Trauma
Occurs when a child experiences an intense event that threatens or causes harm to his or her emotional and physical well-being. Refugees can experience traumatic stress related to:
- War and persecution
- Displacement from their home
- Flight and migration
- Poverty
- Family/Community Violence
Case Example
Rachel’s Experience of Trauma
When she was 4 years old, Rachel was molested in the refugee camp by a relative. She tried to tell her family about this but was told to never mention it because of the shame it could bring to her family. As well, Rachel’s mother Rachel experienced much trauma and exposure to violence in the war and suffers from mental illness due to these traumas. She was mostly bed-ridden and was not able to care and comfort Rachel during her formative years. See full Case Example
Provider Tips
- Learn about developmental responses to traumatic stress and educate families
- Learn about a child’s culture of origin and use cultural brokers
- Identify and help reduce trauma reminders in a child’s environment
- Refer to trained mental health providers when appropriate
Trauma Assessment Questions
Many refugee children and families cope well with their experiences of trauma and stress; others may experience stressors or symptoms that begin to interfere with their daily functioning. Here are some examples of ways in which you can ask families about trauma related exposure and symptoms.
Trauma Risk Assessment
| Level of Risk | |
|---|---|
Low | Child may experience occasional distress or trauma-related symptoms in response to reminders or other stressors such as:
|
Moderate | Child reports some symptoms of emotional distress such as:
|
High | Child reports acute or severe symptoms of emotional distress or behavioral dysregulation including risky behaviors such as:
|
Based on above Trauma Risk Assessment Table,
how do you rate Individual:
|
|
|
