helping children cope with violence
TRANSCRIPT
The Repercussions of Violence Exposure on
Our Children Dr. Kathy Seifert
http://drkathyseifert.com
Children and Babies Are Born Innocent
NORMAL CHILD DEVELOPMENT
The Development of Non-aggression in Children. Until 2 ½ all children are aggressive sometimes.
From 2 ½ to 5 or 6 years old, children need to be taught by adults non-aggressive ways to solve problems and get their needs met.
Those that are not taught and guided will continue to be aggressive after they enter school. This is a red flag that intervention is needed.
Stage I – Ages 0-2. Immediate Gratification
Stage II – Ages 2 -7. Reciprocity begins to develop
Stage III – Ages 8 – 11. Empathy Develops. More organized , less impulsive.
Stage IV (12-18) Learning the importance of group membership and the “Golden Rule”
Can be blocked by Trauma
Can be blocked by Trauma
Can be blocked by Trauma
Piaget) Trauma Negatively Affects Moral Development, Kohlberg, 1969 (Expanded from
WHAT INTERFERES WITH NORMAL CHILD DEVELOPMENT
What kinds of violence can children be exposed to?
Domestic or community violence
Natural disasters
News reports of violence
Violent video games
Violent movies
WHAT DO CHILDREN LEARN WHEN EXPOSED TO VIOLENCE
The Inability to Escape Trauma Leaves one Trapped in Fight or Flight or Freeze Mode
TraumaFight/Flight
/Freeze
Numb – unable to act
Frontal Cortex Not in Use
New Stressor - High Arousal -
Excitability
Hyper- Vigilant – Poor executive
function
In the days of dinosaurs this reaction to stress was a survival strategy. And led to safety.
They learn to withdraw, hide or make themselves small.
Or they may become angry, hostile, defiant and aggressive.
How Can Exposure to Violence Affect Children
Depends on severity and chronicity and
Depends on support they get from other adults
Severe or chronic exposure without support can result in
Fears, anxiety, and depression
Acting out behaviors
Nightmares and poor sleep
Changes in eating habits
Not wanting to go to school
Delays in developing coping skills
Aggression toward others
Emotional Outbursts
Bullying
How can that be changed?
Prevention
Assessment
Treatment
Risk Managment
PREVENTION: What can parents do?
Listen to your child
Validate his emotions – all of his emotions are okay
Explain anything that is confusing
Explain things on your child’s developmental level
Limit watching reports of violence on TV
Reassure child that you will take care of him and keep him safe
Rehearse actions to take in an emergency
Teach non-aggressive ways to solve problems
PREVENTION: What can schools do?
Anti-bullying programs school wide such as Olweus; http://www.violencepreventionworks.org/public/index.page
Character building programs like Character Counts; http://charactercounts.org/
Respect Programs such as Operation Respect; http://www.operationrespect.org/index2.php
Assess all youth that commit aggression or bullying to determine the types and levels of service needed to prevent future bullying, Such as the CARE2. http://care2systems.com
PREVENTION: What the Community Can Do.
Home Visiting Programs
Head Start with family involvement
School based Mental Health
Coordination among agencies for high risk cases.
INTERVENTIONS
INTERVENTIONS: Bullying at School
There are 2 types of bullies: Chronic and one to three time bullies
One to three time bullies can be taught to change behavior
Chronic bullies are likely to have more serious problems and need professional intervention
Bullying is an adult problem to solve because it is about changing a child’s behavior. Children are not sophisticated enough to know how to do that.
INTERVENTIONS: What Parents can do about School Bullies
Talk to your children about the school day, so you know if they are being bullied
If there is bullying, go to the school for solutions and insist that it is handled
Make sure the school knows the difference in interventions for youth with minor and major problems.
Suspension is not a sufficient answer for bullies with severe problems.
Make sure the school watches for retaliation from the bullies.
Watch for Cyber bullying
INTERVENTIONS: Things to limit
Violence in news reports
Violence in movies
Violence in video games
Violence on the internet – know the sites your child goes to on the internet. Place the computer the child uses in a place of high traffic in the home.
Let the child know that the computer will be checked for material that is not good for them.
INTERVENTIONS: Levels of Treatment
High Risk – Multiple, Intensive Services including family, PRP, medication, help at school, safety at home and in the community, trauma informed treatment, and developmentally informed skill building for multiple years
Medium Risk – Individual, group, family, PRP skill building twice a week for a year.
Low Risk – individual, family or group weekly for 6 months.
EBP
•Case management•Multi-system integration•Family Therapy•Developmental approaches with skill building•CBT•Role playing•Dosage is important•Holistic approaches•Neuro-feedback & CES•Wrap-around
INTERVENTIONS: Evidence based treatment for complex cases
Provide interventions that match the child’s developmental level.
Many severely traumatized children are at the immediate gratification stage of development and are seeking a safe base. Immediate gratification and needs of the self are primary
Must learn perspective taking and reciprocity before empathy
A safe environment is essential for healthy development. If the youth is still seeking a safe base, that must be established before exploration of the world and information gathering
You need some type of developmental guide for use in your treatment plan