry that you might abuse your child

If you're concerned that you might abuse your child, seek help immediately. In the United States, you can get information and assistance by calling or texting the Childhelp National Child Abuse Hotline: 1-800-4-A-CHILD (1-800-422-4453).

Or you can start by talking with your family health care provider. Your provider may offer a referral to a parent education class, counseling or a support group for parents to help you learn appropriate ways to deal with your anger. If you're misusing alcohol or drugs, ask your health care provider about treatment options.

If you were abused as a child, get counseling to ensure you don't continue the abuse cycle or teach those destructive behaviors to your child.

Remember, child abuse is preventable - and often a symptom of a problem that may be treatable. Ask for help today.

1. AskMayoExpert. Child abuse. Mayo Clinic; 2021.

2. Overview of child maltreatment (child abuse). Merck Manual Professional Version. https://www.merckmanuals.com/professional/pediatrics/child-maltreatment/overview-of-child-maltreatment#. Accessed Jan. 12, 2022.

3. Trauma and child abuse resource center: Frequently asked questions. American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry. https://www.aacap.org/aacap/Families_and_Youth/Resource_Centers/Child_Abuse_Resource_Center/FAQ.aspx#question1. Accessed Jan. 12, 2022.

4. Preventing child abuse and neglect. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. https://www.cdc.gov/violenceprevention/childabuseandneglect/fastfact.html. Accessed Jan. 12, 2022.

5. Preventing adverse childhood experiences (ACEs): Leveraging the best available evidence. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. https://stacks.cdc.gov/view/cdc/82316. Accessed Jan. 12, 2022.

6. Child maltreatment surveillance: Uniform definitions for public health and recommended data elements. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. https://stacks.cdc.gov/view/cdc/11493. Accessed Jan. 12, 2022.

7. Violence prevention: Risk and protective factors. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. https://www.cdc.gov/violenceprevention/childabuseandneglect/riskprotectivefactors.html. Accessed Jan. 12, 2022.

8. Long-term consequences of child abuse and neglect. Child Welfare Information Gateway. https://www.childwelfare.gov/pubs/factsheets/long-term-consequences/. Accessed Jan. 12, 2022.

9. How to report child abuse and neglect. Child Welfare Information Gateway. https://www.childwelfare.gov/topics/responding/reporting/how/. Accessed Jan. 12, 2022.

10. Keeping children safe online. U.S. Department of Justice. https://www.justice.gov/coronavirus/keeping-children-safe-online. Accessed Jan. 13, 2022.

11. Other conditions that may be a focus of clinical attention: Abuse and neglect. In: Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders DSM-5. 5th ed. American Psychiatric Association; 2013. https://dsm.psychiatryonline.org. Accessed Jan. 13, 2022.

12. Boos SC. Physical child abuse: Recognition. https://www.uptodate.com/contents/search. Accessed Jan. 12, 2022.

13. Child neglect: Evaluation and management. https://www.uptodate.com/contents/search. Accessed Jan. 12, 2022.

14. Health Education & Content Services (Patient Education). Talking to your child about safe and unsafe touch. Mayo Clinic; 2021.

15. Handling child abuse disclosures. Childhelp. https://www.childhelp.org/what-is-child-abuse/handling-child-abuse-disclosures/. Accessed Jan. 14, 2022.

16. Zeanah CH, et al. Child abuse and neglect. Journal of the American Academy of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry. 2018; doi:10.1016/j.jaac.2018.06.007.

17. Cohen JA, et al. Trauma-focused cognitive behavioral therapy for children and families. Child and Adolescent Psychiatric Clinics of North America. 2022; doi:10.1016/j.chc.2021.05.001.

18. Child-parent psychotherapy. Youth.gov. https://youth.gov/content/child%25E2%2580%2593parent-psychotherapy. Accessed Jan. 14, 2022.

19. Sege RD, et al. Effective discipline to raise healthy children. Pediatrics. 2018; doi:10.1542/peds.2018-3112.

20. Derauf DC (expert opinion). Mayo Clinic. Jan. 28, 2022.

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Learn the signs of child abuse and how to get help-Child abuse - Symptoms & causes - Mayo Clinic

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Child abuse includes physical, sexual, emotional and medical abuse, as well as neglect. Learn about signs, risk factors, how to get help and prevention.

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The CDC website is an overall resource that provides information for all parties. If you are suffering from abuse, if you know of someone suffering and need to find resources to help them or if you need more information is regards to abuse in general.

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This page defines child abuse and neglect, presents the latest data, and describes associated outcom

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This is an organization where you can get involved in the cause of supporting children suffering from abuse. It gives information about physical abuse. Detailed descriptions of signs, symptoms and resources for measures to take when reporting abuse or helping the person in need.

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Physical abuse is any non-accidental act that results in physical injury. Inflicted physical injury most often represents unreasonably severe corporal punishment or unjustifiable punishment. This usually happens when a person is frustrated or angry and strikes, shakes, or throws the child.

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This is a website provides a resource for finding a doctor, therapist or someone to help the child once they are identified as a child being abused. It is a one stop shop to help you find the proper help for the family.

