Normal Children's Reactions to Trauma

Everyone shows reactions after difficult events, like violence, death, accidents, and natural disasters.

Children often feel a lack of security and uncertainty after trauma. They need an adult to talk to. This person should answer questions and connect their feelings to words.

Adults in the child's life need to give the child intimacy and allow them to feel safe.

Read about what adults can do to help children after trauma.

What is trauma?

Trauma is a strong stress reaction to an unexpected event. The event can be almost anything: accidents, natural disasters, violence, death, murder, divorce, infidelity, and so on.

An individual can feel trauma after an event even though they weren't a part of the event.

Just realizing that something can happen can be traumatic for a child.

Normal reactions for children

Children's reactions to trauma and difficult events can vary. There is no need to worry that there will be long-term problems in most cases.

The reactions can be classified as physical, cognitive, emotional, and behavioral.

Physical reactions:

• Fatigue and low energy, although the child gets enough sleep.
• Difficulty falling asleep or staying asleep.
• Nightmares or fear of the dark.
• Headache, stomachache, or general flu symptoms.
• Loss of appetite.

Cognitive reactions:

• Problems with concentration and decision making.
• Problems with memory.
• They feel confused.
• Constant thoughts about the incident and its consequences.
• Change of religious or personal beliefs.

Emotional reactions:

• Constant fear and worry.
• Sadness.
• Mood swings such as anger and irritability, often over little or nothing.
• Great feelings of insecurity, helplessness, and powerlessness.
• Guilt.

Behavioural reactions:

• Isolation from other people.
• Increased use of phones, video games, or things that distract them.
• Symptoms of hyperactivity, delirium, or numbness.
• Avoidance, such as avoiding places and objects that remind you of the incident.

Regression

• The child moves backward in their development.
• Begin behaviors again that may have long since stopped (such as sucking their thumb or wetting the bed).
• Children who were always outside with friends are starting to spend more time at home (where they feel safe).
• It is important to remember that children are not trying to behave childishly but are unable to control it.

When do you need professional help?

In most cases, the situation will improve on its own if the child receives good support from family and friends. Sometimes, the child needs more help. If the reaction has lasted for weeks or worsens over time, it may be time to talk to a specialist.

Below are some examples of when it is appropriate to contact a professional.

• A long-term change in sleep habits and eating habits, which may have become an eating disorder.
• Chronic stomach pain or headaches that do not have a medical explanation.
• A negative change in school performance.
• A lack of interest in school activities and leisure activities.
• Frequent and extreme mood changes.
• Chronic sadness, depression, anxiety, and fear.
• Panic attacks.
• Major behavioral changes.
• Increased aggression.
• A lot of regression in development.
• Talk about self-harm, death, or hopelessness.
• Alcohol or drug problems.
• Risk behaviour (which puts the child's life at risk).

Talking to a professional does not mean the child will be diagnosed with a mental disorder. It does not mean they will have long-term problems or that the guardians have failed the child. We can fix so many things in our lives ourselves, but sometimes we need a specialist.

Talking to an unrelated person about difficult events or feelings is healthy and can help us to understand them better and see them from a different perspective.

Reactions by age

Infant age 0-2 years

• They don't have the vocabulary or ability to talk about their feelings.
• Can associate sounds, smells, visual objects, or other things with the event.
• Normal reactions are being irritable, crying, and a need to be in the arms of an adult.
• The events might show up while they play, possibly several years after the incident.

Preschool age 2-6 years

• Can feel powerless and feel anxiety and fear.
• Might not understand that loss can be permanent and expecting things or people to come back.
• The events might show up while they play, such as staging the event repeatedly.

School age 6-10 years

• They can put the event in a broader context so emotions can become more complex.
• Normal emotions are, for example, anger (that this happened) and guilt (not having been able to prevent this).
• They are beginning to understand that loss can be permanent.
• Often become very preoccupied with thoughts about the incident. That can spoil the child's concentration at school.

Teenagers 11-18 years

• They can have a combination of adult and child reactions.
• If the youth survived a dangerous situation, they may consider themselves immortal and begin to take risks with their lives.
• Consumption of alcohol and drugs can start or increase.
• Insecurity and anxiety can make the young person want to stay home as much as possible.