The mental health crisis in the world is not just due to mental pathologies but also equally due to trauma induced upon children.  The World Health Organization estimates that 2 out of 3 children in the United States to 75 percent of children worldwide will experience some type of trauma before age 16 (Compton, 2024., p. 199).  This can range from a variety of natural traumas but also human induced traumas and social settings that lead to Adverse Childhood Experiences or ACE.    Aside from natural disasters or deaths of family members, many traumas include physical violence, sexual abuse, emotional abuse and neglect and communal levels of poverty, lack of resources, or communities with higher crime rates (Compton, 2024, p. 200).   Other children may experiences war zones, terrorism, refugee life, human trafficking, or famine and disease.

Innocent minds that are exposed to the cruelty of life at an early age without care or guidance can lead to future mental crisis that lashes out against the world and society.  While never justified, many of these injured individuals later injure others through crime, violence, shootings, and abuse.  Broken creatures abused can sometimes fail to see a loving God, or fair world and see life as a competition of kill or be killed.  Amazingly, many still become good people but nonetheless suffer from immeasurable emotional and mental pain that can cripple them from having a successful life in interacting and behaving with others.

The corruption of innocence is the purest form of evil.  When littles ones are corrupted, one can only think of the verse from the Bible and the words of Jesus Christ, “Whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in me to sin, it would be better to him to have a great millstone fastened around his neck and drowned in the depth of the sea (Matt 18:6).  I think whether Christian or Atheist, religious or secular, one can agree with these words and understand the importance of protecting children and helping them heal.  The scars of trauma can cause future traumas to society, so it is important to understand the affects of trauma on children and how if left untreated can realign a child’s future into one of increased pain, maladaptive coping and social dysfunction.

Please also review AIHCP’s Mental and Behavioral Health Certifications, including its Trauma Informed Care Program.

The Vulnerability of Children to Effects of Trauma

The innocence of children makes them more susceptible to abuse.  In addition, their size and inability to defend themselves emotionally and physically also make them targets for further abuse or less able to defend themselves against various threats.  Since children’s brains are still developing, trauma of any type can have greater long term negative effects on their development.  Trauma and abuse can stunt social development because of the  increased neuroplasticity of the child’s brain as compared to any other age,  During this phase, the brain is forming new neuropathways and cognitively is learning and associating learning and new experiences with how one interacts and properly behaves.  Neglect, trauma and abuse can alter proper pathways and instead create negative lasting impressions on the brain that reduce trust and the concept of safety, as well as mental health, relationships, and overall life schemas (Compton, 2024, p. 141).

The brain itself during developed can be damaged due to severe trauma in children. Trauma in children can negatively affect the brain’s ability to cooperate and communicate with other parts of the brain.  Compton refers to this as Neural dis-integration (2024, p. 142). When trauma occurs the brain dis-integrates neural networks causing this lack of communication and cooperation which leaves some parts of the brain disrupted from certain important neurochemicals.  This can also lead to various issues with the amygdala, hippocampus and other prefrontal cortex regions (Compton, 2024, p. 142).  The longer chronic trauma remains, the more altered the child’s world view may become leading to less reasoning, learning and impulse control and replaced with distorted thinking and feelings about the world.

Children who respond to trauma exhibit the same responses adults experience when the sympathetic nervous system is activated.  Children will fight, flight, freeze or fawn like anyone else but these reactions by children also exhibit within their daily lives.  Children in chronic stress due to abuse or neglect will experience not only physical health issues but also cognitive and emotional issues.  Children who display fight as a primary response will exhibit more aggressive, defiant or confrontational behavior in life.  Children who display flight as a primary response will exhibit avoidance and escapism in life.  Children who display freeze as a primary response will exhibit lack of lack of normal emotional responses or motor activity in life.  Finally, children who display fawn will exhibit more appeasing and pleasing behaviors in life (Compton, 2024, p. 143).

ACE AND PCE

Adverse childhood experiences and Positive childhood experiences play a large role in a person’s life and their future mental health.  It also plays a large role in a person’s ability to form healthy attachment schemas in life.  Adverse childhood experiences refer to events that affect a child’s life in a negative way. These adverse childhood experiences can be  actual events but also deeper seeded social issues that act as roots to the trauma tree and its many branches and fruits.  Adverse Community Environments or roots of the problem include multiple negative social issues such as poverty, discrimination, community disruption, lack of economic mobility and opportunity, poor housing and frequent exposure to social violence.