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You should suspect that physical abuse has occurred when:

A child discloses physical abuse.

It's hard to see how the injuries could have been caused by an accident. Maybe the injuries have a pattern. They could be in a straight line or a circle. Or the injuries could be located on areas of the body that usually are protected. It could be the inside of the legs and arms, the back, the genitals, and the buttocks.

The explanation for the injury changes, or the explanation is just not believable.

There are signs that the child has been hurt before. It could be new injuries over the scars of healed ones.

Frequent physical injuries that are attributed to the child being clumsy or accident-prone.

The child hasn't received medical care for his or her injury.

Beyond the injuries themselves, there may be other indicators of physical abuse, such as

Frequent physical injuries that are attributed to the child's being clumsy or accident-prone.

Conflicting explanations that do not fit the injuries.

Injuries attributed to accidents that could not have occurred given the child's age (for example, an immersion burn on a child too young to walk or crawl).

Habitual absence from or lateness to school without a credible reason. Parents may keep a child at home until physical evidence of abuse has healed.

A child comes to school wearing long-sleeved or high-collared clothing on hot days (to hide injuries).

Awkward movements or difficulty walking (a child in pain or suffering from the aftereffects of repeated injuries).

The emotional effects of physical abuse can last long after the visible wounds have healed. The child victims of physical abuse may have more problems in their home lives, at school, and in dealing with peers than children from non-abusive environments.

Some psychological and emotional effects of child physical abuse include:

Low self-esteem

Excessive fear and anxiety

Eating disorders

An inability to concentrate (including ADHD)

Hostility towards others, even friends and family members

Depression

Apathy and lethargy

Aggression

Sleep issues - insomnia, excessive sleepiness

Many abused children may distrust others. Children who have suffered long-term abuse may struggle with basic social skills and have difficulty communicating naturally as other children can.

Why Don't Children Tell About Physical Abuse?

There are many reasons why children don't want to "tell on" their abusers:

Fear that their parents/caregivers will be mad at them or will hurt them worse for telling.

The child does not want to get the abuser into trouble.

The fear of being removed from the home.

A belief that it's okay for their parents/caregivers to hurt them.

The fear of not being believed.

Shame or guilt.

The belief that they deserved the abuse for their "bad" behavior.

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You should suspect that physical abuse has occurred when: A child discloses physical abuse. It's hard to see how the injuries could have been caused by an accident. Maybe the injuries have a pattern. They could be in a straight line or a circle.

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This is an excellent resource for the child specifically. Its a resource providing the information they need to seek help while being apart of something. This website provides us with what physical abuse is, how to seek support, helps build a safety plan and resources to cope afterwards.

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Physical abuse is when someone is hurting you. This could be hurting you with their hands, their feet, or an object. Some examples of physical abuse are:

hitting, smacking and slapping

punching and kicking

pinching, scratching and biting

shaking or suffocating you

scalding or burning you

hair pulling

spitting or throwing things at you

making you swallow something that hurts or makes you feel ill, including giving you medicine when you're not ill or don't need it.

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Physical abuse is when someone is hurting you. This could be hurting you with their hands, their feet, or an object. Some examples of physical abuse are: hitting, smacking and slapping punching and kicking pinching, scratching and biting shaking or suffocating you scalding or burning you hair pulling spitting or throwing things at you making you swallow something that hurts or makes you feel ill, including giving you medicine when you're not ill or don't need it.

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This is an article providing pages full of information about abuse. Identifying, seeking help, and supporting a child in need of help with these things is the information you will find here.

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What is physical abuse? Learn the definitions of physical child abuse & the overlap it shares with corporal punishment.

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This article explains to us the crucial role that physical abuse can play on a child short term and long term both physically, emotionally and mentally. Allowing us to explore the different effects in detail.

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Physical Abuse: How It Affects the Body and Mind

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Here are the short- and long-term effects of different types of physical abuse.

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This is an informational video going into detail about physical abuse. It gives us a visual example of what it looks like on a child. It tells us what we should do if we see the signs.

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Child Abuse - Everything You Need To Know - Dr. Nabil Ebraheim

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This video gives us all the signs that a child may be suffering from child abuse. It then gives us the resource that will help us to help the child. It also gives us language to use when talking with a child about uncomfortable situations.

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This video provides an opinion along with some factual knowledge about the effects that physical abuse has on children. They go deeper into how any form of physical discipline can have long term effects on a child.

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Disciplinary Violence and its effects on children | Esha Sridhar | TEDxJuhu

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This video is a presentation about the relationship between the developing brain on a child and how trauma and poverty specifically will affect it. He provides information about understanding the "why" of how going without for a child affects their brain most of the time long term.

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How Poverty and Trauma Affect Brain Development - Jack Shonkoff Presentation

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This video tells the story of a family from another country who had a very hard life for years. The mom shares how she has to make adjustments to make life work. It shows how although life is a bit better for them now the children have adjusted and learned how to live in a certain way. How her children appreciate the little things that their mom provides for them.

