Childhood Trauma: How it Follows Life

According to the CDC in 2020, 1 in 7 children experienced a type of abuse from a parent or guardian at home (Preventing 1). Childhood trauma is a crisis that is plaguing the world’s children and their ability to live to the fullest. Experiencing trauma comes with resilience against adverse situations, but resilience has negative side effects, and often the positivity gained from resilience is closer to desensitization (Chamorro and Lusk 42). Likewise, due to the vast ways in which children are abused in varying ages and severities, it is important to recognize not only the immediate but the long-term effects that end up messing with the lives of adults. As well as how people cope and grow differently. Katharine Ann Campbell with a Ph.D. in neuroscience found that certain mental illnesses like PTSD, anxiety, and depression which result from trauma, can affect the functioning of people for the rest of their lives (Campbell 2). Similarly, Alexis Stack a behavioral analysist in her Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders that experiencing adverse childhood experiences or ACEs can be linked to aiding disorders like autism and that often children with conditions experience higher rates of abuse (Stack and Lucyshyn 1616). The research conducted on this topic is limited due to low rates of adults that report their abusive childhood experiences but there is some general agreement on its direct effects. Nevertheless, there still stands a debate on how severe childhood adversity affects life like mental disorders, suicide rates, development, education, parenting, substance abuse, and many more. This begs the overall question: To what extent does experiencing trauma as a child affect a person’s development and resilience later in life?

Trauma and Physical Development

When children experience trauma, it often happens during the initial stages of development. These stages are crucially important to how children’s brains develop and often is this time when mental disorders are made or worsened which can lead to educational problems. When fundamental parts of the brain are in development more specifically the limbic system, experiencing trauma can change the way that people perceive fear and threats and often cause hyperactivity. With that developmental change, the risk of a person’s central nervous system being unable to reach full development is heightened which leads to problems in itself (Stack and Lucyshyn 1614). The ability of the limbic system to overcompensate means that when children are not in danger, the brain's “fight or flight” response is triggered and the absence of a parent to soothe them makes it unable to stop (Stack and Lucyshyn 1615). This overstimulation can often interfere with life, not just when the child is young, these developments carry into adulthood. They completely alter the brain's response and are easily avoidable by nurturing from a parent or guardian. But these kinds of effects only happen within the time the brain is developing meaning that trauma that occurs later than childhood would have fewer effects. It is also important to consider not only a fear response but how people react to pain and stress. Katherine Ann Campbell cites a study by Wollgarten-Hadamek et al that shows that kids who experience burns and or other severe painful injuries often have different more sensitive pain receptors. And that often the damage in the development of pain receptors creates later chronic pain issues (Campbell 4). Not only the development of emotional and fear receptors but the physical pain that people feel can be linked to childhood adversity. These are long-term changes in the body and are not talked about enough, increasing and explaining chronic pain later in life. 

Alexis Stack also found that difficulties in the educational and cognitive development of children can be linked to childhood trauma (Stack and Lucyshyn 1616). This can be important when discussing the futures of the children who experience such trauma. Do those effects carry to adulthood they stifle the ability of people to complete school? A study conducted by Natalie Lecy and Philip Osteen at the University of Utah found that often students who experience trauma have a higher chance of not graduating college, “first-generation, male, and Black students experience worse outcomes in higher education as their childhood trauma experiences increase” (Lecy and Osteen 1066). Adding on to this, researchers from the Department of Early Childhood and Family Education in Taiwan show that PTSD and behavioral issues were seen in college students who had been abused either physically or sexually as children (Wang 369). The preliminary stages of a person’s life are extremely important, and when parents or guardians abuse or neglect the power they have, the physical development of these children is affected. It can debilitate the ability of academic achievement not just in primary school but at college levels. The developmental stunting in the central nervous system and aiding in the development of disorders like PTSD can all occur from neglect and abuse as a kid and are irreversible, they change the way the body functions altogether.

