Traumatic events are rarely off our TV screens and have been witnessed on our streets in recent months, from the Grenfell tower fire to the Manchester terrorist attacks. Such events often strike unexpectedly, turning everyday life upside down and destroying the belief that it could not happen to us.
Trauma is a normal human response but one that is also complex, incorporating a myriad of emotional, behavioural and cognitive reactions. This is particularly true for children, though little is known about young children’s individual responses to such events, or why some children are more vulnerable to experiencing traumatic stress than others.
Not all children will have adverse reactions to traumatic events that they have experienced directly or seen in the media. For some, reactions will be minimal or short-lived, though many are likely to experience anxiety, fear and phobias, in the immediate and perhaps long term.
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