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How does 'toxic stress' of poverty hurt the developing brain?

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This is a documentary about children that are living in poverty. How they consider themselves as the "poor kids". This is insight of their life from their eyes.

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Poor Kids (full documentary) | FRONTLINE

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This video makes you think. It raises a lot of questions that you have to ask yourself. The facts provided are appreciated. It amazes me how the brain works and how it will adjust and adapt to anything. But is that always a good thing?

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Does poverty damage children's brains? Full interview with Amy Wax | VIEWPOINT

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In this video she tells a story about 3 brothers that all grew up in poverty but how their brains adjusted to it in 3 different ways. How the outcome of each of them were different. It shows us how the brain is affected differently on each individualperson.

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The Brain on Poverty | Jessica Sharpe | TEDxGreenville

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This article is telling us about the different traumas that children suffer as a child when living in poverty. It goes into the different behaviors that may occur as a result of the living situation that they are currently living it and have that can be a simple reflection and cry for help.

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Adverse Childhood Experiences and Poverty

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Child abuse and trauma: Its impact on long-term poverty.

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This article breaks down how poverty and the trauma that may occur from it can affect a child. It is broken down into 5 different sections and explains each in depth.

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Poverty, neglect, housing instability, violence, food insecurity and separation from parents all affect childhood development - and thus, lifelong health. Although children are born ready to learn and grow, adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) are traumatic events that occur in youth resulting in toxic stress.

And that toxic stress from ACEs can literally change how the brain develops and affect how the body responds to stress as one ages. Specifically, per the CDC, ACEs have been linked to chronic health problems, mental illness and substance misuse in adulthood. However, prevention of ACEs can go a long way in improving health throughout life. In fact, according to a recent National Press Foundation (NPF) briefing, three of the five most costly adult diseases are associated with early life adversity.

However, the American Academy of Pediatrics clarifies, "While some stress in life is normal-and even necessary for development-the type of stress that results when a child experiences ACEs may become toxic when there is strong, frequent, or prolonged activation of the body's stress response systems in the absence of the buffering protection of a supportive, adult relationship." And this toxic response can be destructive over the lifetime.

During the NPF discussion, children's advocate and President and CEO of Children's Institute Swati Adarkar, alongside one of the nation's leading experts on brain development in young children, Dr. Jack P. Shonkoff, Director of the Center on the Developing Child at Harvard University and chair of the National Scientific Council on the Developing Child, discussed how timing of adverse events during critical periods of growth impact development. More specifically, they addressed how our brains and bodies respond to stimuli, events and environment as we age and face adversity.

And what they emphasized was that the biology and neurology of adversity and resilience explain how traumatic and toxic stress can destabilize healthy development. But they also remarked from experience that prevention (or reduction) of toxic stress in pregnant women and children can reduce harmful outcomes - suggesting that through intentional policy changes and action, some ACEs can be avoided or alleviated.

Here are the top five takeaways from the NPF briefing:

1. Brain Development Varies Over Time: During development in the womb billions of neurons form trillions of connections. However, brain maturation isn't complete in humans until about age 25. With the CDC noting that much of building a foundation for children's learning, health and overall life success is grounded in the first eight years of life - with special attention paid to growth in years two-seven. But even into the teen years and early twenties trauma, neglect or the kinds of fear rooted in instability and insecurity can continue to alter and influence the mental, emotional and physical health of individuals.

2. Poverty Affects One In Six American Children: Snapshots of poverty in 2018 show a troubling picture for America's youth, with 13 million children food insecure and one in six children living in poverty (before the Covid-19 pandemic). Adarkar explained for many children "early life conditions are not setting them up for the kind of success that we know is important," - with the resulting stress contributing to worse educational outcomes, career opportunities and overall health.

3. Mental, Emotional And Physical: Toxic stress in young people leads to inflammation, which in turn in linked to diseases such as cardiovascular disease and diabetes. Dr. Shonkoff points to a growing body of literature finding, "What happens in early childhood can have substantial effects on both short- and long-term outcomes for learning, behavior, mental health and physical health. So, the effects of trauma are initially processed by the developing brain, but the cascading consequences are expressed in many ways later in life.

4. No Event Guarantees An Outcome: Can children grow up in poverty or experience a stressful ACE and be okay? Of course. And many do. Parents are often able to shield their children from many of the difficulties in life. Just like a person predisposed to a genetic health issue can take precautions to limit the likelihood of disease onset or severity. But are children more likely to experience poor outcomes if they experience toxic stress? Yes. The issue, according to the experts is variability. The likelihood is greater for later life poor health if a child experiences "sustained racism, poverty, violence, housing instability and food insecurity."

5. Early Investments In Children Pay Off: Reducing hardships and negative or traumatic situations for pregnant women and families of small children can potentially show not only improved health across the lifespan, but also saved costs. By reducing the number and severity of chronic diseases and illnesses, society benefits from early investments into children well-being. Specifically, cardiovascular conditions, diabetes and depression - all of which are associated with ACEs - can be reduced. Dr. Shonkoff has also published work showing that early childhood investments that prevent toxic stress in children in the first two years of life having the highest payoff.

