By Tammy Schamuhn R.Psych & Institute of Child Psychology
Trauma for a child refers to experiences or events that overwhelm their ability to cope, causing a lasting negative impact on their emotional, psychological, and physical well-being.
While the perception of trauma can vary from child to child based on temperament, resilience, and support systems, some situations are widely recognized as potentially traumatic. These include:
(1) Acute Trauma which are single-event experiences that are intensely distressing, such as: a car accident, natural disasters (e.g., hurricanes, earthquakes), sudden loss of a loved one or witnessing violence;
(2) Chronic Trauma which is typically ongoing exposure to adverse conditions or events such as: physical/emotional/sexual abuse, neglect (e.g., lack of food, shelter, or emotional support), domestic violence or chronic bullying;