Exploring the Impact of Trauma on Children and Young People

Traumatic experiences can have a huge impact on an individual’s physical and emotional health and well-being whenever they are experienced in a lifetime.

Traumatic experiences such as; loss, neglect, abuse, significant changes in living circumstances, living in a frightening environment (e.g. domestic violence, war zone, significant deprivation, severe, prolonged bullying) and/or significant illness or injury; experienced in childhood can have an even greater impact because the brain is still forming. Childhood trauma can impact the way a person understands themselves and their relationship with the world around them and those in it. As a result, their behaviours can be geared towards ‘staying safe’ rather than exploring, learning, and thriving. These behaviours can look aggressive, withdrawn, disrespectful, even dangerous to those around them. In this training participants will deepen their understanding of the potential impact of trauma on children and young people and think about the implications of this knowledge on the way that they work with such individuals.