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5 Ways Trauma And Poverty Affect Childhood Development

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Poverty, neglect, housing instability, violence, food insecurity and separation from parents all affect childhood development - and thus, lifelong health. Yet, 13 million children are food insecure and one in six children live in poverty. Here are 5 things to know about trauma and childhood.

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This is a PowerPoint presentation teaching us about trauma in education and how poverty play such a huge role in it. It gives us information of how to watch, learn and be of help in these cases.

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This article is providing facts and resources about why and how children are at a much greater risk of trauma when being raised in poverty. How the behaviors both at home and in school can be affected by this.

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Children in poverty at greater risk of childhood traumas

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Children whose parents report poverty in pregnancy are nine times more likely to face additional traumatic experiences compared to their wealthier peers, UCL research finds.

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This is an informational resource the educated us on how the brain is affected when children are suffering from a trauma. In this case it goes in detail about children suffering from poverty and how it affects them.

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How Poverty and Trauma Affect Brain Development - National Press Foundation

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Dr. Jack Shonkoff and Swati Adarkar take questions from journalists.

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National Child Traumatic Stress Initiative

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National Child Traumatic Stress Initiative

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This website gives information about childhood trauma. It defines what that is exactly and then provides information and resources about types of traumas, age specific signs and symptoms, long term impacts and the recovery process for us to provide to the families.

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National Child Traumatic Stress Initiative | SAMHSA - Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration

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SAMHSA's National Child Traumatic Stress Initiative (NCTSI) improves treatment and services for children, adolescents, and families who have experienced traumatic events.

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This resource is helpful in every way when trying to help someone that is struggling with a type of trauma. It allows you to specify what you are looking for and guides you to where you can find help for that specific need. This is helpful for those supporting a child or family in need as a starter guide of what to do.

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Adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) can have a tremendous impact on future violence victimization and perpetration, and lifelong health and opportunity. CDC works to understand ACEs and prevent them.

Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) Prevention Strategy Plan [3 MB, 20 Pages]
This resource outlines CDC's specific goals and objectives for ACEs prevention and response. The goals and objectives aim to prevent ACEs before they happen, identify those who have experienced ACEs, and respond using trauma-informed approaches in order to create the conditions for strong, thriving families and communities where all children and youth are free from harm and all people can achieve lifelong health and wellbeing.

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Adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) can have a tremendous impact on future violence victimization and perpetration, and lifelong health and opportunity. CDC works to understand ACEs and prevent them. Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) Prevention Strategy Plan [3 MB, 20 Pages] This resource outlines CDC's specific goals and objectives for ACEs prevention and response.

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This resource is great for learning about trauma in children specifically. It allows you to explore multiple different tabs that provide information with helping a child suffering from Trauma as well as getting information for yourself with how to deal yourself having a child that suffers from some kind of trauma.

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The National Child Traumatic Stress Network

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The National Child Traumatic Stress Network

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CFTSI is a brief (5‐8 session), evidence‐based early intervention for children 7 to 18 years old that reduces traumatic stress reactions and the onset of PTSD. CFTSI is implemented within 30-45 days following a traumatic event or the disclosure of physical or sexual abuse.

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This website is a one stop shop for getting help for family in need. It provides specific information about different traumas, how to identify them, how to understand them, as well as many resources to help. It guides you to different pages based on the type of need.

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Trauma and Grief | Helping Children Cope with Traumatic Grief | Child Mind Institute

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Is your child experiencing trauma or grief? Child Mind Institute shares resources for helping children cope with distressing experiences.

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The site provides research-based resources, guidance, and tools for parents, caregivers, and professionals who work with children from birth to age 3. Resources include early brain development, social-emotional growth, trauma, early learning, and family support. The non-profit organization also advocates for policies that promote quality early childhood care and education.

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This is the nonprofit organization provided by Sesame Street that offers a variety of research-based information and bilingual resources designed to support young children ages 0–6 and their caregivers in coping with traumatic experiences.

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Explore free, bilingual resources on traumatic experiences that caring adults can use to help children cope and boost their emotional well-being.

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This website offers interactive tools and videos on how supportive relationships with caregivers can buffer children from the harmful effects of trauma and promote healing. It also provides visuals and articles that explain how trauma affects early brain development, learning, behavior, and physical health. It shares evidence-based programs and innovations that improve outcomes for children exposed to trauma, including policy and community strategies.

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The site provides comprehensive, evidence-based information on trauma focused cognitive behavioral Therapy, a widely validated therapeutic approach designed to help children ages 3–18 and adolescents heal from trauma such as abuse, domestic/community violence, grief, and natural disasters

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TF-CBT Certification Program - Official Website

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Official Website of the Trauma-Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy National Therapist Certification Program

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Supporting adults that support children of trauma

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Supporting adults that support children of trauma

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Encourages adult involvement through resources like “Be a Trusted Adult,” which outlines how to establish a safe and supportive relationship and recognize when to guide youth toward professional help and Provides training and tools for caregivers, trusted adults, educators, and youth‐serving professionals to help them better support children experiencing trauma.