Childhood Trauma in Later Life

When children’s developmental is affected, the effects often carry far into adulthood. These can leave negative impacts on adults’ lives, can increase suicidal thoughts and attempts, create bad perceptions of resilience, increase the risk of substance abuse, and overall impact a person’s adult life. A study conducted by Lin Shi at the School of Family and Consumer Sciences conducted a study that focuses on the negative effect trauma has on romantic relationships when both partners experienced trauma. In couples with dual trauma, symptoms are not often exacerbated by the other partner, but each partner tends to separate and pull away from the relationship to hide the trauma (Shi 9). Shi also cites a study by Nelson and Wampler that say that when one partner experiences trauma, they inflict their symptoms on the non-traumatized partner (Shi 1). Not only does trauma negatively impact relationships when both people have trauma, but people who have experienced ACEs, although they may not want to, inflict the same negative symptoms onto their non traumatized partner. It has been established that ACEs increase dropout risk in college students, these are two symptoms and effects that show later in life and disable the ability of adults to live life to the fullest.

Effects that stem from childhood often do not show unless provoked. Another extremely important symptom of childhood trauma is its effects on suicide rates. The Graduation and Health Program in Brazil find a direct correlation between adult suicide risk and childhood adversity, “childhood trauma still had a small but direct effect in score of suicide risk as a potential distal risk factor of suicidal behavior” (Kelbert 515).  Although the findings in this study are of a smaller statute, the facts are still there, when children experience childhood adversity, it can heighten the risk for suicide. Another factor in the detriment of adult life is substance abuse problems, the School of Social Sciences and Psychology in Australia found that compared to people who were not exposed to childhood adversity, those who were, were seven times more at risk to have an alcohol dependence later in life (Moustafa et al 579). The effects carry fully into adulthood and the impacts are more destructive than can be imagined, stopping lives early and aiding in destroying the body in the process.

However, some studies like to argue that suicide rates cannot be a measure or effect of childhood trauma. The argument rests on the bases that the staggering risk factors that affect suicide rates have nothing to do with childhood trauma, factors like demographic and internalizing psychopathology. Those risks account for almost 66% of suicide attempts (Franklin et al 215). How can childhood trauma alone be a cause for suicide when suicide rates are a bunch of smaller risks? This argument is inaccurate to the study however, as 66% includes internalizing psychopathology which includes disorders like depression, anxiety, PTSD, bipolar disorder, and schizophrenia which have all been linked to childhood trauma (Campbell 4). It is also important to include risk factors like isolation, the Center for Global Health found that isolation was a key factor in suicidal thoughts and attempts, and isolation is prevalent in neglected children and how they cope later in life. (Tsai et al 7).  If suicide rates are indicative of combined risk factors, and over half of the suicide cases include disorders that can be linked to ACEs, then it is safe to assume that childhood trauma does aid suicide rates and attempts.

Childhood Trauma and Resilience

Including the various mental illnesses and disorders that can be gained from ACEs, resilience against adversity is also gained. The effects gained from resilience however are far more negative and are not as positive as they are perceived from the outside. George A Bonanno, a professor of Clinical Psychology at Columbia along with others argues that resilience is often positive and has been found amongst lots of people who experience trauma in ways other than childhood adversity. Also states that “resilience is typically discussed in terms of protective factors that foster…[create] positive outcomes and healthy personality characteristics among children exposed to … aversive life circumstances” (Bonanno 20). These arguments are countered by studies like Yu-Ching Wang that focuses on the harmful effects of resilience in children. Their studies found that experiencing childhood trauma presents negative effects like low self-esteem, bad health (low physical activity), and issues with sleeping among other things. Along with being bad for the body, the study found that those were all traits of resilience and that their research complied with previous ones stating that “resilience characteristics mitigate the risk for the development of risky health behaviors in adults when there has been exposure to childhood abuse or other traumatic experiences” (Wang et al. 374). Instead of growing and developing new habits to combat the ones experienced as children, people tend to just live with them. We can see this in Nelson Mandela’s book A Long Walk to Freedom, Mandela states that the brutality in prison was similar to the racism he endured outside; making it easier for him to adapt (Mandela 13).  Resilience in this matter is merely being desensitized to problems, not growing from them; it is not springing back or recovering, it is familiarizing and adapting to abusive situations seen as children. After being beaten multiple times, the injury is still there, but the pain is less as the person gets used to the abuse.

