Question

Week 5:

The Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACE) Study has had a great impact on moving psychologists to be “trauma informed.” Discuss one type of traumatic event in a child’s life that can be particularly damaging. What benefits would trauma theory have on the treatment and diagnosis of this experience?

Answer 1

The Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACE)

One type of traumatic event that can be particularly damaging is home violence. It is very important for a child to grow up in a particularly peaceful environment so that his perceptions and thought processes can be mouldering in that particular way. When a child is regularly witnessing fights, shoutings, abusive languages, physical abuse carried out on their mother, the child passively turns out to be aggressive in nature, in contrast to a child who would be brought up in a highly amiable environment. Such a child would have bouts of angers, maybe also diverted towards depression, with the lack of freedom to discuss such matters. Also, he might want to protest, but not being able to do so would result in a build up in him. Ultimately, in adolescence, such a child would be more volatile than other children of the same age group. If somehow he is able to keep his calm and adjust his thinking in a more peaceful way, the child would be inherently possessing more anger than other children and would be short tempered and sensitive on many matters.

Trauma theory can help in treating these individuals more effectively, as the psychologist would be able to understand and realise the circumstances that have led to such a behaviour of the individual. Also, he would be able to anticipate on what topics the patient is sensitive and would mouldy his treatment individualising upon the patients past experiences.