Lecture 2: Trauma

Question 1

What are some types of trauma and abuse?

Answer 1

• Child maltreatment (physical, sexual or emotional abuse)
• Conflictual family relationships
• Witness to violence
• Birth trauma
• Bereavement and loss

Question 2

What tips abuse in to trauma?

Answer 2

Trauma = prolonged, repeated events

Question 3

Signs or indicators that suggest the possibility that a child is experiencing abuse or trauma

Answer 3

• Unexplained physical injury OR explanation doesn’t match up with injury
• Play that involves themes of violence and abuse
• Sexualised play OR knowledge (inappropriate for child’s age)
• Promiscuous sexual behaviour
• Rapid attachment to others
• Marked avoidance of contact with certain people or genders
• Significant acting out or
• Withdrawal
• Reference to secrets that can’t be shared
• Anxiety
• Suicidal ideas/ self-harm
• Developmental regression
• Changes in academic performance

Question 4

What is the difference between type I and type II trauma?

Answer 4

• Type I: single traumatic event (e.g. fire, single rape episode)
  >Clinical relevance: tends to have more support from family and friends; the person usually remembers the trauma event
• Type II: repeated, prolonged trauma (extensive child abuse)
  >Clinical relevance: child is more likely to have severe PTSD symptoms; is often kept a secret; support often absent

Question 5

What is the difference between type IIA and type IIB trauma?

Answer 5

• Type IIA: complex trauma that occurs continuously
• Type IIB: more about parental failure/neglect/difficulty for family to support child in a functional way (parent has mental illness)

Question 6

How does childhood trauma differ from adulthood trauma?

Answer 6

• Child may not be able to make sense of the trauma - this makes it unresolved and may carry this through to adulthood (transgenerational transmission)

Question 7

Why might being harmed or abused by a family member have potentially extreme consequences?

Answer 7

• Destroys trust
• No safe haven
• Neglect
• Hard to seek help
• Lack of support
• Developmental limitations
• Isolation

Question 8

What is more noteworthy about harm occurring for a child under 5 years of age?

Answer 8

The effect it has on general weight gain or growth

Question 9

What is the developmental traumatology model?

Answer 9

Intergenerational transmission of child abuse and neglect is a result of:

• the impact of childhood traumatic stress on later development
• consequent adverse brain development
• consequent parental mental illness
• adverse parenting skills

Question 10

Consequences of trauma and abuse

Answer 10

• Developmental delay
• Cognitive competence
• Self-regulation
• Emotional development

Question 11

What are some key things about children with complex PTSD?

Answer 11

• Implications of pre-verbal trauma
• Never have just externalising without internalising features
• High incidence of development issues