Childhood trauma refers to negative experiences that occur in childhood and adolescents, such as physical, sexual or emotional abuse, neglect, violence or loss of a loved one. Trauma can have a lasting impact on a child’s physical, social, emotional, and cognitive development. Understanding the causes of childhood trauma is important for prevention and intervention efforts.
Definition of Childhood Trauma
According to the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), individual trauma results from “an event, series of events, or set of circumstances that is experienced by an individual as physically or emotionally harmful or life threatening and that has lasting adverse effects on the individual’s functioning and mental, physical, social, emotional, or spiritual well-being.”
Trauma experienced in childhood and adolescence can be especially impactful because it occurs during key developmental periods. Traumatic events disrupt normal development of the brain and other organs and negatively influence the formation of a sense of self, the ability to regulate emotions, and the capacity to maintain healthy relationships.
Prevalence of Childhood Trauma
Childhood trauma is surprisingly common. According to the National Survey of Children’s Exposure to Violence conducted in 2014:
- More than 60% of children surveyed were exposed to violence, crime, or abuse in their homes, schools, and communities within the past year.
- Nearly 50% were assaulted at least once in the past year.
- 1 in 10 were injured in an assault.
- More than 1 in 4 were victimized sexually.
Other research indicates:
- About 40% of children experience at least one potentially traumatic event by age 18.
- More than two thirds of children report experiencing a traumatic event by age 16.
These statistics indicate childhood trauma is a major public health issue that requires attention and prevention efforts.
Types of Childhood Trauma
There are several major types of traumatic events that children may experience:
Abuse
Physical, emotional, or sexual abuse perpetrated by a caregiver or other responsible adult can be extremely psychologically damaging for children. Abuse by a primary attachment figure often destroys the child’s sense of safety and trust.
Neglect
Neglect occurs when a child’s basic needs for food, shelter, affection, medical care, education, or supervision are not met. Chronic neglect can impair development and have long-term consequences.
Loss of a Loved One
The death of a parent, sibling, or other close family member or friend can be very distressing for children. Traumatic grief reactions may occur.
Illness and Medical Procedures
Serious illnesses requiring invasive medical procedures can be experienced as traumatic events by children. Especially distressing are sudden medical events and health conditions causing pain.
Accidents and Injuries
Car accidents, fires, burns, dog bites, and other unexpected events that cause injuries may be perceived as life threatening and terrifying by children.
Community and School Violence
Witnessing violence in the community, such as a shooting, or experiencing violence at school, such as a physical assault or lockdown, can be traumatic.
Natural Disasters
Living through dangerous natural disasters like fires, floods, tornadoes, hurricanes, or earthquakes often results in feelings of extreme fear and loss in children.
War, Terrorism, and Refugee Experiences
Children exposed to armed conflict, displacement, death and destruction in the context of war or terrorism frequently undergo severe psychological trauma with lasting impacts.
Childhood Trauma Statistics
Some key statistics on different types of childhood trauma include:
| Type of Trauma | Prevalence |
|---|---|
| Physical abuse | 1 in 7 children experience physical abuse every year. Nearly 1,700 children die each year in the U.S. as a result of abuse and neglect. |
| Sexual abuse | 1 in 4 girls and 1 in 13 boys experience sexual abuse at some point in childhood. Child sexual abuse increased during the COVID-19 pandemic – 65% of child sexual abuse is perpetrated by family members and close acquaintances. |
| Emotional abuse | 1 in 7 children experience emotional abuse (including insults, threats, rejection, isolation). Emotional abuse often co-occurs with other forms of maltreatment. |
| Neglect | More than 1 in 7 children experience neglect, including physical, medical, educational or emotional neglect. Neglect accounts for 75% of child fatalities. |
| Exposure to domestic violence | 1 in 15 children are exposed to intimate partner violence each year. 90% of children exposed to domestic violence directly witness the physical assaults. |
| Exposure to community violence | More than 60% of children surveyed were exposed to violence, crime, or abuse in their homes, schools, and communities within the past year. |
| Parental incarceration | 5 million children in the U.S. experience parental incarceration at some point. Children of incarcerated parents exhibit higher rates of PTSS, anxiety, depression, behavioral problems, and insecure attachment. |
| Parental substance abuse | Nearly 12% children in the U.S. live with a parent who has a substance use disorder. Parental substance abuse is a contributing factor for child maltreatment in at least 70% of cases. |
Risk Factors for Childhood Trauma
Certain factors increase a child’s risk for experiencing traumatic events. These risk factors include:
Individual Factors
- Younger age
- Special needs
- Chronic illness
- Physical disabilities
- Developmental disorders
- Mental health issues
Family Factors
- Family violence
- Parental mental illness
- Parental substance abuse
- Criminal activity
- Family financial stress
- Death of a parent
- Divorce
- Inadequate supervision
Community and Societal Factors
- Poverty
- High crime neighborhoods
- Under-resourced schools
- Community violence
- Political instability
- Natural disasters
- War/terrorism
The more risk factors a child is exposed to, the higher their vulnerability to trauma generally is. Additionally, the younger a child is, the more vulnerable they are to being impacted by trauma.
