Trauma & Child Self-Harm

Rates of suicide, self-harm, violence and crime are significantly higher in veteran populations of traumatized soldiers just as they are higher in populations of children suffering from child abuse and trauma (ACES, Adverse Childhood Experiences). Today, the chronic high stress of the COVID lockdown is growing anxiety, depression and behavioral problems everywhere, but especially in the homes of at risk children.

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The COVID pandemic has hammered Children’s Mental Health

Children are literally helpless when repeated neglect, beatings, rape or other violence occur.

The thinking part of their brain can’t stop the trauma.

When this happens that part of the brain gives up its function to the amygdala – the oldest part of the brain.

Physically and mentally, traumatized children develop differently than their peers with behavioral and biological changes that never go away. With help, these changes can be managed but hard-wired trauma is a real thing that doesn’t evaporate when a child is removed from the abusive environment.

It’s cruel to expect children to expect badly damaged children to seamlessly adjust to a foster home or fit in at school.

Just as a veteran’s traumas do not evaporate when they return home away from their traumas and violent surroundings, children from violent and dysfunctional families don’t forget their past.

Abused and neglected children do not have the mental capacity to understand what is happening to them.

And even if they know, who would you tell? Your parents are the primary authority in your life as a child – they make the rules.

Abused children have a toxic past that has become their “normal”.

To an abused child,their homelife is all they know.

Needed help doesn’t just happen. It comes from a caring community with an understanding of trauma and healing.

KARA reports on the issues of child abuse.

This article submitted by CASA volunteer Mike Tikkanen

All Adults Are The Protectors of All Children

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