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NAMI Ending the Silence

A presentation for middle and high school students, school staff and parents or guardians.

NAMI In Our Own Voice

A presentation by people with mental health conditions to promote awareness and recovery.

Contact Your Local NAMI

Across the country, thousands of trained volunteers bring peer-led programs and lived experience to your community.

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One of NAMI's main goals is to ensure that people get help early. Since mental health conditions typically begin during childhood, adolescence or young adulthood, we have compiled essential information and resources intended to help young people get the mental health support they need.

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The Sibling Support Project is a national nonprofit founded in 1990 dedicated to addressing the lifelong and evolving needs of siblings of individuals with special health, developmental, or mental health challenges. It provides peer support, online community platforms, educational resources, trainings and workshops.

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Founded in 1990, the Sibling Support Project is the first national program dedicated to the life-long and ever-changing concerns of millions of brothers and sisters of people with special health, developmental, and mental health concerns. We are proud to be a program of

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There is a tab on the website labeled trauma and grief. In this section of the Child Mind Institute's website is a comprehensive resource aimed at helping families, educators, and caregivers understand and respond to trauma and grief in children. It offers information about age-specific guides, specialized topics, school focused content and the signs of trauma.

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Trauma and Grief | Helping Children Cope with Traumatic Grief | Child Mind Institute

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Is your child experiencing trauma or grief? Child Mind Institute shares resources for helping children cope with distressing experiences.

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Sesame Street in Communities provides research-based, age-appropriate tools and resources to help young children, including those with disabilities, understand and cope with trauma within the home environment. It offers trauma-age response guides, emphasis on the power of "caring adults", it's inclusive for children with developmental differences and practical play-based supports.

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We’re the global impact nonprofit behind Sesame Street, harnessing the power of education, media, and research to empower each generation to build a better world.

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The PACER Center is a national parent training and information center that empowers families of children and youth with disabilities (birth to age 21) by providing credible guidance, advocacy, and mental-health resources all at no cost. It offers mental health & trauma information, workshops, videos, peer support and personal stories for families in need.

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Distance Learning & Coronavirus (COVID-19) Resources for Families

PACER is here to help! PACER's parent advocates, assistive technology specialists, bullying prevention associates, and all staff are available to assist families and professionals. Call 952-838-9000 or email [email protected] for assistance.
PACER Resources on Distance Learning and COVID-19
New Expanded Learning Center on Dispute Resolution with Schools

PACER's new and expanded Dispute Resolution page offers information and resources on special education procedures and timelines, record keeping and organization, building effective parent-teacher relationships, communication tips and strategies, and more.

Carmen's Corner

A series of educational videos designed for young audiences kindergarten through third grade. It features characters from PACER's Kids Against Bullying puppet program, highlights key concepts of bullying prevention, and promotes social-emotional learning. Educator guide and student worksheets accompany each video.
View Season One

College Options for Students with Intellectual Disabilities

Explore helpful information from PACER Center and Think College about inclusive, postsecondary education programs for young adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities.

Does My Child Have an Emotional or Behavioral Disorder?

What to Look for: Among all the dilemmas facing a parent of a child with emotional or behavioral problems, the first question-whether the child's behavior is sufficiently different to require a comprehensive evaluation by professionals-may be the most troublesome of all. Even when a child exhibits negative behaviors, members of a family may not all agree on whether the behaviors are serious.

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PACER Center - Champions for Children with Disabilities

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PACER is here to help! PACER's parent advocates, assistive technology specialists, bullying prevention associates, and all staff are available to assist families and professionals. Call 952-838-9000 or email [email protected] for assistance.

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Family Voices is a family-led nonprofit dedicated to improving systems of care for children and youth with special healthcare needs (CYSHCN) and disabilities—all through lived experience and peer support. They offer disaster and emergency trauma support, peer to peer family support and policy advocacy and trauma awareness.

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Family Voices is a national family-led organization of families and friends of children and youth with special health care needs (CYSHCN) and disabilities. We connect a network of family organizations across the United States that provide support to families of CYSHCN. We promote partnership with families at all levels of health care-individual and policy decision-making levels-in order to improve health care services and policies for children.

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Family Voices is a national grassroots network organization of families and friends of children and youth with special health care needs and disabilities, promoting partnership with families-including those of cultural, linguistic and geographic diversity-in order to improve healthcare services and policies for children.

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The AAP provides detailed recommendations for pediatric clinicians to embed trauma-informed care (TIC) across all children, including those with disabilities. They emphasize recognizing trauma indicators (e.g., behavior changes, anxiety), supporting clinician readiness through education and screening, building safe, nurturing healthcare environments. All geared toward helping children heal from household adversity such as abuse, neglect, or chronic illness in the home

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The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) is dedicated to improving the health and well-being of children. Explore our comprehensive resources, evidence-based guidelines, and expert insights on pediatric care. Discover the latest research, educational materials, and advocacy initiatives aimed at promoting child health. Join the AAP community and access valuable tools, training, and networking opportunities. Visit the AAP website to stay informed and make a positive impact on children’s lives.