Braffenbrenner proposed various systems that play a large role around one’s development.  The microsystem is a person or child’s immediate circle of family, friends, school, or for adults work.  The next phase in the circle includes the exosystem which includes mass media, extended family, as well as local government.  The macrosystem and next layer to the circle includes major economic, political and cultural issues.  Finally, the most outward layer i the chronosystem of major changes and shifts in life which can be personal losses, or major national changes in life such as a pandemic or war.  These shifts are predictable and unpredictable, as well as positive and negative.   These systems can all affect other systems which in turn can affect the child or person.

In regards to positive childhood experiences, or PCE, the Hope National Research Center did substantial research on the effect of PCE in a person’s life.  Obviously, a person with more positive events in childhood will have a more stable mental outlook in life.  Even those with 1 to 2 positive experiences, according to the research, showed a 51 percent of better mental health outcomes.  3 to 5 positive experiences led to 75 percent better chance of good mental health, and 6 to 7 PCE illustrated over 90 percent better mental health.  Even if one experienced 4 ACE or adverse childhood experiences, the presence of PCE balanced out less stability in the person’s mental health.  Those with higher PCE in their childhood, move on to not only have better mental health, but also better academic scores, degrees, income and employment.   Even more amazing is the fact that even individuals with very little ACE, but also very little PCE or none, grew up to have more mental health issues just due to the fact there was nothing positive as a child.  This leads to the crucial importance of PCE laid out by the Hope National Research Center.  Children need stability and positive experiences to balance out any bad but to also give them the tools they  need to grow into healthy adults.  This falls into place with healthy and stable relationships, environments, engagements in social developments, and emotional growth opportunities.  In many ways, these correlates with Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs and ensuring these basic needs are met for children to promote healthy emotional and mental health.

In essence, as caregivers, what we give our children is what our future will be.

Attachment Schemas

A child void of unnecessary traumas and who is supported by loving caregivers during times of distress form a healthy worldview about life.  There is trust and there is safety and there are resources available to overcome negative events.  These secure attachment schemas leave the child with hope and as the child enters into adulthood, presents the child with the necessary beliefs and skills to form health and secure relationships.  In addition, the child will have a healthier self worth of one’s value as a human being.  This does not mean, the child’s life was perfect.  No-one has a perfect and suffering free life, but the child was given support in the good and bad days physically, emotionally and mentally (Compton, 2024, p. 145).

Children who are neglected, abused, exposed to trauma and receive no support, care, or safety grow up with a very different view on life.  Different attachment schemas develop from this neglect.  Anxious attachment in children is one type schema that develops from lack of a safe and loving environment.  Children with anxious attachment schemas possess a fear and uncertainty of how a caregiver will respond in a negative event.  Due to lack of consistent love and care, these children experience a lack of self confidence. They may doubt their own abilities and became very dependent on others.  Anxious attachment is closely associated with heightened anxiety to threats which in turn leads to children have exaggerated responses that deny the child the ability to soothe oneself (Compton, 2024, p. 146).  This type of anxious disorder leads to a behavior that does not trust, nor is able to with confidence handle life long issues without dependence upon others.  Children can exhibit this when stressors strike.

Another schema that can develop is the Avoidant attachment schema.  This dismissive attitude is the opposite reaction of the Anxious attachment schema because it leaves the child to avoid all help from caregivers.  It forges a unhealthy self reliance that fears intimacy and the words of others.   These individuals are hesitant to ask for help and are skeptical of others intentions.  In turn, they have a difficult time forming relationships and working with others.  This prevents the child and later adult from forming meaningful and emotional relationships (Compton, 2024, p. 147).

Finally, some children develop a Disorganized attachment schema.  Due to inconsistent and unpredictable caregiver outcomes, these children do not form a consistent reaction but present a disorganized reaction that at times can turn to someone and in other instances push someone away.  This chaos results from the caregivers inconsistent approaches of giving security at one moment, then perhaps abuse in another moment.  This type of chaos creates a very confused child with multiple internal conflicts.  This leads to severe dysregulation and lack of emotional control.  Many who develop Disorganized attachment are at higher risk for mental health issues such as anxiety, depression, PTSD, and ADHD (Compton, 2024, p. 147).

