Exploring Traumatic Influences


 A critical aspect of supporting young children and families is your  understanding of the varied ways traumatic influences impact children’s  identities and their development. What might surprise you is that the  ways in which you view trauma, much like your other views, have also  been shaped in various ways by societal bias. This week you were asked  to review a sampling of articles focused on a variety of different  categories of trauma. These articles were specifically selected to  provide you with information on a range of traumatic influences while  also providing you with another lens through which to view that  particular trauma. As you engage in this week’s discussion be certain to  focus on the varied ways trauma can influence children differently, the  similarities and differences found amongst a range of traumatic  influences, and any factors of resilience that were revealed in your  readings.

Keep in mind the prompts below:

  • Aspects of this week’s readings that challenged your thinking with  regard to trauma and other disruptive life events and the ways in which  trauma impacts children’s identities and continued development. Provide  examples, including what surprised you and if relevant, what  preconceptions were dispelled.
  • The similarities and differences you found amongst the categories of traumatic influences you explored
  • Your definition of resilience and any factors of resilience you found in the articles you selected
  • Any connections you made between Quinn’s story (from “Learning from Another’s Life Story”) and this week’s reading assignments