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The CPIR is a platform for Parent Training & Information (PTI) centers, dedicated to supporting families of children and youth with disabilities. It aggregates high-quality resources on disability, education, and emotional well-being—including trauma-related content tailored for children with disabilities.

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This organization is a part of the Nemours Children’s Health system, that is a highly trusted, physician-reviewed resource offering accessible, evidence-based guidance on child health, development, mental wellness, and disability-related concerns that offer guidance on trauma and has support that's tailored for children with disabilities.

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Nemours KidsHealth - the Web's most visited site about children's health

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KidsHealth is the #1 most-trusted source for physician-reviewed information and advice on children's health and parenting issues. For parents, kids, teens, and educators, in English and in Spanish.

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 Views From Our Shoes: Growing Up with a brother or Sister with Special Needs

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 Views From Our Shoes: Growing Up with a brother or Sister with Special Needs

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This book shares 45 first-person essays written by siblings of children with various disabilities—including autism, cerebral palsy, developmental delays, Down syndrome, and more. These short narratives candidly explore emotional complexities—such as feelings of jealousy, guilt, pride, isolation, and resilience—that siblings often face growing up in a household strained by disability. The collection provides both validation and emotional relief by showing young readers that their experiences—worries, hopes, frustrations—are shared by others. Additionally, the book includes a glossary of disabilities, practical resource lists, and contributions from parents and experts, encouraging open communication and empathy within families

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Free 4-5 day shipping within the U.S. when you order $25.00 of eligible items sold or fulfilled by Amazon.

Or get 3 day shipping on this item for $5.99 . (Prices may vary for AK and HI.)

Learn more about free shipping

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views from our shoes: growing up with a brother or sister with special needs

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developmentally disabled children - family relationships - united states

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juvenile nonfiction / disabilities & special needs

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sociology of the mentally and physically challenged

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teaching of those with special educational needs

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Views from Our Shoes: Growing Up with a Brother or Sister with Special Needs

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In Views From Our Shoes, 45 siblings share their experiences as the brother or sister of someone with a disability. The children whose essays are featured here range from four to eighteen and are the siblings of youngsters with a variety of special needs, including autism, cerebral palsy, develop...

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This website provides information tailored for parents and caregivers that explain and provide Broader intimate Partner Violence resources, trauma informed support and tools. This empowers parents to reassure children and respond to emotional needs responsibly.

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The National Child Traumatic Stress Network

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OUR MISSION is to raise the standard of care and improve access to services for traumatized children, their families and communities throughout the United States.

Trauma Types

Bullying

Bullying is a deliberate and unsolicited action that occurs with the intent of inflicting social, emotional, physical, and/or psychological harm to someone who often is perceived as being less powerful.

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Disasters

Natural disasters include hurricanes, earthquakes, tornadoes, wildfires, tsunamis, and floods, as well as extreme weather events such as blizzards, droughts, extreme heat, and wind storms.

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Refugee Trauma

Many refugees, especially children, have experienced trauma related to war or persecution that may affect their mental and physical health long after the events have occurred.

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Traumatic Grief

While many children adjust well after a death, other children have ongoing difficulties that interfere with everyday life and make it difficult to recall positive memories of their loved ones.

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Trauma Treatments

Child and Family Traumatic Stress Intervention

CFTSI is a brief (5‐8 session), evidence‐based early intervention for children 7 to 18 years old that reduces traumatic stress reactions and the onset of PTSD. CFTSI is implemented within 30-45 days following a traumatic event or the disclosure of physical or sexual abuse.

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Trauma Systems Therapy for Refugees

TST-R is a comprehensive method for treating traumatic stress in children and adolescents that adds to individually-based approaches by specifically addressing social environmental/ system-of-care factors that are believed to be driving a child’s traumatic stress problems.

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Trauma-Informed Care

Schools

Children's reactions to trauma can interfere considerably with learning and behavior at school. Schools serve as a critical system of support for children who have experienced trauma.

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Justice

Children who come to the attention of the juvenile justice system are a challenging and underserved population, with high rates of exposure to trauma.

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Culture and Trauma

Trauma intersects in many different ways with culture, history, race, gender, location, and language. Trauma-informed systems acknowledge the compounding impact of structural inequity and are responsive to the unique needs of diverse communities.

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Families and Trauma

All families experience trauma differently. Some factors such as a child’s age or the family’s culture or ethnicity may influence how the family copes and recovers from a traumatic event. Trauma changes families as they work to survive and adapt to their circumstances and environment.

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NCTSN Resources

Rosie Remembers Mommy: Forever in Her Heart Video

Brings to life the story of Rosie, a young girl who is struggling after the death of her mother. This video walks you through Rosie's story and illustrates how a parent can provide solace and support to a child after the death of a loved one.

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Adolescent Trauma and Substance Abuse Online

Provides training and materials for mental health clinicians and substance abuse treatment providers on the complex intersections between psychological trauma and co-occurring substance abuse and dependency.