Reestablishing Health Schemas

Fortunately, safe-guarders such as teachers, educators, counselors, pastors, or even friends can help reestablish healthier schemas.  The brain can re-learn that security exists but this takes time, patience, and love.  The relearning of healthier schemas is referred to as “earned-secure attachment” (Compton, 2024, p.148).  Helpers can reinitiate the attachment cycle and help children heal.  Calm caregivers can help children by hoping them co-regulate their emotions.  The child can borrow and regulate from the safety and peace of a regulated adult (Compton, 2024, p. 148).  Through this newly forged relationship, new trust and new secure schemas can re-emerge.  This is by far not easy.  The previous schemas are firmly planted but they can slowly give way to new ways of thought within the neuroplasticity of the brain and form new neuropathways with better experiences.  It is important to note that individuals from trauma go through phases of reintegration.  First they feel unsafe with the world.  As security arises, they may start to feel safe but still trust no-one.  Once trust and security is given, victims can begin to regain power, build self esteem and then finally reconnect in secure attachments.

Compton lists a few key elements that must be present in this re-scheming of a child’s worldview.  Children should feel safety in the emotional connection with the counselor or pastor.  They should feel a nurturing environment that accepts them.  When the child feels unconditionally loved and also secure, then the child can begin to lower his/her defenses.  Safety must also be experienced in guidance and discipline.  Children should be able to express their emotions without fear of ridicule or scolding or judgement.  Behavioral outbursts due to trauma need to be measured and understood as negative reactions to a traumatic event.   Instead of discipline, the child needs to learn to express and emotionally regulate and communicate the distress.  Instead, the counselor or new caregiver needs to communicate boundaries and the expected and consistent behavior associated with those boundaries.  Boundaries that are given with consistency, empathy and love can help the child understand better appropriate and inappropriate reactions that he/she has developed due to bad attachment schemas.   These types of boundaries lead to predictability.  When establishing a new and healthy schema, the child needs to again find security in a consistent responses to situations.  The inconsistent care is what caused the anxious and avoidant and disorganized schemas, so a consistent care plan can help a child feel security and what to expect in life.  This consistency and predictability gives order and the order gives the child security.  Finally, Compton emphasizes the importance of safety in play and connection.  Children need to play.  Play is a key part of their growth and where they also express themselves.  Children need to understand they are safe when playing and able to grow in a safe environment.  When such safety to play and feel secure is afforded on a consistent basis, the child is able to form more secure attachments (2024, P.149-152)>

Conclusion

The most criminal act is to steal a childhood from a child and rip away the innocence through abuse and trauma.  Unfortunately, many children suffer from trauma worldwide without any loving or healing voice.  Some may experience trauma at the hands of persons, others due to extreme poverty and crime, while others due to war and natural disaster.  These traumas negatively effect the whole child.  In turn, abused and traumatized children experience distorted schemas and views on life which included various mental and emotional issues that later creep into adult life. In regards to relational attachments, many children exhibit anxious, avoidant or disorganized patterns that negatively affect their socialization and trust.  Without trust, safety, and predictability many children develop anxiety, depression, and PTSD.  Fortunately, the human soul is resilient.  Caregivers can reconnect with children and help them form new experiences by allowing them to lean on and borrow from their healthy regulated mind.  In addition, new secure schemas can be reformed by providing safety, security, empathy, love, patience and forming boundaries and schedules that help the child heal and grow from past experiences.

Please also review AIHCP’s Behavioral Healthcare Certifications, as well as its Trauma Informed Care Certification.

Additional Blogs

Attachment Disorder: Click here

RAD: Click here

Trauma and Counseling: Click here

Resource

Compton, L & Patterson, T (2024). “Skills for Safeguarding: A Guide to Preventing Abuse and Fostering Healing in the Church”.  Academic

Additional Resources

“Understanding Childhood Trauma and Its Long-Term Impact”. (2025). American SPCC. Access here

Copley, L. (2024). “Childhood Trauma & Its Lifelong Impact: 12 Resources”. Positive Psychology.  Access here

Morin, A.. (2023). “Understanding the Effects of Childhood Trauma” Very Well Mind.  Access here

“Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder in Children” (2025). CDC. Access here

“Child Trauma” SAMHSA.  Access here