Supporting Traumatized Children and Teenagers: A Guide to Providing Understanding and Help

by Atle Dyregrov

Overview

Supporting Traumatized Children and Teenagers is an accessible, comprehensive book providing an overview of the impact of trauma on children and adolescents and how they can be supported following trauma.

Trauma can result from a range of experiences from bullying to witnessing violence to living through war. This book explores the different reactions children may experience, and the impact trauma can have. Variables affecting the impact of trauma are explored such as different developmental stages, gender, the reactions of friends and parents, the child's personality, and their caring environment. Appropriate and effective ways of helping children after a traumatic event are outlined, and different types of therapy, such as group therapy and cognitive behavioural therapy, are discussed. The book offers case examples and practical tips throughout, and includes a chapter on how someone working with a traumatized child can help and look after themselves.

This book will be invaluable to a range of professionals working with traumatized children including counsellors, child and family social workers and therapists, as well as others involved with traumatized children such as foster carers and teachers.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781849050340
Publisher:	Jessica Kingsley Publishers
Publication date:	07/15/2010
Edition description:	New Edition
Pages:	240
Product dimensions:	6.00(w) x 8.90(h) x 0.70(d)

About the Author

Dr Atle Dyregrov is a clinical psychologist and Director of the Center for Crisis Psychology in Bergen, Norway, which he founded with a colleague in 1988. He is a member of the executive board of The Children and War Foundation and a founding member of the European Society for Traumatic Stress Studies. Dr Dyregrov is the author of numerous publications, journal articles, and books.

Table of Contents

Preface 9

1 What is Trauma? 11

2 Children's Reactions During and After Traumatic Events 15

Immediate reactions 15

The after-effects of traumas 21

The long-term effects of traumas 34

Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) 42

3 Some Important Aspects of Trauma 50

Trauma and different life stages 50

Traumatic reminders 53

Interactions with others - parents' reactions, attachment and the home environment 55

Children who live with domestic violence 58

Trauma and memory 61

4 Girls and Boys - Alike or Different? 67

Gender differences in the context of trauma 67

5 The Significance of Friends Following a Trauma 73

The significance of friends in the lives of children 73

Friends and traumas 74

Encouraging contact with friends 77

6 What Promotes Risk and What Protects? 79

Coping with traumatic events 79

What influences children's reactions to trauma? 81

When does the child need more help? 83

Factors that contribute to resilience in children 89

Assessment of the need for help 90

7 Help for Children After Traumas 95

Early intervention 95

Different intervention methods for helping children 101

Help methods 118

8 Groups for Children Following Trauma 128

The purpose of gathering in a group setting 128

Debriefing groups for children 132

9 Post-Traumatic Therapy 143

What works? 143

Commencement of therapy 148

Post-traumatic therapy - different methods 152

Therapy for avoidance reactions 167

Help for 'existential' problems and feelings of guilt 183

Therapy after cumulative traumas 191

10 Traumas and the School 198

Traumas and school performance 198

Handling trauma and grief in the school 203

Schools and violence 207

Schools and suicide 214

11 Being a Helper 220

Why is work with traumatized children so exhausting? 220

Reactions among those who help traumatized children 221

Help for helpers 223

Conclusion 229

Appendix 1 Post-Traumatic Problems: Help for Preschool and Early School-Age Children (4-7 years) 231

Appendix 2 Post-Traumatic Problems: Help for School-Age Children 233

Subject Index 235

Author Index 239

Editorial Reviews

‘This book help with an understanding of the need to connect symptom with cause, acknowledges the impact on those who offer help, and will be a valuable introduction to anyone working with troubled children and young people.

Children & Young People Now

Based on unparalleled clinical experience, this book describes and explains how children of all ages can be affected by traumatic experiences. It is illustrated by many examples from actual cases and so the children's voices are heard loud and clear. Factors affecting normal psychological growth and adjustment are considered as are those in the child, the family and the broader environment that promote resilience and mitigate against the worst effects of traumatic events. Current best practices in intervention, both at home and in school, are described in clear, non-dogmatic ways, and this should help all those working with or caring for children to access better help. This is a must-read for everyone involved in promoting the welfare of children.

William Yule

This book is essential reading for anyone who has contact with children and young people who have experienced a traumatic event. Firmly grounded within a strong evidence base the author draws upon his extensive experience to provide many practical ideas about how children can be helped to talk about and cope with their trauma. This is an excellent book that will be an invaluable resource for anyone who is supporting a child through a traumatic event.

Professor Paul Stallard

I would recommend Supporting Traumatized Children and Teenagers to trainees at all levels of training, as a comprehensive introduction to the main concepts and issues relating to PTSD in children.

Journal of Mental Health

What makes the book so useful is the author's wide definition of a traumatic event. He recognises that children who have suffered from experiences of sexual, physical or domestic abuse are survivors of trauma. Besides demystifying some of the therapeutic techniques used, several case studies illustrate what helps children most. Also there are some very useful child-focused scripts provided for self-help exercises. Workers can share these with children and carers to relieve stress and strengthen children's sense of self-control over disturbing flashbacks and recurring sensory images of the trauma.

Community Care

The practical emphasis and confident tone of this volume is a welcome addition to the toolkit of anyone working in this area. Atle Dyregrov has an eminent international reputation and his breadth of knowledge and experience is clear throughout. Personal accounts of those working with traumatised young people, as well as the voices of young people, are represented in the form of vignettes, which emphasize the individual nature of the trauma and therapeutic work... I would recommend this book to other professionals and, indeed, have already done so.

Journal of Child Psychology & Psychiatry

This book is a highly readable account, combining a practical reference tool with a reasonably in-depth discussion of how trauma can affect the young. It presents a clear discussion of both the physical and emotional aspects of trauma, including the immediate after-effects, the long-term effects and subsequent coping mechanisms. The book also discusses the effects of trauma with respect to life stage, possible actions and reactions, gender differences and accumulative trauma... This is an informative book that can be used as an aid to both parents and teachers in dealing with and understanding trauma, and, on a more practical level, as a useful tool for therapists. It is easy to follow, with bite-sized discussions... All in all, a good addition to your bookshelf, which I feel I can comfortably recommend.

BACP- Counselling Children and Young People

‘This book is a valuable resource for anyone connected with a child, or young person, who has been affected by traumatic experiences (from bullying to witnessing violence or living through war). It addresses the needs and behaviours of traumatised young people and provides a respectful and intelligent guide to others on how they can support and care. The author has a nice style, which is drawn from a strong respect for research and extensive clinical experience; blending theoretical notions from several viewpoints in a concise and understandable manner and using case examples/practical tips throughout. The book covers a variety of topics, such as helpful ways to support children during and after traumatic events, what promotes risk and what are protective factors in young people, to different types of group and individual interventions, including presenting a number of concrete methods that can lessen the impact of trauma. This book is rich in detail and provides a clear outline for those involved with traumatised children and young people.‘

Youth in Mind

The book is well referenced and an easy guide to helping children who have experienced single traumas ... It's a book that parents as well as professionals could read. It defines what trauma is, and the impact that trauma has on children in the short, medium and long term ... At Family Futures, we have been aware that there do seem to be significant gender differences in how children process traumatic experiences: stereotypically, girls becoming dissociative, withdrawn and shut-down, with boys becoming poorly regulated emotionally, and prone to aggression and more violent re-enactments. This area warrants more systematic analysis and is an issue that we would like to pursue, and we would welcome Associates' comments on gender differences in response to developmental trauma.

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