Zoe Sinclair
June 29, 2026
There is a trauma if the event overwhelms what the child can withstand, evoking feelings of terror, powerlessness, horror, or shame. Traumatic childhood could be a single occurrence like a car crash, or something more ongoing, like continuous exposure to danger or addictions or outbursts of uncontrolled rage. It is especially important for children to remember how an event affects them when they are young and they depend on their parents to help them understand what happened and feel that they are safe again.
Equally important is how a child is treated in the aftermath. Children who have parents that believe, protect, and comfort them will probably be more able to heal than a child whose caregiver minimizes, insults, and punishes the child, or is unwilling to acknowledge what occurred. The event itself is only a fraction of the puzzle. What happened after? The most important question is did the child have the time and support to feel safe?