I have been writing about trauma and working through a significant amount of research regarding its impact on children and adults. As I bring this subject to a close, I want to spend the next few posts writing about how we can help those who have been victims of trauma and its effects.
One of the most upsetting and tragic realities in our society is recognizing that there are predators who will physically or sexually abuse our children. It is difficult to comprehend that someone could even consider perpetrating some of the violent behaviors that are reported about victimized children. It is a “worst nightmare” scenario for parents concerned about the safety of their children.
It is scary to think that there are individuals who are active in their efforts to traumatize children. I have spoken with a number of families who learned that someone outside their home but in their community was abusing or traumatizing their children—an uncomfortable, unsettling statistic. If we are going to prevent childhood trauma, it is essential that we are particularly vigilant in supervising our children’s activities, schedules and in whose company they will be. It is also essential to know the typical characteristics of perpetrators of trauma.
Because of memories of fear, panic and terror, trauma victims may wonder if they will ever feel normal. In fact, some individuals struggle so much to believe that they will ever be normal again that they can become consumed with finding a way to heal and recover. It is at this time they need to have hope…hope that they can survive and recover from their traumatic episode.
We are continuing discussion on the impact of trauma on children and adults. Symptoms of trauma are typically described as internal issues that occur within the victim, such as trouble building relationships—which can be attributed to children or adults. Sometimes relationship-building difficulties are obvious and thus, easily detectible, and sometimes they are more subtle and hidden. In either case, they keep the individual from experiencing emotional health and a full life.
