by Christina Pingert, Esq.
THE CHILDREN’S CORNER
Is it Trauma and What Do We Do About It?
A little over a year ago, I experienced a
very traumatic event, when my home was
broken into while I was sleeping. I was totally amazed at the effect that it had on me.
I found myself unable to concentrate, having trouble sleeping, and being very nervous. Although these symptoms did not
last long, it caused me to think more about
trauma and its effect on children. This past
summer I attended the 15th ABA National Conference on Children & the Law: Lawyers as Partners for Family Well–Being
and had the opportunity to attend several
workshops on trauma. The following information was provided in a workshop entitled “Emerging Tools for Trauma–Informed
Courts: Promoting Child Safety, Permanence and Well Being.”1
The purpose of child welfare intervention
is to protect children, provide permanence,
and promote child well-being. Traditionally the response of the child welfare system
and the court has been to remove the child
from the home and provide basic needs in
a foster home. Federal ASFA regulations
require states to ensure that “Children receive adequate services to meet their physical and mental health needs.”2
As children develop, 90% of brain growth
occurs in the first three years of life. The human brain builds itself based on the experiences it has, making structural changes in
response to experiences. The parent-child
relationship promotes healthy development if it is responsive, nurturing, and exists
in a stable environment with a stable caregiver. There is developmental risk if there is
neglect of the child’s physical and emotional needs, harsh or inconsistent punishment
and/or frequent changes in caregivers or
routines. The effects of trauma, stress, and
28
maltreatment include mental and physical
health problems, learning difficulties, behavior problems, substance abuse issues,
and problems developing and maintaining
healthy relationships.
Trauma is the single greatest preventable
cause of chronic mental illness, drug and
alcohol abuse, HIV high risk behavior, and
behaviors that lead to heart disease, cancer, stroke, diabetes and suicide. Trauma
has many different meanings. Trauma is an
exceptional experience in which powerful
and dangerous stimuli threaten the child’s
life, safety or wellbeing and overwhelm the
child’s capacity to regulate emotions.