Working with traumatized children

By Marek Wnuk and Ulyana Dolyniak

Difficult children... Many of them live in orphanages or children's homes, boarding schools, with foster families and family guardians. Their past lives have left them with psychological trauma – emotional scars, inappropriate protective reactions, negative perceptions of themselves and the world around them.
This book discusses the consequences of traumatic events and ways to overcome trauma; it explains the role of teachers, relatives, and foster parents in the child's recovery process.
It is based on the latest achievements of neuropsychology and pedagogy for trauma, and on the authors' many years of experience with traumatized children.
"Working with Traumatized Children” offers the knowledge needed by anyone who cares about the fate of children and adolescents who are deprived of parental care.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Andrew Afonin
• Release date: Apr 12, 2016
• ISBN: 9781533792884

Book preview

INTRODUCTION

It was a lovely day in August. We were sitting on a sunny meadow, with a view of the mountains ahead of us. Nearby was a huge pile of heavy backpacks filled with our camping equipment.

We were heading into the mountains, and it was the second day of our four-day adventure. The children, tired from a long hike, had filled their water bottles from the river at the foot of the mountain, and were taking a drink.

There were ten of them, residents of our children's center, a home for former street children, orphans, and victims of domestic violence. Each had lived through hell and bore the scars of the past.

Ten children and ten stories that essentially are the same: Their lives had left the children with the deep emotional and psychological wounds that we call trauma.

So we, the children and teachers, sat together in the meadow, enjoying the sunlight and a short break, then stood up, helped each other hoist the heavy backpacks, and moved on towards our goal.

Our hike is a good illustration of how the psyche is healed from trauma. It is difficult, like the hike up the mountain. The burdens the children carry are not light, but if they stick to the path, keep going forward, they are sure to reach the goal, which is good, fulfilling, and brings joy and satisfaction in life!

This book talks about ways to overcome trauma, shares the results of our experience, explains the role of the teacher or foster/adoptive parents in the child's recovery, and describes clear, practical ways to work with children in institutions or in an environment that substitutes for the family.

We include basic information for any adult who cares about the fate of abandoned children.

PART ONE. TRAUMA

WHAT IS TRAUMA?

It is no exaggeration to say that children and youth who live in children's homes and with foster or adoptive families have been traumatized. Just the fact that they are not under in the custody of their parents shows that their lives have been difficult. Trauma means wound; it can be both physical and mental (Hantke, 2012). Traumas can be divided into two types: Single trauma (type 1) is the result of something that occurs suddenly and only once, such as an accident, the death of a loved one, or a natural disaster (earthquake, flood). The second type of trauma - complex trauma - is caused by people, often those who are close and important to the child. Type 2 traumatic events are repeated many times, sometimes for many months or even years (Gahleitner, 2012). Children with type 1 trauma rarely end up in foster families and children's homes. Most often the children in out-of-home care are victims of violence and neglect by their parents or guardians (Gahleitner, 2012).

Do any of these stories sound familiar?

Nicholas. Nicholas grew up in a family of alcoholics. Even from birth, he already knew what his father's anger meant: He was beaten for any transgression, sometimes with a belt, sometimes with a wire. When the father came home drunk, he began to teach his children a lesson, punching them and kicking them. Their mother was helpless, because every time she tried to protect her children, she also got it from her husband. Nicholas's entire body, including his face, was covered with bruises. Ashamed of his appearance, he stopped going to school. The boy's clothing was dirty and torn. He suffered from a lack of basic hygiene. Only when Nicholas reached the third grade did the school authorities take notice of him, because he was not attending class. The social welfare service took action and sent him to a children's home.

The physical violence that Nicholas suffered is one of the most common forms of violence. The majority of children who are in children's homes have suffered from beatings and other types of physical abuse. Sometimes this was a method of parenting and sometimes it was punishment for bad grades and disobedience. Most often, the parents beat their children in an outburst of anger and rage caused by the responsibilities weighing on them, for which they were not prepared and with which they could not cope (Egle, 2005).

Anna. Anna often heard abusive language from her stepfather: You're a prostitute, just like your mother! ... Get out of here!... You're a stupid cow! Even for minor lapses she was forced to go to the dog house, which meant sitting under the table. When her stepfather told her to, the girl had to make dog-like sounds, and sometimes even eat off the floor and sleep there.

Anna's case is an example of psychological violence, which includes such forms of abuse as insults, humiliation, and terrorizing. Sometimes children are shut up by themselves in dark rooms. They are forced to bear the burden of guilt for the adults' failures, as they often are told that they are stupid, ugly, useless, and bad. The psychological violence is often accompanied by physical violence (Egle, 2005).

Ali. Ali's mother was a prostitute and drug addict. The baby was left home alone for days at a time. His buttocks were always red from inflammation, because nobody changed his diapers. Ali often went hungry and thirsty; the apartment was cold and dark; it was almost never cleaned. The child didn't start walking until he was three, and it was another year before he began to speak. When the boy turned four, he was removed from the family and sent to a children's home.

Neglect is the most common form of violence against children. Parents or guardians do not give neglected children the attention and care they need. Often they are left on their own without heat, food, and positive tactile contact. Their basic needs are very poorly met. When these needs are not satisfied, the children develop a fear of annihilation. Lack of love, of visual, acoustic, and intellectual stimuli, of positive touch, negatively influence the development of many regions of the brain that affect the formation of the child's personality (Redemann, 2008).

Sabita. After her divorce, Sabita's mother moved in with her common law husband. While she was at work, her partner raped her 13-year-old daughter at home. He ordered the girl to keep quiet, threatening to kill her if she disobeyed. The rapes went on for three years until Sabita turned sixteen and ran away from home.

Sabita's case is an illustration of the sexual abuse of children. Sexual abuse does not only mean sexual intercourse; it also occurs when children are forced or persuaded to participate in any sexual actions, when their private parts are touched or they are forced to touch other people's private parts, and also when adults talk to them about sex in a way that is not appropriate to the child's age. Showing children pornography and forcing them to watch sexual acts are also sexual abuse (Egle, 2005).

Pasha and Lily. Pasha's and Lily's parents moved to Italy as migrant workers, leaving their grandmother to care for the children. At first the parents sent them letters, gifts, and telephoned, but gradually they did it less and less frequently. Two years later the grandmother became ill, and it was hard for her to care for the children. Lily stopped going to school because she had to take care of her younger brother. School staff noticed it and the children were removed from the family and sent to a children's home.

Quite often people underestimate how adversely the parents' absence affects a child. When parents die or get a divorce, it leaves very deep emotional scars and a feeling of guilt. Often the children think that are the ones to blame. Parents who go abroad for work, depriving their children of care and attention, also jeopardize the full psychological development of their offspring.

In the next section, we'll learn what happens to children who experience trauma.

THE NEUROBIOLOGY OF TRAUMA

WHAT GOES ON IN THE HEAD?

Traumatized children are easier to understand if you figure out what's going on in their brains. Thanks to recent research in neurobiology, we can look at the processes that result from trauma and stress.

To start, let's consider a simplified picture of the brain structure (Gassner, 2007).

STRUCTURE OF THE BRAIN

- The brain stem is a major component of the brain, managing basic bodily functions.