Question
What behaviors may be seen in school-age children who have experienced trauma?
Answer
School-age children may display fear, anxiety, and worry about the safety of themselves and others, being more clingy with teachers or parents. Just as young children, they too may worry about the recurrence of violence and have increased distress, being unusually whiny, irritable, and moody. They may have an increase in activity level. You may see decreased attention or concentration in school-age children because that part of the brain is affected. They may withdraw from other activities and have angry outbursts or aggression. School-age children may distrust others which can affect how they interact with adults and peers.
There may be a change in their ability to interpret and respond appropriately to social cues. They may also have increased somatic complaints of headaches, stomach aches, or overreacting to minor bumps and bruises. There may be changes in school performance. School-age children may recreate the event by repeatedly talking about it, playing it out, or drawing the event. They may over- or underreact to bells, physical contact, door slamming, sirens, lighting, or sudden movements. School-age children may make statements and ask questions about death. They may have difficulty with authority, redirection, or criticism. They may re-experience the trauma through nightmares or disturbing memories during the day, which could lead to hyperarousal with sleep disturbances or a tendency to be easily startled.
Children this age may display avoidance behaviors where they resist going to certain places that might remind them of the event. They may have emotional numbing and seem to have no feeling about the event. To heal from trauma, we need to feel the emotions versus running away from them. For children that don't understand, what they're feeling can be very hard. As professionals, we need to be there to let children know they'll get through this, and we'll be there to help the child with anything they may need. We must reassure the child that they are safe and will be okay.
This Ask the Expert is an edited excerpt from the course, Collective Trauma and Building a Trauma-Informed Culture, presented by Nadia Tourinho, MSW, LICSW, LCSW-C.