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The National Child Traumatic Stress Network

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CFTSI is a brief (5‐8 session), evidence‐based early intervention for children 7 to 18 years old that reduces traumatic stress reactions and the onset of PTSD. CFTSI is implemented within 30-45 days following a traumatic event or the disclosure of physical or sexual abuse.

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The site defines intimate partner and family violence (IPV/FV) as harmful to children and communities even when children aren’t directly abused, witnessing violence can result in significant emotional and behavioral issues. It reports that many children exposed to domestic violence also experience other types of maltreatment. Professional resources protective and intervention strategies.

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Home - Child Welfare Information Gateway

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The Hotline offers a survivor-centered, trauma-informed framework designed to help individuals impacted by domestic violence recognize and understand trauma, access healing strategies, and engage with supportive counseling. It also provides real-time advocacy services and educational materials tailored to reduce stigma, validate experiences, and empower recovery from domestic abuse trauma.

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This is a site that is specific for supporting children exposed to violence. It provides a pediatric Care Toolkit, evidence-based practices, community and home-based resources and professional development.

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Futures Without Violence emphasizes that the trauma from domestic violence (DV) can have enduring effects on both adults and children, impacting mental health, emotional regulation, and development—yet evidence-based interventions can support recovery, resilience, and healing

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Violence against women and children is a human rights violation and public health epidemic. Learn more about our work to prevent violence by building healthier relationships and communities.

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This website offers supportive, research-informed resources for families and caregivers dealing with trauma in early childhood due to domestic violence in the home. The site explains that witnessing or experiencing domestic violence can deeply affect a young child’s development, leading to emotional distress, behavioral problems, and difficulty forming healthy relationships.

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We're the global impact nonprofit behind Sesame Street, harnessing the power of education, media, and research to empower each generation to build a better world.

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CACs within the NCA network play a vital role in identifying, addressing, and healing trauma in early childhood due to domestic violence—through coordinated, evidence‑based, trauma‑informed practices that support both children and their caregivers.

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According to domesticshelters.org, frequent emotional or behavioral red flags in young children—such as persistent outbursts, being unusually withdrawn or disinterested in typical kid activities—may signal deeper trauma linked to domestic violence exposure in the home

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StrongHearts recognizes children in Native homes exposed to domestic violence—whether physical, emotional, or psychological—and emphasizes that exposure itself is traumatic. Even if children are not the direct targets, witnessing or sensing violence can significantly harm their safety, trust, and development

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StrongHearts Native Helpline (1-844-762-8483) is a 24/7 confidential and anonymous culturally-appropriate domestic, dating and sexual violence helpline for Native Americans. StrongHearts advocates offer the following services at no cost:

Peer support and advocacy

Information and education about domestic violence and sexual violence

Personalized safety planning

Crisis intervention

Referrals to Native-centered domestic violence and sexual violence service providers

Basic information about health options

Support finding a local health facility or crisis center that is trained to care for survivors of sexual assault and offers services like sexual assault forensic exams

General information about jurisdiction and legal advocacy referrals

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StrongHearts Native Helpline (1-844-762-8483) is a 24/7 confidential and anonymous culturally-appropriate domestic, dating and sexual violence helpline for Native Americans.

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A Terrible Thing Happened is a gentle, effective picture book designed to help young children—and their caregivers—name, face, and process trauma. Though it doesn’t specify the cause, Sherman’s experience and healing mirror what many children exposed to domestic violence endure and how they can find recovery through safe connection, emotional expression, and adult support.

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Sherman Smith saw the most terrible thing happen. At first he tried to forget about it, but soon something inside him started to bother him. He felt nervous for no reason. Sometimes his stomach hurt. He had bad dreams. And he started to feel angry and do mean things, which got him in trouble. Then he met Ms. Maple, who helped him talk about the terrible thing that he had tried to forget. Now Sherman is feeling much better.

Children who have witnessed violence or other traumatic incidents are at surprisingly greater risk for committing violence in the future than are children who have actually been involved in such events. The event might be a car accident, domestic or school violence, suicide, or a natural disaster such as a tornado, flood, or fire. Regardless of the type of incident, child witnesses often react by trying to forget or ignore the experience. When their feelings are pushed underground in this manner, these children may begin to feel bad in ways they don't understand, and become angry as a result of feeling bad. It is this anger that can give way to violence.

Caring adults can make all the difference by helping children talk about and understand the experience. An afterword by Sasha J. Mudlaff written for parents and other caregivers offers extensive suggestions for helping traumatized children, including a list of other sources that focus on specific events.

