Childhood Trauma Research Paper Example

Did you know Childhood trauma has long-term effects on the child that follows into adulthood. There are a lot of types of trauma that affect the child. It has physiological effects in addition to delayed development in children who experience a traumatic event during the crucial period of cognitive-developmental phases. At any point in a child’s developmental stage, any trauma will have a long-term effect on adulthood. Even though we might not be aware or educated on it. I will elaborate on the types of traumas and the developmental effects, disorders, and treatments to cope with them and also identify them.

To begin, there are numerous types of traumatic events that can occur, such as physical abuse, neglect, emotional trauma, and so on. All of this prevents a child from developing normally, and the child will grow up to have a variety of problems as an adult. S. Mcleod (2018)Erikson's theory states that children develop in stages and that each stage must be completed before moving on to the next. Based on Erikson's theory, I will explain the developmental stages of a child in the following paragraphs.

The first stage is the Trust vs. Mistrust stage, which lasts from birth to 18 months. During this stage, children gain trust in the person caring for them. If the child is neglected at this stage, he will lose hope and develop mistrust and anxiety. Second, at this stage, the child develops a sense of independence through encouragement from the caregiver or parent. If a child is overly   controlled and not allowed to explore, he will develop low self-esteem and become reliant on others. The third stage is initiative vs. guilt, which occurs when the child is in a period of rapid development. “Time of vigor,” according to Bee (1992). The child will begin to make his own decisions, and if he is put down by others, he will become depressed.

The fourth stage, which occurs between the ages of 5 and 12, is the Industry vs. Inferiority stage, during which the child develops pride. School plays an important role in the teacher encouraging the child; if the child is not encouraged, he will develop doubts. The final stage is identity vs role conflict. They are looking for their personality at this stage of adolescence. The pressure to fit in can result in rebellious children, which can continue into adulthood. Any type of trauma can easily affect children, interfering with their overall development and leading to later personality disorders.

Children can develop long-term disorders as a consequence of a traumatic event like PTSD post-traumatic stress disorder. Symptoms are fear denial and many more; this can be a major problem in adulthood when looking for a relationship, a job, and making important decisions. CDC. (2018, October 18). A child can also develop substance abuse in adulthood as well as anxiety, obesity, diabetes, heart problems, strokes, and cancer. The way the body responds to stress can lead to elevated proteins that lead to inflammation in the brain caused by emotional stress. These are all the consequences in response to the trauma and they all lead to unhealthy coping and lead to bad choices in a child and could cause a child to become sick. The symptoms to look for in child trauma are separation anxiety, appetite changes, bedwetting, grumpiness, and eating more than usual or too little. Those are some of the symptoms but every child is different. Children can also develop learning problems, lower grades, being suspended from school, and being unable to concentrate. In response, we should be on the lookout for signs of child abuse or trauma although some trauma can come from a loss of a family member, also from witnessing a traumatic event a child does not have to be directly affected to develop problems. Some parents think that fighting in front of their kids it's not bad for them but it is. Witnessing anything  traumatic, even an accident can create this in a child. Growing up me and my siblings witnessed a lot of fighting with my parents that led to us now having anxiety. As well as social phobia since our parents had us at home only and we lacked social interaction. Never attended church or any regular activities. That caused me to feel left out since I didn't get to experience things as other children do. Looking back and thinking I see it affects you. I see it in my younger brothers who are having a hard time making adult decisions and having a hard time keeping a job.  Like my parents, a lot of people don't believe in children having anxiety or depression-like. Quite a few households are not educated and don't even know what childhood trauma is. In low-income families seeking treatment or help is not an option and that is one of the reasons a lot of children go untreated. This leads to hard adult life and having personality problems that interfere with  everyday tasks. That gets worse as we age and causes unhealthy choices and causes health issues as well.

In conclusion, children should be treated appropriately for their trauma as early as possible and for us to be aware of how to report child abuse of any sort. Children tend to be resilient and bounce back sadly not all children are the same and require a lot of help. In most cases, it depends on the duration of the trauma the child is enduring. Seeking professional help can be the best option to help the child cope and even medication to treat the symptoms he may be experiencing in consequence. There are therapies and counseling available, parents and guardians can acquire more information from the child's pediatrician. In most schools, there are counselors available to help a child. Assuring the child is safe, being patient will help a child succeed and hopefully overcome the trauma. We should do all to keep our children safe and educate them about the symptoms and the treatments for childhood trauma. Including us adults, if you are having symptoms it is never too late to get treated. There is no reason to live our life that way. Knowing there are options out there to help. Childhood trauma awareness should be a priority for us.