Violence or trauma as a child may have lasting consequences

 Photo by Hanna Barczyk via NPR:  https://www.npr.org/sections/goatsandsoda/2017/11/01/561356427/unicef-report-300-million-cases-of-violence-against-children-ages-2-to-4

 

Violent crime, an unfortunate part of the society we live in, continues to rear its ugly head.  With the increasing prevalence of police brutality, hate crimes, and mass shootings, the odds of someone witnessing violence or violent crimes increase everyday, yet the effects of such an event remain largely undocumented and unspoken.  

When I was a child, I was the victim of an attempted break-in.  It happened while my mother and I were in the house.  The man crawled out from the night, and rapped on our door.  Seemingly innocent enough at first, my mother approached the door only to be met with violence and malicious intent.  The man became aggressive and attempted to force himself in at the first sight of people within.

    Not a day goes by where I don’t think about the look on my mother’s face as she told me to run and hide.  Has experiencing such a crime influenced my life at all?  Would I even notice the side effects in myself?  Who's to say.  

    The age at which a person experiences a crime may play a big role in the severity of the effect upon them.  In a study of World Trade Center first-responders, depressive symptoms were found to be worse in those that experienced childhood bullying, despite having all experienced the same traumatic event.  In a day and age where a new school is massacred seemingly everyday, the effect on kids may be dire.  

    Research has shown that acts like this against children may have lasting impacts.  Those exposed to violence become more desensitized by it, believing that “violence is an acceptable way to solve problems” without any consequence.  Children exposed to violence in this way are more likely to show aggression and violence against others, as well as an increased tendency in the desire to hurt or kill themselves.  Children that resort to violence in response to anger or lack of control often learned this mentality from somewhere else.  

    In a time where people are seemingly always plugged in, especially the youth, access to violence and violent crimes has increased dramatically.  Children and adolescents alike are able to view and read about violence, whether intentionally or not.  I myself, along with nearly all of my friends, can remember at least one instance where we witnessed something horrifically graphic on accident or via morbid curiosity thanks to the power of the internet.  As children are far more likely to be influenced, the effect on adults seems markedly less severe.  In children and adolescents, however, exposure to violent media can lead to an increase in aggression and angry thoughts, as well as an increase in several mental health related issues.

    In extremely harsh cases of violence, such as domestic abuse or school shootings, children have been known to develop PTSD (Post Traumatic Stress Disorder).  According to ptsduk, PTSD symptoms displayed by adolescents and children include:

 "learning difficulties, poor behaviour at school, depression and anxiety, aggression, risk-taking and criminal behaviours, emotional numbness, and a range of physical issues including poor sleep and headaches."

    Those who experience childhood abuse may develop PTSD in their adult lives, resulting in various mental health problems such as internalized trauma and the use of protection methods.  Oftentimes, victims of childhood abuse are more prone to depression, anxiety, trust issues, and lack of self-confidence.  

    The potential PTSD and other disorders received from experiencing violence or violent crimes aside, the adverse effects go beyond just that of mental health issues.  A study done by Stanford University on the impacts of surviving a school shooting noted: 

“Students who were exposed to a shooting at their school in grades 10 and 11 were 3.7 percent at the mean less likely to graduate from high school; 9.5 percent less likely to enroll in any college; 17.2 percent less likely to enroll in a four-year college; and 15.3 percent less likely to obtain a bachelor's degree by age 26.”  

"Student survivors had 13.5% lower average annual earnings compared to their counterparts."

    Studies like this one show the effects of witnessing violence or violent crimes may be highly individualized, as some people may be more predisposed to be negatively impacted by such events.  Someone’s natural resilience, social support, and their own personal coping strategies may all play a role in how detrimental the effects of an event are on their life.  Despite this however, as with the aforementioned case of first-responders, research has consistently shown that violence has negative long-lasting impacts on those who experienced it.

    In an era where horrible gun control laws leave children dead in schools, and war violence from Ukraine infiltrates our media, children are witnessing new violence everyday.  As the research shows, exposure to violence can have long-lasting effects on mental health, behavior, and academic outcomes.  While much of this is inevitable, we should take steps to reduce the violence and trauma being exposed to our children.