Childhood trauma refers to a broad range of adverse experiences that occur during infancy and childhood, which have a profound impact on one’s development and functioning.
Traumatic experiences may include physical, sexual, or emotional abuse and neglect, or a child may witness events which are scary and frightening and which cause significant disruptions to their attachment to their primary caregiver (e.g., domestic violence in the family home, parental substance misuse, or loss).
Trauma that is experienced during childhood and adolescence can have long-lasting effects across a number of developmental domains, making it challenging for children and young people to experience a sense of safety and engage in typical activities.
In this article, we will explore the effects of childhood trauma on the brain. We hope to provide an educational resource for carers of children and young people who have experienced trauma.
We specialise in supporting children, young people and their carers in residential children’s homes, fostering and adoption services, supported accommodation, and education.
Jump Straight In
- How a Child’s Brain Develops
- Toxic Stress
- Hyper and Hypo Arousal
- Hypervigilance
- Memory
- Reward System
How a Child’s Brain Develops
In order to understand the impact of trauma on a child’s brain development, we first need to understand what typical brain development looks like.
Others who are trying to make sense of their own experiences of trauma may also find this article useful.
We can think of our brains as developing from the bottom up. The lower part of the brain develops first. This area is sometimes referred to as our “survival brain”, because it is responsible for our primitive functions (the things we do without thinking that keep us alive), such as breathing, temperature regulation, or our fight-or-flight response.
Once we are born into the world, the higher parts of our brain (including areas such as the hippocampus and cerebrum) develop at a rapid pace.
Our primary caregiver and other adults close to us provide us with safe, predictable, and positive ‘serve and return’ interactions which offer key learning experiences, shaping the development of millions of new neural connections in our brain.
These neural circuits allow for the development of key skills, such as emotional regulation, language, critical thinking and empathy.
In this way, our experiences and the relationships we have with those who care for us after birth shape the way our brains develop, and provide us with the strong, stable foundation we need to go on to learn more complex skills as we grow.
Toxic Stress and its Impact on Brain Development
As we have established, in order for a child’s brain to develop in a healthy way, a child needs to feel safe.
They need to learn that they can rely on those around them to meet their physical and emotional needs, so they can safely and confidently explore the world around them.
However, when a child experiences trauma, they are in a state of stress. At such times, the brain releases cortisol (a stress hormone), and our ‘fight/flight/freeze’ system (our primitive brain) is activated to try to protect us from harm.
Typically, once the threat has gone, this state fades, and the levels of cortisol reduce. However, when this state is activated over long periods of time (such as in the event of childhood trauma), and the child is living in a constant state of high alert, they become what we might call ‘hypervigilant’.
Research studies have shown experiencing early, complex trauma can result in an enlarged amygdala, which you may have heard referred to as the ‘alarm centre’ of the brain.
If the amygdala is enlarged, this alarm centre is continuously stimulated. They are continuously scanning their environments for danger and threats and are likely to appear quite on edge.
The hypervigilant child’s brain is so heavily focused on surviving what they have learnt is a scary, dangerous, and chaotic world, that there is little room for learning or social and emotional development.
As a result, a child who has experienced trauma may have difficulties with a number of executive functioning skills, such as impulse control, memory and attention. They may also have difficulty regulating their emotions, making and maintaining friendships, and processing information.
Hyper- and Hypo- Arousal
When a child is in a constant state of stress, they are often described as being in a state of hyper- or hypo-arousal, as they respond to what their brains perceive to be threats in their environments.
• Hyper-arousal is caused by an overactive sympathetic nervous system. This is otherwise known as the fight or flight response. A child or young person in a state of hyperarousal may appear hypervigilant, anxious, reactive, easily startled, irritable, or angry.
• Hypo-arousal, or freeze response, is due to an overactive parasympathetic nervous system. A child or young person in a state of hypo-arousal may appear numb, ‘shut down’, low in mood, dissociated, quiet, or withdrawn.
A Closer Look at Hypervigilance
Hypervigilance is pattern of adaptation, developed as a way of keeping oneself safe in an environment that is threatening to our safety and survival.
Often, children who have experienced trauma will display signs of hypervigilance. They may avoid perceived threats (e.g., avoid certain places or situations), jump or flinch at sudden movements or noises, and take precautions to prepare for threats (e.g., sitting near an exit in case they need to escape).
They may also experience physical signs of hypervigilance, such as dilated pupils, appearing agitated, visually scanning their environment, and experiencing increased heart rate.
Sometimes young people can appear ‘clingy’ with carers or staff members, or they may always want to know where people are and when things are happening. This is sometimes perceived as the child being ‘controlling’.
They may also be hypervigilant about the mood and needs of others and neglect their own needs and feelings as a result.
All of these strategies would have been adaptive when the child was in an environment where the mood of others often preceded traumatic events such as abuse.
Memory
Our memory plays an important role in how we navigate tasks, challenges and social situations in the here and now.
Our autobiographical memory (memory of our personal experiences) helps us build and maintain new relationships, plan, problem-solve, make decisions, and regulate our emotions.
Childhood trauma can affect how autobiographical memories are processed. As such, a child who has experienced trauma may have difficulty recalling the details of personal memories.
Research studies also show that when a child has experienced trauma, memories of negative experiences become more salient (or more likely to spring to mind).
This makes it difficult for children to draw on experiences to help with new social situations and to build a positive sense of self.
Reward System
Our brains reward system motivates our behaviour and guides our decision making.
From the earliest years, we learn what is rewarding (e.g., our primary caregiver smiling back at us) and how to elicit these rewards through attachment-seeking behaviours (e.g., babbling).
When a child experiences trauma and their needs are not consistently met, these rewards are inconsistent or absent. Over time, research suggests that the child’s brain becomes less responsive to rewards, including social rewards.
This can negatively impact a child’s motivation, their ability to experience pleasure, and may further increase their vulnerability to future mental health problems including anxiety and depression.
How We Can Help
Remember, a child may be doing their best to survive, using strategies they learnt in the past.
Seeing a child’s behaviour in this way is important, because it means we respond differently. Instead of responding to the behaviour, we see what is driving the behaviour, and respond sensitively to the child’s unmet needs.
Every child’s brain has the capacity to continue to adapt. As carers and supportive adults, we have the opportunity to help to strengthen positive neural connections in a child’s brain.
In order to do this, we need to be well attuned to the young people we care for, so that we can provide them with the predictable and nurturing care and trusting relationships they need in order to thrive.
For further support and information, reach out to us. Our expert team is here to provide you with the help that you need.