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A Terrible Thing Happened: A Story for Children Who Have Witnessed Violence or Trauma

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A Terrible Thing Happened: A Story for Children Who Have Witnessed Violence or Trauma [Holmes, Margaret M., Pillo, Cary] on Amazon.com. *FREE* shipping on qualifying offers. A Terrible Thing Happened: A Story for Children Who Have Witnessed Violence or Trauma

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Menakem explores how racialized trauma—rooted in centuries of systemic violence—gets embedded not just in minds, but in bodies. His grandmother’s calloused hands from picking cotton as a young child become a visceral metaphor: trauma passes through generations via epigenetics, behaviors, and bodily memory

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My Grandmother's Hands: Racialized Trauma and the Pathway to Mending Our Hearts and Bodies

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My Grandmother's Hands: Racialized Trauma and the Pathway to Mending Our Hearts and Bodies [Menakem, Resmaa] on Amazon.com. *FREE* shipping on qualifying offers. My Grandmother's Hands: Racialized Trauma and the Pathway to Mending Our Hearts and Bodies

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Heal Our Communities leads the Truth, Racial Healing & Transformation (TRHT) process, a comprehensive, community-led effort launched in 2016 to address entrenched racial and historical traumas at both systemic and interpersonal levels. It recognizes that trauma can be passed across generations, especially for communities subjected to racial violence, removal, forced assimilation, or discrimination – including colonization, slavery, or institutional child separation

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Center for Healing & Justice through Sport

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Center for Healing & Justice through Sport

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CHJS positions itself as a national nonprofit leveraging healing-centered sport to support youth—especially from marginalized communities—that have experienced trauma. They train coaches and organizations to foster environments that are inclusive, therapeutic, and justice oriented. While their primary platform is youth sports, CHJS’s trauma-informed approach includes addressing systemic injustices and embodied stress that stem from racialized and generational trauma.

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The FNHA explicitly recognizes that intergenerational trauma—rooted in colonization, residential schools, systemic oppression, and family violence—creates lasting intergenerational effects, including decline in mental health, social relationships, and increased prevalence of addictions or domestic violence in communities. This trauma can transfer implicitly from one generation to the next unless addressed directly. FNHA emphasizes the concept that unresolved trauma in caregivers disrupts emotional systems, impacting parent–child interactions and setting a dysregulated baseline for children from birth onward.

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Check out Spirit Magazine: our quarterly First Nations health and wellness publication.

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first nations health directors association

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It looks like your browser does not have JavaScript enabled. Please turn on JavaScript and try again. It looks like your browser does not have JavaScript enabled. Please turn on JavaScript and try again. Check out Spirit Magazine: our quarterly First Nations health and wellness publication.

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The Trevor Project is a U.S.-based nonprofit focused on crisis intervention and suicide prevention for LGBTQ+ youth under 25, including helpline services, digital resources, advocacy, and research. While the organization does not directly target early childhood, their work has substantial relevance for intergenerational trauma—particularly for young people whose caregivers or communities have experienced discrimination, violence, or historical marginalizations.

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The Center highlights that early life adversity—including intergenerational trauma—shapes health and behavior via toxic‑stress pathways. This kind of exposure, particularly without consistent caregiver support, can alter brain architecture and other physiological systems, potentially impairing development throughout life.

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While the Child Mind Institute does not frequently use the specific term “generational trauma,” its resources emphasize how early childhood exposure to adversity—and parental trauma—can shape a child’s developing brain, behavior, and emotional health through mechanisms similar to intergenerational stress transmission. Generational or ancestral trauma often manifests through caregiver emotional dysregulation, attachment disruption, or family stress patterns that children absorb—even in the absence of direct traumatic exposure.

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Transforming Children's Mental Health

The Child Mind Institute is dedicated to transforming the lives of children and families struggling with mental health and learning disorders by giving them the help they need to thrive.

We're the leading independent nonprofit in children's mental health, operating three Mission Areas that work together for greater impact: Care, Education and Science.

Care at the Child Mind Institute

Our clinicians provide gold-standard, evidence-based treatment to thousands of kids annually through our clinical centers and in-school programs:

Education at the Child Mind Institute

We deliver free resources to millions of families and training to hundreds of educators each year, so more kids get the help they need:

Science at the Child Mind Institute

Our researchers and engineers are uncovering the causes of mental health and learning disorders to develop tomorrow's breakthrough treatments:

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Child Mind Institute | Transforming Children's Lives.

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Lo sentimos, la página que usted busca no se ha podido encontrar. Puede intentar su búsqueda de nuevo o visitar la lista de temas populares. Transforming Children's Mental Health The Child Mind Institute is dedicated to transforming the lives of children and families struggling with mental health and learning disorders by giving them the help they need to thrive.

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SAMHSA acknowledges evidence that trauma—particularly from adverse childhood experiences (ACEs)—can be biologically passed across generations through epigenetic changes, influencing stress response systems in subsequent generations. This inherited trauma often contributes to substance use disorders, emotional dysregulation, and mental health issues in families, perpetuating risks across early childhood and adulthood.

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This review defines childhood trauma as experiences that overwhelm a child’s ability to cope physically or mentally. It explores how early trauma impacts brain development, emotional regulation, and behavior, drawing on clinical and neurobiological evidence to highlight long-term consequences

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Early life trauma – review of clinical and neurobiological studies

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Psychological trauma is a significant risk factor for physical and mental health development distortion. This paper presents the results of longitudinal epidemiological surveys and naturalistic observations. It also reviews the results of the most…

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This is a real-life perspective that offers real-life emotional support insight, complex family dynamics, empathy and bonding and empowerment through sharing.