Childhood trauma and Parenting

Considering that childhood trauma is the direct cause of mistreatment by parents and guardians, it is important to recognize that ACEs often interfere with the ability of people to become parents of their own. The famous photo titled Migrant Mother is a classic example of a mother suffering through traumatic events. Taken during the Great Depression the mother is distressed, and those feelings are rubbing off on the children as they cling to her body (Lange 16).  Trauma is a lot for anyone to manage, and it can affect how well people can take care of children. The Department of Pediatrics University of Cincinnati College of Medicine has found a pathway from childhood trauma to parenting stress, which can be connected to mothers with depression (Ammerman et al 621). Depressed mothers, as well as those with increased stress, tend to be more disengaged from their children, less aware of their children's emotional conditions, have more negative interactions, are less able to control behavior in the interactions they have, and are less likely to talk to their children (Ammerman et al 613). Rachel Wamser-Nanney with a Ph.D. and Professor of Clinical Psychology found that “individuals who have a PTSD diagnosis may be more negative about what parenthood will be like but still have relatively realistic expectations for children’s development” (Wamser-Nanney 283). Meaning that parents who have PTSD (linked to ACEs) have poor expectations for how their children will grow up. As the parents grew up in adverse situations, they tend to believe that their children will grow up fine but with a parent who does not enjoy parenthood. This coupled with depression in mothers and the increased expectancy for mothers to not care about their children's problems creates an environment for children to be abused the same way as their parents.

It can be determined from current research conducted that childhood adversity has many negative effects on an individual's development which they carry into adulthood.  Also, that the resilience gained is frequently more harmful than beneficial. The rates of substance abuse are higher in those who experience trauma, and many of the mental effects of ACEs turn into suicide attempts. And due to how little adults report and talk about their trauma, it is still difficult to tell how lives are being affected as a result. The trauma passed through parents who were abused could forever change future generations of kids for the worse.  The research on this topic is still limited and as more research is completed, it will show more effects good and bad. This topic is difficult to show the scope and severity of as all kids experience different severities and types of traumas, but they all show many negative impacts that follow them forever.

Work Cited

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Campbell, Katharine Ann. “The Neurobiology of Childhood Trauma, from Early Physical Pain Onwards: As Relevant as Ever in Today’s Fractured World.” European Journal of Psychotraumatology, vol. 13, no. 2, 18 Oct. 2022, doi.org/10.1080/20008066.2022.2131969. Accessed 22 Oct. 2022.

Chamorro-Premuzic, Tomas, and Derek Lusk. “The Dark Side of Resilience.” AP Seminar Performance Task 2: Individual Research-Based Essay and Presentation, College Board, 2023, p. 41 – 42. Originally published in Harvard Business Review, 16 August 2017.

Franklin, Joseph C., et al. “Risk Factors for Suicidal Thoughts and Behaviors: A Meta-Analysis of 50 Years of Research.” Psychological Bulletin, vol. 143, no. 2, 2017, pp. 187–232, www.apa.org/pubs/journals/releases/bul-bul0000084.pdf, doi.org/10.1037/bul0000084.

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Lange, Dorothea. “Migrant Mother.” AP Seminar Performance Task 2: Individual Research-Based Essay and Presentation, College Board, 2023, p. 16. Originally published in “Destitute Pea Pickers in California. Mother of Seven Children. Age Thirty-Two. Nipomo, California,” The Library of Congress, loc.gov/item/2017762891.

Lecy, Natalie, and Philip Osteen. “The Effects of Childhood Trauma on College Completion.” Research in Higher Education, 9 Feb. 2022, doi.org/10.1007/s11162-022-09677-9.

Mandela, Nelson. (1995). “Chapter 60.” AP Seminar Performance Task 2: Individual Research-Based Essay and Presentation, College Board, 2023, p. 13 – 14. Originally published in Long Walk to Freedom, 1995.

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Wang, Yu-Ching, et al. “Effects of Childhood Adversity and Resilience on Taiwanese Youth Health Behaviors.” Pediatrics & Neonatology, vol. 60, no. 4, Aug. 2019, pp. 368–376, doi.org/10.1016/j.pedneo.2018.08.004. Accessed 12 Jan. 2023.