School-aged children may have difficulties focusing or learning in school, act out in social situations, imitate the abusive/traumatic event, be verbally abusive, be unable to trust others or make friends, believe they are to blame for the traumatic event, lack self-confidence and experience stomach aches or headaches. For example, infants and toddlers may have memory problems, scream or cry excessively, have a poor appetite, have low weight or digestive problems, withdraw from others and develop separation anxiety. How a child responds to trauma and what their trauma symptoms look like may vary depending on their age and development level. There are many different ways children react to trauma What support was available during or right after the event How close they were to the event (did your child hear about a car crash versus were they in the car?)

There are several factors that affect a person’s response to trauma which include: There are many reasons for this difference. One person can perceive the event as traumatic whereas the other does not. Let’s say two people are in a car accident. In fact, not every adult who experiences trauma develops PTSD.

Not every child who goes through a traumatic event ends up with post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).

They react to things differently than they did before the stressful experience. Traumatic events include emotional, sexual, physical abuse or neglect, sexual assault, experiencing or witnessing interpersonal violence, bullying, vehicle accident, community violence, unexpected death of a loved one, experiencing a natural or man-made disaster, and exposure to war or combat violence. Trauma is the response to really upsetting events that overwhelms a person’s ability to cope. If you or your child has been through something traumatic, you may feel helpless or have any number of other intense feelings.

Signs emotional trauma in children