Effects of Childhood Trauma
Experiencing trauma during childhood can significantly impact children’s short- and long-term functioning and wellbeing in many areas:
Brain Development and Physiology
Trauma disrupts healthy brain development and can have lasting effects on brain structure and functioning. Cortisol and other stress hormones released during trauma can impact the developing immune system and alter genetic expression.
Emotional Effects
Children who experience trauma often struggle with managing emotions, exhibiting extreme reactions of rage, fear, withdrawal, numbness, anxiety, or shame. Post-traumatic stress reactions are common.
Cognitive Effects
Trauma can impair concentration, memory, and problem-solving abilities. Traumatized children may develop negative beliefs about themselves, others, and the world.
Social Effects
Trauma frequently causes interpersonal difficulties, strained relationships with peers and family members, and problems with trust and intimacy. Social isolation is common.
Behavioral Effects
Traumatized children often display challenging behaviors including aggression, difficulties with emotional and behavioral regulation, oppositional behavior, reactive and impulsive responses, and self-destructive acts.
Mental Health Effects
Children exposed to trauma have a higher risk for major depression, anxiety disorders, substance abuse, eating disorders, ADHD, sleep disorders, and suicidality.
Academic Effects
The cognitive, emotional, behavioral, and social effects of trauma can significantly impair school performance and behavior in traumatized children.
Long-Term Health Effects
Childhood trauma increases the risk for serious health problems later in life like heart disease, obesity, cancer, stroke, liver disease, and mental health disorders.
Intergenerational Transmission of Trauma
Another troubling effect of childhood trauma is that it often leads to an intergenerational cycle of abuse and adversity. Parents who were traumatized as children are more likely to engage in maltreatment behaviors with their own children.
Without intervention, patterns of trauma and abuse repeat through generations. Breaking these cycles requires recognizing and addressing parents’ own trauma histories and healing before having children.
Preventing Childhood Trauma
Preventing childhood trauma requires efforts on individual, family, community, and societal levels. Some key prevention strategies include:
Individual Strategies
- Teaching kids social-emotional skills and coping strategies
- Promoting resilience through mentoring programs
- Providing counseling to address mental health issues
Family Strategies
- Parenting education and support
- Family therapy and counseling
- Treating parental mental illness and substance abuse
- Crisis intervention services
Community Strategies
- Reducing poverty and improving neighborhood resources
- Increasing access to education, jobs, healthcare, and social services
- Providing youth programs and support services
Societal Strategies
- Implementing child abuse prevention programs
- Passing legislation to reduce ACEs and improve child welfare
- Allocating resources to identify and assist at-risk families
Screening for Trauma
It is also essential to screen all children for trauma exposure and provide evidence-based, trauma-informed interventions to those affected. Routine screening conducted in schools, doctors’ offices, clinics, and child welfare settings can help identify children in need of help.
Treating Childhood Trauma
Effective treatments for childhood trauma include:
- Trauma-focused cognitive behavioral therapy (TF-CBT) – helps children process traumatic memories, develop coping skills, and build healthy attachment models.
- Eye movement desensitization and reprocessing (EMDR) – facilitates memory processing of trauma to reduce distress.
- Play therapy – uses structured play activities to help children resolve trauma-related difficulties.
- Art therapy – utilizes art media like drawing, painting, sculpting to allow nonverbal expression and integration of traumatic memories.
- Animal-assisted therapy – interacts with pets to teach nurturing behaviors and relational skills.
Additionally, caregiver engagement in treatment, parent training programs, and family therapy are key components of helping traumatized children recover.
Creating Trauma-Informed Schools and Communities
There is also movement toward creating trauma-informed communities that understand the impacts of trauma and integrate knowledge about trauma into schools, health settings, first responder protocols, and program policies and procedures. Trauma-informed communities provide safety, trustworthiness, choice, collaboration, and empowerment for those affected by trauma.
Conclusion
Childhood trauma results from frightening, dangerous, and emotionally devastating events that overwhelm children’s abilities to cope. It is tragically common but often preventable through multi-tiered strategies. Awareness about childhood trauma has grown, but there is more work to be done to protect children from harm. Implementing trauma-informed practices can mitigate the impacts and promote healing at individual, family, community, and societal levels.